Vatican City is the smallest country in the world by total area among countries with a permanent population. It occupies about 0.49 square kilometres inside Rome, Italy.
Vatican City was established as an independent state by the Lateran Treaty, signed by the Holy See and Italy on 11 February 1929. It is the spiritual and administrative centre of the Roman Catholic Church, and the pope is its head of state.
The country has residents, workers and an internationally distinctive citizenship system, although its population is very small and changes over time. Vatican City is sometimes confused with the Holy See: the Holy See is the central governing authority of the Catholic Church, while Vatican City is the territorial state that supports its independence.