Vatican City
Europe Β· Capital: Vatican City
How it is run: Vatican City is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Vatican City is home to a community in Southern Europe, where people speak Italian, Latin.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
Not counted in world data
πΊοΈ Land
0 kmΒ²
Smaller than most big cities β you could cross it in an afternoon.
ποΈ How crowded
Not enough data
π Size in its region
Part of Europe
52nd largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
Italian, Latin
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+3
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.va
π§ People here are called
Vatican
π·οΈ Name at home
Vaticano · Vaticanæ
Also written: Holy See (Vatican City State), Vatican City State, Vatican.
π Coast or inland
Landlocked β no coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
United Nations member
Neighbours & borders π€
Vatican City is landlocked β it has no coastline, so anything arriving by sea must cross a neighbour's border first.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Ciudad del Vaticano
French
CitΓ© du Vatican
Arabic
Ω Ψ―ΩΩΨ© Ψ§ΩΩΨ§ΨͺΩΩΨ§Ω
Chinese
ζ’΅θε
Japanese
γγγ«γ³
Russian
ΠΠ°ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½
Portuguese
Cidade do Vaticano
German
Vatikanstadt
Put it in perspective π
- All of Vatican City would fit inside one large national park in many other countries.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Vatican City is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
Vatican City State
ποΈ Capital
Vatican City
π Region
Europe Β· Southern Europe
π€ Country code
VA
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Vatican City π
π§ Where on the map
41.9Β° N, 12.4Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+1 β when it is noon in London it is about 13:00 in Vatican City.
- π»π¦ is the flag of Vatican City. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is VA.
- Vatican City is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Vatican City is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Vatican City sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Vatican City sits in Southern Europe, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Vatican City has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Being landlocked means paying neighbours to move goods to the sea. What deal would you offer a neighbour if you led Vatican City?
- If Vatican City spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Vatican City?
Vatican City
Which money do people spend in Vatican City?
Euro (β¬)
How many countries share a land border with Vatican City?
1 β Italy.
Roughly how many people live in Vatican City?
World data does not count this place separately.
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.