Geographic coordinates: 41°54'N, 12°27'E
Land Area: 0.44 sq km
Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)
Population: 840 (July 1996 est.)
Type of government: monarchical-sacerdotal state
Independence: 11 February 1929 (from Italy)
National holiday: Installation Day of the Pope, 22 October (1978) (John Paul II) note: Pope John Paul II was elected on 16 October 1978
Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)
Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
--From Holy See (Vatican City) - CIA 1996 Factbook