Smallest state in the world

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The Vatican is considered the smallest state in the world. It was founded in 1929 and has been led by the Catholic head, the Pope, ever since.

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Dome of St. Peter's Basilica. © Katharina_Wieland_Müller / Pixelio

The official name for the seat of the Pope in Germany is: Vatican City State. The following are also common: State of the Vatican City, Vatican, Vatican State or Vatican City. The young state structure is completely enclosed by Italy and has an area of ​​only 0.44 square kilometers. As the smallest state in the world, the Vatican still has a great deal of influence.

Vatican - state on Italian soil

  • The first seat of the papal government was initially the Lateran Palace in Rome. Only since the end of the 14th In the 19th century, the Vatican Hill became the Pope's official seat of government.
  • With the expansion of the Vatican, the Papal State also experienced an expansion. In 1800 the papal state extended from Rome to Bologna. After the conquest by Napoleon, the Vatican was initially dissolved. But in 1815 - after the Congress of Vienna - the Papal State was re-established.
  • In the 19th In the 19th century, the Vatican was threatened by the Italian national movement and its status remained unclear for a long time. It was not until the contractual assurance in 1929 that the Vatican was set within its current boundaries.
  • The Vatican counts at the beginning of the 21st Century around 900 inhabitants. The Vatican also has its own football league with 16 teams. As the smallest state in the world, the Vatican even has its own national team.
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Rule and live in the smallest of spaces

  • The Vatican State does not collect VAT. In addition, advertising is prohibited. The residents of the country, who are also employees of the Vatican, do not pay any money for electricity and telephone. In addition, you only have to pay very low rents.
  • As the smallest state in the world, the Vatican also has the smallest army in the world. The Swiss Guard is responsible for the Pope's safety.
  • The residents of the Vatican also do not have to pay any income tax. The citizens of the Vatican also have no private property.
  • The Vatican has its own football team, but no hospital or school. Even so, the Vatican has the highest literacy rate in the world. This is 100 percent.

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