Vatican City

The State of the Vatican City or simply the Vatican City is an independent state. The head of state and ruler is the Bishop of Rome — the Pope, and the highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican City houses the Government of the Roman Catholic Church and is surrounded by the city of Rome. Until 1871 the Pope held civil power over a considerable territory, called the Papal States. This land was made a part of Italy during the unification of 1871. By the Treaty of the Lateran in 1929, Italy restored the Pope's temporal, or civil, power within the confines of Vatican City.

The State of the Vatican City has its own Euro coins and postage stamps.

A few critics have pointed out that the Vatican City has one of the highest crime rates in the world.[1] However, this may have something to do with Vatican City's population, which is much smaller than any country, at 778. Also, gun crimes are actually much less common in Vatican City than in the US.