Vatican City

The Vatican (which has its own country code, .va) has an official website, radio station, and satellite TV channels. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa may eventually become states as well. The reason for this is that this enables mail to be sent directly to the Vatican - otherwise it would go through the postal systems of other countries, which would cause a delay in shipment to the Vatican. Other insular areas such as the U.S. People sending mail to the Vatican are adivsed to not write anything other than Vatican City State for the destination on the envelope. There are ongoing statehood movements in Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and New York City. A bit of conventional wisdom in Rome is that international mail dropped in a mailbox in the Vatican will reach its destination more quickly than one dropped only a few hundred metres away in an Italian mailbox. The United States Army's Institute of Heraldry has plans for flags with up to 56 stars using a similar staggered star arrangement in case additional states accede.

The City is served by an independent, modern telephone system and post office. (For alternate versions, see this page at Flags of the World.)
. A newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, publishes daily in Italian, weekly in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese, and monthly in Polish. In the following table depicting the 27 designs of the United States flag, the star patterns for each flag are merely the usual patterns, with the exception of the 48-, 49-, and 50-star flags, as there was no official arrangement of the stars until the proclamation of the 48-star flag by President William Howard Taft in 1912. The railway is used only to transport freight. By the same reports, this arrangement was rejected due to similarity to the British flag. There is one heliport and a 852 m (932 yd) standard gauge (1435 mm) railway that connects to Italy's network at Rome's Saint Peter's station. He reportedly originally wanted the stars arranged in four bands, one vertical, one horizontal, and two diagonal.

The Vatican City has no airports. Another popular theory is that the flag was designed by Francis Hopkinson. Normally, for civil offenses the Italian courts will handle the disposition of these cases. Comparisons between the 2 flags support Fawcett's suggestion. The perpetrators, who are also visitors, are rarely caught, with 90% of crimes remaining unsolved. The British historian Sir Charles Fawcett has suggested that the design of the flag may have been derived from the flag and jack of the British East India Company. Each year, hundreds of tourists fall victim to pickpockets and purse snatchers. However, no evidence for this theory exists beyond Ross' own records.

In his 2002 report to the pontifical court, Chief Prosecutor Nicola Picardi quoted statistics of 87.2% for civil offences, and 133.6% for penal offences. A popular story credits Betsy Ross for sewing the first flag from a pencil sketch by George Washington who personally commissioned her for the job. As a result of the Vatican having a small resident population, but millions of visitors every year, the state has the highest per capita crime rate of any nation on earth, more than twenty times higher than Italy. flag design is uncertain. The Pope leads weekly mass and other services, and appears on religious holidays such as Easter. The origin of the U.S. Tourism is an important factor in the daily life of the Vatican. The flag flew in battle for the first time at Cooch's Bridge in Delaware on September 3, 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.

Citizenship can be achieved by stable residence and by holding an office or job within the city. Before that, the admission of Alaska in January 1959 prompted the debut of a short-lived 49-star flag. Clothes that show the legs above the knees are strictly banned. Heft's design was chosen, after Hawaii gained statehood in August 1959. Men, and especially women, must adhere to strict dress codes. The most recent change, from forty-nine stars to fifty, occurred in 1960 when Robert G. Many workers in the Vatican City live outside its walls, including the Swiss Guard and embassy personnel. July 4, Independence Day in the United States, commemorates the founding of the nation.

A minority are senior Catholic clergy; the remainder are members of religious orders. When the flag design changes, the change always takes place on July 4 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a consequence of the Flag Act of April 4, 1818. The permanent population of the Vatican City is predominately male, although two orders of nuns live in the Vatican. It was the 15-star, 15-stripe flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," now the national anthem. The Vatican Library and the collections of the Vatican Museums are of the highest historical, scientific and cultural importance. It was ultimately decided that there would be a star for each state, but the number of stripes would remain at thirteen to honor the original colonies. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are home to some of the most beautiful art in the world, which includes works by artists such as Botticelli, Bernini and Michelangelo. As further states entered the union, extra stars and stripes were added until this proved to cause too much clutter.

Buildings such as St. Initially, a variety of designs were used, including a circular arrangement (below), but gradually a design featuring horizontal rows of stars emerged as the standard. The Vatican City is itself of great cultural significance. The Flag Resolution did not specify any particular arrangement for the stars. Due to the very limited territory of the Vatican state, foreign embassies to the Holy See are located in the Italian part of Rome; Italy actually hosts its own Embassy of Italy. Tradition holds that the new flag was first hoisted in June of 1777 by the Continental Army at the Middlebrook encampment. However, it is the Holy See that is the legal body that conducts diplomatic relations for the Vatican City in addition to the Holy See's usual diplomacy, entering into international agreements and both receives and sends diplomatic representatives. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which stated: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year.

Providing a territorial identity for the Holy See, the State of the Vatican City is a recognized national territory under international law. Since 1937, the District of Columbia has used a flag based on this design. Most Italians employed in the Vatican do not have Vatican citizenship. The red-and-white stripe (and later, stars-and-stripes) motif of the flag may have been based on the Washington family coat-of-arms, which consisted of a shield "argent, two bars gules, above, three mullets gules" (a white shield with two red bars below three red stars). Nearly all these people were dual citizens, retaining citizenship of their own countries while working at the Vatican. The Grand Union Flag is the same as the East India Company flag of the same era, although the East India Company flag could have from 9 to 13 stripes. At the end of 2003, 552 persons held Vatican citizenship, of whom 61 were cardinals, 346 were other clergy, 101 members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard and 44 were other lay persons. This flag formed the basis of the Stars and Stripes, consisting of 13 red and white stripes with the British Union Jack in the canton.

A separate Vatican City citizenship exists, enabling Vatican officials to travel on Vatican passports, and giving them diplomatic status in countries to which they are accredited. This flag was initially flown by George Washington and is recorded as being first raised by Washington's troops at Prospect Hill on New Year's Day in 1776. German is the official language of the Swiss Guard. At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, the most commonly flown flag was the Grand Union Flag. Italian and, to a lesser extent, other languages are generally used for most conversations, publications, and broadcasts. The current 50-star version will tie the record if it is still in use on July 4, 2007. The official language is Latin, the lingua franca of the Roman Empire, which has remained in use in the Roman Catholic Church. The 48-star version holds the record, 47 years, for the longest time the flag has gone unchanged.

There are also about 3,000 lay workers who comprise the majority of the Vatican work force, but who reside outside the Vatican. The flag has gone through 26 changes since the new union of 13 states first adopted it. The Vatican citizenry consists mainly of clergy, including high dignitaries, priests, nuns, as well as the famous Swiss Guard, a volunteer military force. According to Presidential proclamation, Congressional order, and custom, the American flag is displayed continuously at the following locations:. Almost all of Vatican City's 921 citizens live inside the Vatican's walls. According to the New York Public Library Desk Reference:. It has its own bank, Vatican Bank. the Philippines, also use this method to fold their flags.

Vatican City has used the Euro as its currency since January 1, 2002. Former American territories, e.g. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. The final triangle shape result is said to invoke the image of the three-point hats popular during the American Revolutionary War. This unique, non-commercial economy is also supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. Flags, when not in use, should be folded into a triangle shape. Industries: printing and production of few mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities. Instead, the flag should be moved so it is not touching the ground.

Budget: Revenues (2003) $252 million; expenditures (2003) $264 million. Contrary to a commonly believed urban legend, the flag code does not state that a flag that touches the ground should be burned. There are some local features, principally mists and dews, caused by the anomalous bulk of St Peter's Basilica, the elevation, the fountains and the size of the large paved square. In other countries and places, local etiquette applies. Its climate is clearly mostly the same as Rome's; a temperate, Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters from September to mid-May and hot, dry summers from May to August. jurisdiction. It is the smallest sovereign state in the world at 0.44 km² (108.7 acres). This etiquette is as applied within U.S.

Peter's Basilica, where the correct border is just outside the ellipse formed by Bernini's colonnade. These are guidelines, not laws; there is no penalty for failure to comply with them. Peter's Square in front of the St. There are certain guidelines for the use and display of the United States flag as outlined in the United States Flag Code of the federal government. The situation is more complex at the famous St. According to Heft, his teacher did keep to their agreement and changed his grade to an "A" for the project. Its borders (3.2km in total, all with Italy) closely follow the city wall constructed to protect the Pope from outside attack. Heft's flag design was chosen and adopted by presidential proclamation after Alaska and before Hawaii was admitted into the union in 1959.

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. After discussing the grade with his teacher, it was agreed (somewhat jokingly) that if the flag was accepted by Congress, the grade would be reconsidered. It is published by Catholic laymen but carries official information. He originally received a "B-" for the project. L'Osservatore Romano is the semi-official newspaper, published daily in Italian, and weekly in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French (plus a monthly edition in Polish). His mother was a seamstress, but forced Heft to do all of the work on his own. Radio Vatican, the official radio station, is one of the most influential in Europe. He was 17 years old at the time and did the flag design as a class project.

The Vatican also issues its own coins and stamps and controls its own Internet domain (.va). The current 50-star flag was designed by Robert Heft in 1958 while living with his grandparents in Ohio. Vatican City has its own post office, commissary (supermarket), bank (the automatic teller machines are the only ones in the world to use Latin), railway station, electricity generating plant, and publishing house. It gives the colors by reference to "Standard Color Cards of America" maintained by the Color Association of the United States, Inc., as. The legal system is based on canon, or ecclesiastical, law; if canon law is not applicable, special laws of the territory apply, often modelled on Italian provisions. According to Flags of the World, the colors are specified by the General Services Administration "Federal Specification, Flag, National, United States of America and Flag, Union Jack," DDD-F-416E, dated November 27, 1981. The judicial functions are handled by three tribunals — the Apostolic Signatura, the Sacra Rota Romana, and the Apostolic Penitentiary, which are also the judicial arm of the Holy See (see below). Presumably E and F are approximations of 7/130 = 0.0[538461], and G and H are approximations of 0.76/12 = 0.06[3].

Members are cardinals appointed by the pope for terms of five years. The specification gives the following values:. Legislative power is vested in the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, led by a President. The design of the flag is specified by United States Code title 4, chapter 1, section 1 [1]. They are not really an army of the Vatican City State so much as a police force and the personal bodyguard of the Pope. A book about the flag published by the Congress in 1977 gives further symbolism for the flag:. The Vatican City maintains a modern security corps, the famous Swiss Guards, a voluntary military force drawn from male Swiss citizens. ^{[USGov 4]}.

The Governor of Vatican City, sometime known as the President of Vatican City, has duties similar to those of a mayor or city executive, concentrating on material questions concerning the state's territory, including local security, but excluding external relations. Reid suggested that the number of stripes be set at thirteen to represent the original 13 colonies and that only the number of stars be set to the number of states. All decisions of these commissions must be approved by the College of Cardinals. Naval Captain Samuel C. During a sede vacante (papal vacancy), the Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, former Secretary of State, and former President of the Pontifical Commission form a commission that performs some of the functions of the head of state; while another made up of the Chamberlain and three cardinals (one being chosen by lot every three days from each order of cardinals), performs other functions of the head of state. During the debate that eventually resulted in the Flag Act of 1818, U.S. These, like all other officials, are appointed by the Pope and can be dismissed by him at any time. However, this became unwieldy as states were added to the union.

As noted, the principal figures are the Secretary of State, the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State, and the Governor of Vatican City. Originally, both the number of stripes and the number of stars were supposed to represent the number of states. For historical reasons, the government of Vatican City has a unique structure. Thomson. In 1984, a new concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain provisions of the earlier treaty, including the position of Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Rather, the meanings were a matter of contemporary fashion and personal preference on the part of Mr. The Lateran is on one of the seven hills of Rome, the Caelian. Meanings were attached to the colors (which, contrary to popular misinformation, is not part of any of the rules of heraldry).

The cathedra (official seat) of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is in the Lateran basilica, Rome's cathedral. However, on June 20, 1782, Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress, gave a report to the Congress defining the new Great Seal of the United States. This situation was resolved on February 11, 1929 under the premiership of Mussolini by the three Lateran treaties, which established the independent State of the Vatican City and granted Catholicism special status in Italy. When the Second Continental Congress proposed the Flag Resolution on June 14, 1777, there was no particular symbolism attached to the colors or their arrangement on the flag. During this period it became fashionable to speak of the Pope as a "prisoner". Some groups concerned by these actions have proposed a Flag Burning Amendment that would give Congress the authority to outlaw burning the flag in disrespect or protest. Other states maintained international recognition of the Holy See as a sovereign entity, and in practice Italy made no attempt to interfere with the Holy See. Burning the flag has also been used as a deliberate act of disrespect (flag desecration), at times to protest actions by the United States government, or sometimes in displays of anti-Americanism overseas.

The popes were left between 1870 and 1929 in a situation somewhat like that of the last emperor of China, undisturbed in their palace, but with no official status recognized by the Italian State. Then the three pieces are typically placed on a pyre as "Taps" is played. In 1870, the Pope's holdings were left in an uncertain situation when Rome itself was annexed by the Piedmontese after a nominal resistance of the papal forces. The flag is cut into three pieces: first a horizontal cut is made between the seventh and eighth stripes, then a vertical cut separating the star field from the seven shorter stripes. For much of this time the Vatican was not the habitual residence of the Popes, but rather the Lateran Palace, and in recent centuries, the Quirinal Palace, while the residence from 1309-1377 was at Avignon in France. The approved method of destroying old and tattered flags consists of burning them in a simple ceremony. Popes in their secular role gradually came to govern neighbouring regions and, through the Papal States, ruled a large portion of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when most of the territory of the Papal States was seized by the newly created Kingdom of Italy. Declaration of Independence.

In 326 the first church, Constantine's basilica, was built over the site of the tomb of Saint Peter, who was buried in a common cemetery on the spot, and from then on the area started to become more populated, but mostly only by dwelling houses connected with the activity of St Peter's. Perhaps most of all they see it as a symbol of individual and personal liberty like those put forth in the U.S. It is supposed that this originally uninhabited part of Rome (the ager vaticanus) had always been considered sacred, or at least not available for habitation, even before the arrival of Christianity. Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Sodano and Szoka served in their respective roles under Pope John Paul II and were then reappointed to those same roles by his successor. They have seen it as representing all of the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the U.S. Edmund Cardinal Szoka serves as both the President of the Pontifical Commission and Governor, born an American of Polish descent. citizens, their flag symbolizes many things.

Angelo Cardinal Sodano of Italy is the Secretary of State. To many U.S. The current pope is Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany. war dead. His principal subordinate government officials are the Secretary of State, the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, and the Governor of Vatican City. On Memorial Day it is common to place small flags by war memorials and next to the graves of U.S. The sovereign is elected for a life term in conclave by cardinals under the age of 80. Many institutions, and some homeowners, display the flag year-round, while some reserve flag display for civic holidays like Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Presidents' Day, Flag Day and the Fourth of July.

This is a non-hereditary elective monarchy with a sovereign who exercises absolute authority, that is to say supreme legislative, executive and judicial power not only over Vatican City State but also constituting the Holy See. . The Head of State is the Pope, who as the supreme executive, legislative, and judicial authority is also the Head of Government. flag is described as "A banner Gules, 6 bars Argent; the canton Azure charged with 50 mullets Argent.". Peter's Square is ordinarily policed jointly by both. In blazons (a vexillological description using flag terminology), the U.S. St. The United States flag is commonly called the "the Stars and Stripes" or "Old Glory," with the latter nickname coined in 1831 by Captain William Driver, a Salem, Massachusetts shipmaster.

Castelgandolfo and the named basilicas are patrolled internally by police agents of the Vatican City State and not by Italian police. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies. Mary Major and of St Paul Outside the Walls, and a number of other buildings in Rome. The flag of the United States consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. These include the papal summer residence of Castelgandolfo in the nearby hills, the Lateran Basilica, the basilicas of St. Rectangle of stars: 48, 35, 30, 28, 24, 20. Although technically not included within the territory of the Vatican City State, according to the Lateran Treaties, certain properties of the Holy See, although not being part of the territory of the City State, have an extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies. Chessboard pattern: 51, 50, 49, 45, 15, 13 (standard).

Peter's Square, which it was not possible to isolate from the rest of Rome and therefore a largely imaginary border with Italy runs along the outer limit of the square where it touches on Piazza Pio XII and Via Paolo VI. No symmetry: 43. The territory included St. Both, hence also point symmetry: 50, 48, 46, 45, 44, 37, 36, 34, 33, 32, 28, 26, 24, 20, 15, 13 (standard). For some tracts of the frontier there was no wall, but the line of certain buildings supplied part of the boundary, and for a small part of the frontier a modern wall was constructed. Symmetry with respect to vertical axis: 51, 50, 48, 46, 45, 44, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 21, 20, 15, 13 (standard and Betsy Ross). When the 1929 Lateran Treaty that gave the state its present form was being prepared, the fact that a good part of the proposed territory was all but enclosed by this loop led to the present territorial definition being adopted. Symmetry with respect to horizontal axis: 50, 49, 48, 46, 44, 38, 37, 36, 34, 33, 32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 20, 15, 13 (standard).

It was thus an outcrop of the city and was protected by being included in a loop of the city wall. It is assumed however that Apollo 11's flag was knocked down by the force of return to lunar orbit. The area was never fully incorporated into the urban conglomeration of Rome until the last century, being separated from the city by the river Tiber. In addition, the American flag is presumed to be in continual display on the surface of the Earth's Moon, having been placed there by the astronauts of Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17. Peter's Basilica, the residence of the popes called the Apostolic Palace, with its Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. By custom, at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, South Dakota. It is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields upon which St. By custom, at the United States Capitol since 1918.

The placename is ancient and predates Christianity, coming from the Latin Mons Vaticanus, Vatican Hill. By custom, at the plaza in Taos, New Mexico, since 1861. . By custom, at the Worcester, Massachusetts war memorial. Thus, although the principal ecclesiastical seat of the Holy See (Saint John Lateran) is located in Rome itself, the Vatican City can be said to be the governmental capital of the Roman Catholic Church of both East and West. By custom, at the home, birthplace and grave of Francis Scott Key, all in Maryland. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See and the location of the Apostolic Palace—the Pope's official residence—and the Roman Curia. Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, Bridgewater, New Jersey, Thirteen Star Flag, by Act of Congress.

It is the smallest independent nation state in the world in terms of area and population (that is, if that of the Knights of Malta is not counted as a country). First raised July 4, 1917.[2]. Since it is governed by the Bishop of Rome (aka the Pope), its government can be described as ecclesiastical and the highest state functionaries are in fact clergymen. Mount Slover limestone quarry (Colton Liberty Flag), in Colton, California (Act of Congress). The entire country is about 0.2 square miles. Grounds of the National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge State Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Public Law 94-53, approved July 4, 1975). Vatican City — formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano, Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae) — is a tiny sovereign state whose territory consists of a landlocked enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. By order of Richard Nixon at United States Customs Service Ports of Entry that are continuously open (Presidential Proclamation No.4131, May 5, 1972).

4064, July 6, 1971, effective July 4, 1971). (Presidential Proclamation No. Flags are displayed continuously at the Washington Monument, Washington, DC. Fifty U.S.

The White House, Washington, DC (Presidential Proclamation No.4000, September 4, 1970). Lexington, Massachusetts Town Green (Public Law 89-335, approved November 8, 1965). 3418, June 12, 1961). United States Marine Corps War Memorial (Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima), Arlington, Virginia (Presidential Proclamation No.

Flag House Square, Albemarle and Pratt Streets, Baltimore, Maryland, 15-star/15-stripe flag (Public Law 83-319, approved March 26, 1954). 2795, July 2, 1948). Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Baltimore, Maryland, 15-star/15-stripe flag (Presidential Proclamation No. flag.

Only the United Nations flag and a Navy chaplain's church pennant may be flown higher than the U.S. In a display of multiple flags, the American flag should be at the center of and above the other flags. Capitol flies over the body in session (House or Senate) and remains there, lit, day and night. The flag at the U.S.

When the flag is completely folded, only a triangular blue field of stars should be visible. The triangular folding is continued until the entire length of the flag is folded in this manner. Turn the outer end point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle. Make a triangular fold by bringing the striped corner of the folded edge to meet the open top edge of the flag.

Fold the flag again lengthwise with the blue field on the outside. Fold the lower half of the stripe section lengthwise over the field of stars, holding the bottom and top edges securely. To properly fold the flag, begin by holding it waist-high with another person so that its surface is parallel to the ground. It should not be lowered into the grave.

When used to cover a casket or coffin, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. flag is otherwise flown at half-staff (or half-mast, on ships) when directed by the President of the United States or a state governor. The U.S. The flag is to be flown at half-staff in mourning for designated, principal government leaders.

On Memorial Day, the flag is displayed at half-staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered. To place the flag at half-staff (or half-mast, on ships), hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music.

When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The Pledge of Allegiance should be rendered by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting. Members of organizations in formation salute upon command of the person in charge. Citizens not in uniform salute by placing their right hand over the heart and men with head cover should remove it and hold it to left shoulder, hand over the heart.

Those in uniform give the appropriate formal salute. To salute, all persons come to attention.