Vatican City Independent State Established

Vatican City, officially Vatican City State is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares, and a population of 842, it is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population. It is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Bishop of Rome - the Pope.

Vatican City is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe. The independent city-state, on the other hand, came into existence by the Lateran Treaty, which spoke of it as a new creation, not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States, which had previously encompassed much of central Italy.

On 11 February 1929 the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy was signed by Prime Minister and Head of Government Benito Mussolini on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III and by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri for Pope Pius XI. According to the terms of the treaty, the Holy See has "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" over the city-state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City
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