面积大小不是定义一个国家的标准。国际法上的国家只需要是个独立的国家，有明确的领土边界，有自己的政府。梵蒂冈面积只有0.４４平方公里，因此它具有世界上最小国家的称号，别看它面积小，但它却是西方天主教徒的梦想之都。
1870年以前，在意大利中部，教皇统治着政府，成立了教皇国，直辖领土面积达４万平方公里以上。在1870年的一次政权转移中，意大利王国将罗马定为意大利的国家首都，从教皇政府中手夺过政权，将所谓的罗马“教皇国”列入了自己的版图。1929年，意大利政府和罗马教皇签定了一项协议，使梵蒂冈成为了独立的国家。
这个坐落在意大利境内的“国中之国”，境内没有田野，没有矿产资源；国民的生产生活必需品，譬如自来水、电力、食品、燃料、煤气等统统由意大利供给；没有工农业生产，也没有军队，却要养活着一整套机构和部门，甚至包括至高无上的教皇、红衣主教和许多的副主教、神父。
它的国民靠什么获得收入？怎么生活呢？不用担心，让我们看看他们公布的财政资料——1980年财政的公开收入：旅游、邮票收入200亿里拉，占总收入的3%；不动产出租收入110万里拉，占2%；特别财产款项的利息收入 600亿里拉，占9%；宗教事业等上交2700亿里拉，占40%，向教皇赠送的贡款900亿里拉，占13%；教徒施舍款2250亿里拉，占33%。可见宗教是他们的立国之本，也是他们的财富之本。
另外，梵蒂冈还是一个大的国际金融托拉斯。它在意大利和许多国家巨额的投资和大量的房地产使之有“国际金融帝国”之称。据西方报刊估计，梵蒂冈在北美和西欧国家的投资高达几百亿美元,它的黄金和外储备达100多亿美元。
在梵蒂冈境内有许多名胜古迹：古希腊伊壁鸠鲁学派遗址、圣彼得长方形大教堂及梵蒂冈宫殿，宫殿内有梵蒂冈图书馆。 教皇任职是终身的（跟我国西藏的活佛类似），老教皇去世后，就召集各国红衣主教奔赴梵蒂冈，在西斯廷教堂与外界隔绝的情况下进行选举。现任教皇——约翰·保罗二世是1978年10月16日当选的。他原是波兰人，原名卡罗尔，他是四个半世纪以来第一个非意大利人教皇，登基后不久，他便为意大利的科学家伽利略平反昭雪，指出17世纪30年代宗教裁判所对伽利略的审判“不公正”。
Size is not a definition of national standards. International law on the country only if an independent state, have a clear territorial boundaries, have their own government. Only the Vatican area of 0.44 square kilometers, so it is the world's smallest countries title Although its small size, but it is the dream of the West are Catholics.
Before 1870, in central Italy, Pope ruled government, set up the pope States, directly under the territory area of 40,000 square km and above. In 1870 the first transfer of political power, the Kingdom of Italy to Rome as Italy's national capital, from the pope in the hands Duoguo regime, the so-called Rome "the Pope" included in its territory. 1929, the Government of Italy and the pope signed an aGREement to the Vatican as an independent country.
This is located in Italy's "state within a state", not in the field, no mineral resources; national production necessities, such as water, electricity, food, fuel, gas supply, and so统统from Italy, no industrial and agricultural production, no The military, have to live with a whole set of agencies and departments, including the supremacy of the pope, cardinals and many of the Fu Zhujiao, Fr.
What was it the national income » How life is » Do not worry, let us look at their published financial information - in 1980 the public income: tourism, revenue stamps 20 billion liras, of the total income of 3% of real estate rental income of 1.1 million liras, or 2 percent, especially property funds Interest income of 60 billion liras, accounting for 9 percent; religious cause, and so handed over 270 billion liras, or 40 percent, the tribute to the Pope's gift of 90 billion liras, accounting for 13 percent of Catholics charity 225 billion liras, accounting for 33 percent. This shows that religion is the foundation for building the country, but also their wealth of the party.
In addition, the Vatican is still a major international financial trust. Italy and its huge investment in many countries and a large number of real estate so that "the international financial empire," said. According to Western press estimates, the Vatican in North America and Western European countries the investment of up to tens of billions of dollars, and its gold and foreign reserves reached 100 billion U.S. dollars.
In the Vatican there are many sites in: Epicurus school of ancient GREek ruins, St. Peter's Cathedral and the Vatican rectangular palace, a palace in the Vatican Library. Pope is a life-long service (with the Living Buddha of China's Tibet similar), after the death of the old pope, the cardinals rushed to the Vatican countries convened in the Sistine Chapel and isolated cases proceed to the election. The current pope - John Paul II is October 16, 1978 election. He was originally Poles, formerly known as Carroll, he was four and a half century since the first non-Italian pope, shortly after the accession to the throne, he was the Italian scientist Galileo to recover for the vindication that the 17 magistrates in the 1930s by the religious right Gaya Lee abbreviated trial "unfair."
Before 1870, in central Italy, Pope ruled government, set up the pope States, directly under the territory area of 40,000 square km and above. In 1870 the first transfer of political power, the Kingdom of Italy to Rome as Italy's national capital, from the pope in the hands Duoguo regime, the so-called Rome "the Pope" included in its territory. 1929, the Government of Italy and the pope signed an aGREement to the Vatican as an independent country.
This is located in Italy's "state within a state", not in the field, no mineral resources; national production necessities, such as water, electricity, food, fuel, gas supply, and so统统from Italy, no industrial and agricultural production, no The military, have to live with a whole set of agencies and departments, including the supremacy of the pope, cardinals and many of the Fu Zhujiao, Fr.
What was it the national income » How life is » Do not worry, let us look at their published financial information - in 1980 the public income: tourism, revenue stamps 20 billion liras, of the total income of 3% of real estate rental income of 1.1 million liras, or 2 percent, especially property funds Interest income of 60 billion liras, accounting for 9 percent; religious cause, and so handed over 270 billion liras, or 40 percent, the tribute to the Pope's gift of 90 billion liras, accounting for 13 percent of Catholics charity 225 billion liras, accounting for 33 percent. This shows that religion is the foundation for building the country, but also their wealth of the party.
In addition, the Vatican is still a major international financial trust. Italy and its huge investment in many countries and a large number of real estate so that "the international financial empire," said. According to Western press estimates, the Vatican in North America and Western European countries the investment of up to tens of billions of dollars, and its gold and foreign reserves reached 100 billion U.S. dollars.
In the Vatican there are many sites in: Epicurus school of ancient GREek ruins, St. Peter's Cathedral and the Vatican rectangular palace, a palace in the Vatican Library. Pope is a life-long service (with the Living Buddha of China's Tibet similar), after the death of the old pope, the cardinals rushed to the Vatican countries convened in the Sistine Chapel and isolated cases proceed to the election. The current pope - John Paul II is October 16, 1978 election. He was originally Poles, formerly known as Carroll, he was four and a half century since the first non-Italian pope, shortly after the accession to the throne, he was the Italian scientist Galileo to recover for the vindication that the 17 magistrates in the 1930s by the religious right Gaya Lee abbreviated trial "unfair."
