Mary Anne Stover, age 13, of Rock Island, I11., for her question:
WHERE IS THE WORLD'S SMALLEST STATE?
Vatican City, located entirely within the city of Rome, Italy, is the smallest independent state in the world. Covering only 108.7 acres of land, the state serves as the spiritual and governmental center of the Roman Catholic Church, largest Christian church in the world.
Vatican City is surrounded almost completely by high stone walls. The irregularly shaped area includes many courtyards, landscaped gardens and quiet streets. The entire city, however, is dominated by the huge St. Peter's Church.
St. Peter's is the largest Christian church in the world. Contrary to popular belief, it is a basilica, not a cathedral.
Ruler of Vatican City is the pope. He lives in an apartment in Vatican Palace, a group of connected buildings with more than 1,000 rooms. Also in the huge building are the offices of the secretariate of state, reception room, chapels, museums and many apartments.
The pope heads all branches of the government, but since he devotes almost all of his time to spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, he delegates most of his temporal authority to other officials.
Vatican City has a governor who handles internal domestic affairs. Foreign affairs are handled by the cardinal secretary of state, who also coordinates ecclesiastical and political affairs. Most civil law and criminal cases are prosecuted by the Italian tgovernment.
Vatican City does not have an army or navy capable of fighting a war. But it does have its own armed forces: the famous Swiss Guards, who protect the pope and serve as sentries.
The Swiss Guards wear yellow, orange and blue uniforms said to have been designed by Michelangelo or Raphael.
Vatican City also has a police force and forces of other guards and escorts.
Vatican City has about 60 legates or ambassadors, as well as other diplomatic personnel. They look after the welfare of the Roman Catholic Church in other countries.
Vatican Hill, where Vatican City is located, was once the site of Roman emperor Nero's public garden and circus. Many early Christians suffered martyrdom there.
According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified on the hill and buried nearby. The early popes believed that the shrine built in the A.D. 100s marked the site of Peter's tomb. Because of this belief, they built Vatican City on that very spot.
In A.D. 300, the Christian emperor Constantine the Great built a basilica over the tomb in which St. Peter was believed to be buried. The Vatican Palace and other structures were gradually built around the basilica.