The State of the City of the Vatican or the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae, Italian Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the smallest independent country in the world (both in area and in population), a landlocked enclave surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy.
The Vatican is technically a rare case of a non-hereditary elective monarchy; the monarch, the Pope, being elected for life by those Cardinals under the age of 80 during a Conclave (held in the Sistine Chapel).
The Vatican City is situated on the Vatican Hill in the northwestern part of Rome, several hundred metres west of the Tiber river.
Vatican City — formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanæ and Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano) — is a sovereign landlocked enclave surrounded by Rome, Italy.
Vatican City is considered a non-hereditary elective monarchy with a sovereign that wields absolute authority.
The Vatican City, one of the European microstates, is situated on the Vatican Hill in the north-western part of Rome, several hundred metres west of the Tiber river, on the latter's right bank.