The smallest country in the world covers only 0.45 square kilometers. This small state is located in Italy, inside Rome and is called the Vatican.
Despite its unique location, the Vatican is an independent state with complete independence from Italy.
The Vatican is considered the sovereign territory of the Holy See, its population is no more than two thousand people, and almost all of its inhabitants are subjects of the Pope and the Holy See.
The smallest country has its own train station, police station, post office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and even a helipad to compensate for the absence of an airport. In the Vatican there is even an army, by the way, also the smallest in the world. The composition of its troops is limited to a hundred military personnel. The Vatican is walled on all sides, has its own newspapers and magazines, and also has its own postage stamps.
Vatican currency
In the 19th century, the Vatican had its own currency, which was called the lyre of the Papal State. But in 2002, the Vatican adopted the euro with a rate of 1EUR = 1936.27 lira. However, the city-state prints its own set of euros.
Attractions of the smallest country in the world
The Vatican is home to world-famous architectural monuments - St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Library and the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Basilica is the world's largest historically significant Christian church, built by generations of great world-renowned architects. Such great masters as Michelangelo and Raphael worked on its creation. The cathedral is famous for its colossal capacity - 60 thousand people.
The Sistine Chapel was formerly a home church, today it is a magnificent museum and an outstanding architectural monument of the Renaissance. The walls of the chapel are decorated with two cycles - the History of Christ and the History of Moses. Botticelli himself also worked on the painting. To date, only twelve of the original sixteen frescoes have survived. On the surviving frescoes, you can count at least a hundred characters.
The Vatican Library contains Renaissance and Medieval manuscripts. Today its funds number over 3 million valuable items. The rich rooms are decorated with frescoes by great painters. Among the many halls, the wedding hall of Aldobrandini stands out. There are also many galleries and several museums in the library building. In addition, the Vatican Library has a secret fund, the entrance to which is limited to visitors.
