151 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
151 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
VATICAN CITY
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 0.438 km2; land area: 0.438 km2
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Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in
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Washington, DC
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Land boundary: 3.2 km with Italy
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Coastline: none--landlocked
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Maritime claims: none--landlocked
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Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with
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hot, dry summers (May to September)
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Terrain: low hill
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Natural resources: none
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Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
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0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
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Environment: urban
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Note: landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state;
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outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo
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(the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights
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PEOPLE
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Population: 778 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
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Nationality: no noun or adjectival forms
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Ethnic divisions: primarily Italians but also Swiss and other
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nationalities
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Religion: Roman Catholic
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Language: Italian, Latin, and various other languages
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Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%)
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Labor force: high dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000
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lay workers who live outside the Vatican
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Organized labor: Association of Vatican Lay Workers, 1,800 members
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(1987)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: State of the Vatican City; note--the Vatican City
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is the physical seat of the Holy See, which is the central government of
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the Roman Catholic Church
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Type: monarchical-sacerdotal state
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Capital: Vatican City
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Independence: 11 February 1929 (from Italy)
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Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March
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1968)
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National holiday: Installation Day of the Pope (John Paul II),
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22 October (1978); note--Pope John Paul II was elected on 16 October 1978
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Executive branch: pope
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Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
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Judicial branch: none; normally handled by Italy
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Pope JOHN PAUL II (Karol WOJTYLA; since 16
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October 1978);
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Head of Government--Secretary of State Archbishop Angelo SODANO
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Political parties and leaders: none
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Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
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Elections:
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Pope--last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of
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the current pope);
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results--Karol WOJTYlA was elected for life by the College of Cardinals
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Communists: NA
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Other political or pressure groups: none (exclusive of influence
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exercised by church officers)
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Member of: CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, IMF (observer), INTELSAT, IOM
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(observer), ITU, OAS (observer), UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU,
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WIPO, WTO (observer)
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Diplomatic representation: Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop
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Agostino CACCIAVILLAN; 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
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telephone (202) 333-7121;
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US--Ambassador Thomas P. MELADY; Embassy at Villino Pacelli,
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Via Aurelia 294, 00165 Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794);
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telephone 396 639-0558
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Flag: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with
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the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal tiara centered in the white
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band
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ECONOMY
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Overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported
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financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman
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Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps, tourist
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mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.
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The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to,
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or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city
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of Rome.
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Budget: revenues $76.6 million; expenditures $168 million,
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including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
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Electricity: 5,000 kW standby capacity (1990); power supplied by
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Italy
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Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics
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and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
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Currency: Vatican lira (plural--lire);
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1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi
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Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1--1,134.4 (January
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1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987),
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1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985); note--the Vatican lira is at par with the
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Italian lira which circulates freely
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 850 m, 750 mm gauge (links with Italian network near the
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Rome station of Saint Peter's)
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Highways: none; all city streets
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Telecommunications: stations--3 AM, 4 FM, no TV; 2,000-line
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automatic telephone exchange; no communications satellite systems
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards
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are posted at entrances to the Vatican City
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