The Vatican is the smallest independent state in the world and the residence of the spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic church.
Its territory is completely surrounded by the Italian capital Rome, while priests and nuns of many nationalities make up much of the resident population.
The Vatican has been headed by Pope Benedict XVI since Pope John Paul II died in 2005, after a 26-year pontificate.
Pope John Paul II was in office at a time of tremendous upheaval in Eastern Europe, including his homeland of Poland.
He preached dialogue and reconciliation, between former political opponents and also between different religions. During a visit to Israel the Pope expressed sorrow for the history of anti-Semitism within the Catholic church.
He also sought to heal rifts with other churches within the Christian faith. Some of these moves have been successful, others not so.
But critics accused the Vatican's social policy of being out-of-step with modern reality.
They said Pope John Paul's strict conservative teaching on issues such as abortion and contraception - both of which he absolutely rejected - failed a sizeable majority of Catholics worldwide. They argued that his views disqualified the church from having any role in solutions to the problems facing hundreds of millions of believers.
The Vatican City packs imposing buildings into its small area. These include St Peter's Basilica. Completed in the early 17th century, the domed edifice is a pilgrimage site. The Vatican Museums and Art Galleries house the art collections of the popes.
Head of state: Pope Benedict XVI
Formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI was elected pope in April 2005.
Already one of the Vatican's most powerful men, he presided over the funeral of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and was said to be among the late pontiff's closest friends.
He is regarded as an ultraconservative intellectual with rigorously uncompromising views on birth control, sexuality and euthanasia.
Pope Benedict was born in Bavaria in 1927 and is the oldest man to become pope in more than 100 years. He is the first German pope since the eleventh century.
Drafted into the German armed forces during World War II, he deserted as it drew to a close and was a prisoner of war in 1945. He has said that the brutality of the Nazis later helped lead him to the priesthood and in one of his first papal addresses he condemned the Holocaust.
He became cardinal of Munich in 1977.
Powerful transmitters beam Vatican Radio - "The Pope's Voice" - to a global audience. But the station has faced allegations that its transmissions have been putting lives at risk in a Rome suburb by exceeding Italy's electromagnetic radiation standards - claims the Vatican denies.
The press
Radio
News agencies
RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Holy See website
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~45~RS~)