Vatican City Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rome

An enclave is a territory which is surrounded entirely by the territory of another state. Vatican City is surrounded entirely by the city of Rome, Italy. It is a completely distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See. San Marino is another territory that is surrounded by Italy and Lesotho is an enclave that is surrounded by South Africa.

Answer: Less than a square mile

Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state from an area and a population perspective as well. The population is 825 and the area is forty-nine hectares (121 acres or 0.19 square miles). Despite its small size, its influence of course is enormous as its most famous inhabitant is the Pope who is the leader of the Catholic Church.

There are over one billion Catholics in the world so his reach is pretty wide! The second smallest nation in terms of size is Monaco, which is 0.81 square miles in area.

Answer: Hot and dry

Vatican City has the same climate as Rome which means that the summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild and rainy. Summers generally last from May to September and winters from September to May.

Answer: Urban development

The state is primarily used for urban development and no large amount of land is set aside for agriculture or resource mining. Part of the land is used for building development and part of it is reserved for open space. Vatican Gardens occupies this open space. For such a small state there is a surprising number and variety of structures.

This includes a rail line and train station, art centers, a heliport, a post office, military barracks, government palaces, and institutions of higher learning.

Answer: Low hill

Vatican City sits on a low hill called Vatican Hill. Vatican Hill is located across the Tiber River from the seven hills of Rome. There is some thought that historically an Etruscan settlement occupied the area however there is no evidence of remains of that settlement if it did exist.

Answer: St Peter's Basilica

Saint Peter's Basilica is a church located in Vatican City that is built in the Renaissance style. It was designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It's the arguably most famous example of Renaissance architecture in the world and, by interior measurement, is the largest church in the world.

In Catholic tradition, it is believed that one of Jesus's apostles, Saint Peter, is buried in the basilica. St Peter's is very famous as a place of pilgrimage.

Answer: Circus of Nero

At the center of St. Peter's Square stands a red granite uninscribed Egyptian obelisk. The obelisk itself is just under twenty-six meters tall and is supported by bronze lions. On top of the obelisk is a cross. The obelisk was originally erected at Heliopolis, Egypt.

It was then moved to Alexandria until it was moved again by Caligula. Caligula had it moved to Rome, to the Circus of Nero (also called the Circus of Caligula). It was moved to its current location in 1586 and is the only obelisk in Rome still standing since ancient times.

Answer: Carbon neutrality

In 2007 Vatican City was the only carbon neutral state for the year. It was able to do this through an offer from a carbon offsetting company. The Vatican Climate Forest is a forest in Bükk National Park in Hungary that was donated to Vatican City. The forest was sized in order to offset the carbon emissions generated by the Vatican during 2007 and was a way to influence Catholics to help the planet.

This gesture was largely seen as symbolic however it's not all the state has tried to do for the environment.

In 2008 installation was completed on photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Paul VI Audience Hall. These types of panels are made up of solar cells that generate electricity.

Answer: Fifty percent

Vatican Gardens takes up about half of the total space of Vatican City. They are private, urban gardens and parks that are owned by the Pope. The Governor's Palace is located within the Gardens. Stone walls bound the West, North and South of the gardens and the gardens have fountains and sculptures located throughout.

They were established during the Renaissance and Baroque periods and are decorated accordingly. Individuals and groups can visit the gardens in the presence of a tour guide.

Answer: Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio, the official broadcasting service of Vatican City, was set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi. Today, Vatican Radio offers programs in forty-seven different languages and uses satellite, short-wave radio, digital transmission, the Internet and FM to broadcast. Broadcasts include international news, religious celebrations, in-depth programs, and music.

There is also a Vatican Television Center.