Country Name: Holy See (Vatican City State)

Capital: Vatican City

Government Type: ecclesiastical elective monarchy; self-described as an "absolute monarchy"

Background: Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid-19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly established Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, threats against minority Christian communities in Africa and the Middle East, the plight of refugees and migrants, climate change and the environment, conflict and war, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, sexual misconduct by clergy, humanitarian issues, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization.

The Vatican Library remains a highly controversial aspect of Vatican City, as some scholars speculate that there are miles of shelves containing evidence of ancient history that are largely inaccessible to the public. To this day, the image of the Vatican has largely been tarnished due to the Vatican leadership’s lack of action and imposed consequences on the clergy that were found to have engaged in pedophilia and other inappropriate sexual behavior.

About 1.3 billion people worldwide profess Catholicism - the world's largest Christian faith. However, there is a fast-growing segment of born Catholics that have begun to convert to Nondenominational Christianity in recent years amidst the controversies arising from the Vatican.

Continent: Europe

Population: 1,000 (2022 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Italian, Swiss, Argentinian, and other nationalities from around the world (2017)

Languages: Italian, Latin, French, various other languages

Religions: Roman Catholic

Economic Overview: limited, tourism-based economy; euro user but issues commemorative stamps and coins; solar energy producer; some printing industry to support museums and religious needs

Currency: European Euro (EUR)

Natural Resources: none

Industries: printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; mosaics, staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Labor Force: 4,822 (2016)

Natural Hazards: occasional earthquakes

Geography:

• Total: 0.44 sq km

• Land: 0.44 sq km

• Water: 0 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

LEGAL, FINANCIAL, & TAX ADVICE DISCLAIMER: The information on SportsLifeMoney’s™ (“SLM”) websites, podcast network, videos, social media accounts, and other platforms (collectively, “SLM Platforms”) is strictly and solely provided for educational and informational purposes only. All of the information and materials on the aforementioned SLM Platforms do not constitute and are not intended to provide legal, financial, accounting, or tax advice, and should not be relied on in that respect. SLM recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant to answer any legal, financial, or tax questions you may have. SLM also recommends that you consult with an attorney, certified financial advisor, or licensed accountant before making any legal, financial, or tax-related decisions based on content and/or subject matter included and/or discussed on any of the SLM Platforms. Before you act or rely on any information you have heard, read, viewed, and/or listened to on any of the SLM Platforms or communication mediums, SLM recommends that you confirm any and all facts that are important to your decision and that you subsequently consult with an appropriate professional (e.g., attorney, certified financial advisor, certified accountant, etc.) and have them review these facts and also confirm their validity. CAUTION: IF YOU RELY ON ANY INFORMATION, CONTENT, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE FROM ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL DAMAGES OR LOSS THAT YOU MAY INCUR THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE AND/OR RELIANCE OF ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR ANY OF THE CONTENT OR MATERIAL OTHERWISE PROVIDED ON ANY OF THESE SLM PLATFORMS. SLM AND ANY AND ALL OF ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO IMPLIED OR EXPRESS REPRESENTATIONS OR IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND REGARDING ANY AND ALL INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE SLM PLATFORMS OR SLM’S AFFILIATE PLATFORMS. SLM AND ITS AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES. By continuing to use any of the SLM Platforms, you acknowledge and agree to the aforementioned terms and conditions of this disclaimer and any and all other legally binding terms and conditions set forth in SLM’s Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and other legally binding agreements.