Vatican City sits inside the city of Rome, surrounded by walls. At only 0.19 square miles it is the smallest country on Earth - smaller than many parks. From one end to the other it is about half a mile. A reasonably brisk walker can leave the country in about 15 minutes without ever sprinting.
Tiny as it is, the Vatican has everything a country needs. Its own flag, passport, post office, newspaper, radio station, mint that makes coins, and even a small army of Swiss Guards in colorful striped uniforms. It also has a working railway station, although the trains only run every so often.
About 800 people live there full time, including the Pope. That is fewer people than a single big high school. Visitors flood in by the thousands every day to see the Vatican Museums and the famous painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, then walk back across the world’s shortest border into Italy.
