Interesting Facts About Vatican City

• The Vatican is the world's smallest fully independent nation-state.

• city has its own telephone system, post office, gardens, astronomical observatory, radio station, banking system, and pharmacy, as well as a contingent of Swiss Guards responsible for the personal safety of the pope.

• The most interesting building is St. Peter's Basilica which was built during the 4th century and rebuilt in the 16th. It was built over the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle.
  

• There is still monarchy in Vatican City though it is not hereditary and is ruled by whoever becomes the Bishop of Rome, that is the Pope who is elected.

• The economy of the place is dependent on the printing industry, production of coins, postage stamps and financial activities. It is absolutely non-commercial and the economy is largely supported by the annual tax collected from the Roman Catholic dioceses all over the world. The sale of coins and postage stamps of Vatican City also earns it quite an amount of revenue. It is also a tourist place.

• There is no agricultural activity in the state as such.

• The literacy percentage is hundred percent and the languages spoken by the people of Vatican City are Latin, Italian, French and English.

• The ethnic groups that reside in the state are Italians, Swiss and many other nationalities from all over the world. There is not one nationality from which people reside there.

• The total land area of the state is approximately 0.44 square km and when compared in terms of land area it is only 0.7 times bigger than The Mall in Washington, DC.

• It is a landlocked country and does not have a coastline.

• There are no natural hazards to Vatican City

• It is an urban area and the population of the place is approximately 932. The growth rate of population is approximately 1.15%.

• The form of government there is ecclesiastical and there are no administrative divisions perse.

• The living standard and income of a worker is not much below comparison to an Italian worker, in fact it is comparable.

• There are not many roadways; most of them are only streets and lanes.

• Railways can traverse a maximum of 0.86 km.

• The flag of Vatican City has two bands of yellow, which are vertical and white, in the center of which are the crossed keys of Saint Peter and papal miter.

• The head of the State lives in The Lateran Place where the Lateran Treaty was signed.

• Much before Christianity arrived the place was considered sacred and people were not allowed to stay here.

• It is a great cultural hub from earlier times and artists like Michelangelo, Boticelli and Bernini stayed here and enhanced the already rich culture of Vatican City. There are museums and libraries that are of great intellectual and historical importance.

• Since it is a small state with a small population the crime rate is much higher than Italy and approximately 90% of the cases remain unsolved.

• The transport and communication system of Vatican City is well developed.