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Vatican: Vatican State
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Vatican City is the smallest city-state in the world, with only 880 people, but is one of the most visited. This is mainly because it is in the middle of Rome and the 14.4 acres are packed with some of the world's most beautiful churches and museums. Although Vatican City is an independent country, it is completely surrounded by the city of Rome. This center of Roman Catholicism is a must-see. It is bounded by the Tiber River and stretches west (about 1 200 m long and 800 m at its widest point).
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The civil government of Vatican City is headed by the cardinal president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City, which is the state’s legislature; the state is governed under the Fundamental Law of 2000. The legal system is based on canon law, and the courts are part of the judicial system of the church. The only court special to Vatican City is a court of first instance for civil and criminal cases arising in the city.
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The government of Vatican City has a unique structure. The Pope is the sovereign of the state. Legislative authority is vested in the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, a body of cardinals appointed by the Pope for five-year periods. Executive power is in the hands of the President of that commission, assisted by the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's Secretariat of State and diplomatic service. Nevertheless, the pope has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over Vatican City.
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Vatican City State has its own currency and issues its own postage stamps. Vatican currency circulates legally in both Italy and the Republic of San Marino, by virtue of special treaties signed with each. The license plate of vehicles listed in the register of Vatican automobiles is S.C.V. The international symbol is V.
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Vatican City (Citta del Vaticano)... incorrectly known as but popularly synonymous with the Holy See (Santa Sede) , is the last Papal state in existence and the temporal seat of the Pope, head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Situated [W]ithin the city of Rome in Italy, the Vatican is the world's smallest state. Outside the Vatican City itself, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence, also enjoy extraterritorial rights. On April 19, 2005, Josef Cardinal Ratzinger was elected as Pope Benedict XVI.
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The State of the Vatican City, created in 1929 by the Lateran Pacts, provides the Holy See with a temporal jurisdiction and independence within a small territory. It is distinct from the Holy See. The state can ... be deemed a significant but not essential instrument of the Holy See. The Holy See itself has existed continuously as a juridical entity since Roman Imperial times and has been internationally recognized as a powerful and independent sovereign (at times even suzerain) entity since late antiquity to the present, without interruption even at times when it was deprived of territory (e.g. 1870 to 1929). The Holy See has the oldest active continuous diplomatic service in the world, dating back to at least AD 325 with its legation to the Council of Nicea.[14] Ambassadors are accredited to the Holy See, never to the Vatican City State.
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