The smallest country in the world

The Vatican City State (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae; Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), referred to as "Vatican", is an inland city-state located in the highlands of the northwest corner of Rome, the capital of Italy. It is also the country with the smallest territory and smallest population in the world, with a land area of ​​only 0.44 square kilometers. Since it is bordered by Italy on all sides, it is called "China". It is the center of Catholicism in the world - the seat of the Holy See headed by the Pope, and the center of faith for one-sixth of the world's population. [1][2]

Vatican City means "City of the Prophets". In the 4th century AD, the Pope built the Constantine Cathedral in memory of the martyrdom of St. Peter, the disciple of Jesus, in the northwest corner of Rome. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was transformed into St. Peter's Basilica and became the place where the Catholic Church holds the most solemn ceremonies. [1] In 756, the Frankish King gave the city of Rome and its surrounding areas to the Pope, and the Papal State later appeared in central Italy. After the unification of Italy in 1870, the Pope was forced to retreat to the Vatican Palace. In 1929, Italy signed the Lateran Treaty with the Pope, recognizing the Vatican as a sovereign state that unites politics and religion. The Vatican is a neutral country and its territory is sacred and inviolable. [2]

Since most of the administrative agencies of the Holy See, the Holy See, are located in Vatican City, when people use the term "Vatican", they may refer to Vatican City State or "Vatican" The region, the Holy See, or the residence of the Pope, depending on the occasion in which it is used. [2] Although the Vatican has not enacted any laws regarding official languages, Italian is the most commonly used. Due to the large number of Catholic believers around the world, the Vatican has as important an influence as the United States, China, and Russia in political and cultural fields.

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