Vatican City is a country in Europe, known for St. Peter's Basilica and Renaissance art. It has a population of 0.5 thousand, making it the 237th largest country in the world. Its capital is Vatican City. Vatican City has a tourism-based economy with museum revenues.
* As of 6/9/2025
There are only .44 square kilometers of area within the Vatican City, so the entire population is contained within less than a single square kilometer of space.
Italian, Swiss, Argentinian, and other nationalities are common among the population that resides here. The languages include Italian, Latin, French, and various other languages as pertaining to the current residents. The residents are those that work in the city itself and in some cases their family members. Papal approval is required to become a citizen of the Vatican City.
11 February 1929 is the date that the three treaties were signed - giving full sovereignty of the land to the Vatican City and allowing it to establish it’s own absolute monarchy. Currently, Pope Francis holds the chief of state position in the Holy See (as it is otherwise known).
There are a lot of people who are still wondering, is the Vatican a country? Yes, the Vatican is a country. It is one of the smallest countries on Earth. It is also incredibly unique in that it is surrounded by Italy on all sides. Even though there are other small countries that are entirely contained within another country, the situation in The Vatican is unique. While there are borders that people have to pass through to get from Italy to the Vatican, there is a lot of free travel that takes place on a daily basis.
Yes, the Vatican is considered to be a holy place. The Vatican is the seat of the Catholic religion. The pope lives in the Vatican. All major decisions that take place regarding Catholicism happen in the Vatican. Furthermore, many followers of Catholicism make a pilgrimage to the Vatican at least once in their lives.
Yes, the Vatican is a fun place to visit. Even if you are not Catholic, it is still interesting to learn the history of the Vatican and see the papal estates. There are a lot of rules that people have to follow when they visit the Vatican, so check them before visiting.