Outline of Vatican City

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Vatican City: Vatican City – an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical[1] state, being the sovereign territory of the Holy See and ruled by the Bishop of Rome—the Pope, the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church.

The territory of this landlocked sovereign city-state consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy.

It has an area of approximately 49 hectares (121 acres)[a] and a population of about 825.

[b] This makes Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.

Law of Vatican City State Vatican City State has no military, but resident within it is the Swiss Guard.

The location of Vatican City within Europe.
An enlargeable map of Vatican City State , including extraterritorial properties of the Holy See bordering Vatican City.
View of Vatican City from the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome .
An enlargeable map of Vatican City .
A section of the wall in Vatican City, from the outside, behind the Vatican Gardens .
Palace of the Governatorate, Vatican City.
A Swiss Guard .
Saint Peter's Square and beyond it Rome , as viewed from the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica .
St. Peter's Basilica from the River Tiber . The iconic dome dominates the skyline of this part of Rome .
The Vatican Radio building.
Euro banknotes.