Vatican City was established in 1930.
Vatican City -LRB- -LSB- ˈvætᵻkən ˈsɪti -RSB- Citta del Vaticano -LSB- tʃitˈta ddel vatiˈkaːno -RSB- Civitas Vaticana -RRB- , officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City -LRB- -LSB- Stato della Citta del Vaticano , links = no -RSB- -LSB- Status Civitatis Vaticanae , links = no -RSB- -RRB- , is a walled enclave within the city of Rome .. walled. Leonine Wall. enclave. Enclave and exclave. Rome. diocese of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares -LRB- 110 acres -RRB- , and a population of 1,000 , it is the smallest state in the world by both area and population .. area. List of countries by area. population. List of countries by population. However , formally it is not sovereign , with sovereignty being held by the Holy See , the only entity of public international law that has diplomatic relations with almost every country in the world .. Holy See. Holy See. sovereign. sovereign state. sovereignty. sovereignty. public international law. public international law. It is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state -LRB- a type of theocracy -RRB- ruled by the Bishop of Rome -- the Pope .. ecclesiastical. Ecclesiology. theocracy. theocracy. Rome. diocese of Rome. sacerdotal. Sacerdotal state. monarchical. Monarchy. Pope. Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various national origins .. Catholic. Catholic Church. Since the return of the Popes from Avignon in 1377 , they have generally resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City , although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere .. Rome. diocese of Rome. Avignon. Avignon Papacy. Apostolic Palace. Apostolic Palace. Quirinal Palace. Quirinal Palace. Vatican City is distinct from the Holy See -LRB- -LSB- Sancta Sedes , links = no -RSB- -RRB- , which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe .. Holy See. Holy See. Latin. Latin Church. Catholic. Catholic Church. early Christianity. early Christianity. episcopal see. episcopal see. Eastern Catholic. Eastern Catholic Churches. The independent city-state , on the other hand , came into existence in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy , which spoke of it as a new creation , not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States -LRB- 756 -- 1870 -RRB- , which had previously encompassed much of central Italy .. city-state. city-state. Holy See. Holy See. Lateran Treaty. Lateran Treaty. Italy. Italy. Papal States. Papal States. According to the terms of the treaty , the Holy See has `` full ownership , exclusive dominion , and sovereign authority and jurisdiction '' over the city-state .. city-state. city-state. Holy See. Holy See. sovereign. sovereign state. Within Vatican City are religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter 's Basilica , the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums .. Sistine Chapel. Sistine Chapel. Vatican Museums. Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world 's most famous paintings and sculptures .. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos , fees for admission to museums , and the sale of publications .. economy of Vatican City. economy of Vatican City