I’m heading to Rome and Vatican City this summer and although I’ve visited 10 years ago, I’ve always been fascinated by the geography of Vatican City. First off, Vatican City is the smallest independent country in the world. It covers a small space in a part of Rome on a hill. This hill has been called the Vatican long before there even was a Vatican City.
Today Vatican City is the home of the Pope and the Catholic Church. It is a country but it’s unlike any other country in the world because very few can freely move there. However, there is no passport control and tourists can freely walk from Italy into Vatican City.
Geography of Vatican City
The geography of Vatican City is very unique indeed due to the fact of how small Vatican City is. It is surrounded by Italy and the city of Rome. There are no border crossings or even a sign that you crossed into the Vatican City. Over the years Vatican City has purchased separate buildings outside the territorial claims of Vatican City with 13 buildings in Rome.
True Size of Vatican City
Vatican City is the world’s smallest country with a size of only .17 square miles. To put that in context there are buildings in the world that are bigger than the country of Vatican City.
Map of Vatican City
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Vatican City is surrounded by Rome and the rest of Italy.
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The true outline of Vatican City.
Here I found a map that details every building and space inside the Vatican City. Click on the picture for a more detailed image.
Terrain and Land Use
The terrain is somewhat interesting. First off, the city sits on a hill that has long been called the “Vatican Hill” or “Mons Vaticanus,” in Latin. What’s interesting is that this area has been call Vatican long before there was a Pope. So it seems they just named Vatican City based off prior settlements. The country ranges from a height of 63 feet to 250 feet or 452 feet if you climb the St. Peter’s Basilica.
I think the most surprising bit about Vatican City is how much green space there actually is within the borders. About 50% of the country has green space, although this is not free for public use and a ticket must be purchased to visit. Land use is obviously at a premium but you’d be surprised that there is a train station, heliport, radio station, military barracks, and museums.
Unique Facts
- World’s smallest country
- Landlocked
- About 1,000 people live or work in Vatican City
- Vatican City does issue its own passports
- To be a Swiss guard one must be: at least 1,74m (5’8.5”) in height, Male, Catholic, between the ages of 19 and 30, have completed basic training in the Swiss military, and of course, be Swiss.
- The Vatican City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the only site to encompass a whole country.
More Info on Vatican City
For such a small country it is visited by perhaps millions each year. It’s also somewhat secretive but there are some great guides and books that you can read more about if you’re planning to visit Vatican City. I’m picking up some guides for my visit this year.
Check below for more related travel accessory pages or check my ‘What to Wear in Rome’ page if you need help in deciding what to wear in Vatican City.
