Vatican City is the world’s smallest sovereign state, occupying about 0.49 square kilometres.
The independent city-state is enclosed entirely within Rome, Italy, and is therefore both landlocked and an enclave. It became independent under the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which established the relationship between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy.
Vatican City is the spiritual and administrative centre of the Roman Catholic Church. It contains St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Apostolic Palace, and the Vatican Museums. The pope is its head of state, making its political structure different from that of most countries.
People sometimes confuse Vatican City with the Holy See. The Holy See is the governing authority of the Catholic Church and maintains diplomatic relations; Vatican City is the territorial state that provides it with sovereignty. Monaco, San Marino, and Liechtenstein are also tiny European states, but each is larger than Vatican City.