Holy See

Holy See (Vatican City) is the smallest sovereign state in the world, located as an enclave within Rome, Italy, covering a land area of just 0.44 square kilometers. As of 2024, Vatican City has a population of approximately 1,000 residents, with Italian, Latin, and French among the languages used. The territory features an urban landscape on a low hill, with a temperate climate of mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Vatican City serves as both the capital and the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, governed as an ecclesiastical elective monarchy under the Pope.

Holy See (Vatican City) has no natural resources and derives its income from investments, real estate, donations from Catholics worldwide, and the sale of postage stamps, souvenirs, and publications. The city-state is home to some of the world’s most famous artistic and architectural treasures, including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. As the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church, which has over one billion adherents globally, the Holy See plays a significant diplomatic role in international affairs, maintaining formal relations with numerous countries and holding permanent observer status at the United Nations.