We live in a big world that has as many as 195 countries in it! Everything about these countries vary from one another! Right from their sizes, their culture, traditions, people, eating habits to their lifestyle, everything is a tad bit different from the others! But what fascinates us more about these countries are their interesting facts which are interesting to know! So with all that said, do you know the name of the world’s smallest country?
I bet you have surely heard the name, but never knew it held the title of being the world’s smallest country. Beautiful and Holy, the Vatican City is the world’s smallest country that spans just around 0.2 square mile and has a local population of just 1000 people! The country or you may say the city, holds a lot of secrets, each of which are very fascinating to know. So here are 7 interesting facts about the world’s smallest City that you would love to know!
Your Passport Doesn’t Get Stamped in the Vatican
When you plan to visit the beautiful country, unlike all other countries your passport won’t be stamped for the Vatican City. Even if you are ready to pay a fee for the stamp, it is not going to happen. Instead, all you will get is a pilgrim’s stamp.
In the Vatican City, No One Is Born! But It Has Citizens
There are no hospitals in the Vatican City. And technically there are no births occurring in the country. However, the citizenship offered to people is not based on the birth of a person in the country, but is granted to all those people who live and stay in the Vatican for their work or office. Even the cardinals and diplomats of the holy city are granted citizenship
The Country Consumes More Wine As Compared To The Rest of the World
Annually, each resident of the Vatican drinks about 74 L of wine. This roughly makes about 105 bottles of wine per person, per year. Moreover, there is just one supermarket in the country for its 1000 population that supplies wine at tax-free rates.
The Country Has Its Own Euro
The Vatican City and Italy, came to a mutual agreement in 2000, enabling the Holy See to accept the Euro as the country’s official currency. This allowed the Vatican City to mint its own coins which are now considered legal and circulated freely in the eurozone.
Vatican City Boasts of Having the World’s Best Post Office
Vatican City has the world’s best postal service, with a large number of posts sent from its post code than any other place in the world. The post office of the Vatican City came into existence in 1929.
The Country Has The World’s Shortest Railway
When the country is itself just 0.2 square miles in its area, the railway will also be the shortest in the world. The rail network of the Vatican City is just 300 m long and has just one station in its route, the Citta Vaticano. Also, there are no regular passengers in the trains. Instead the railway is mostly used to transporting goods.
There Are More Tourists Than The Number of Citizens in the Country
Since the Vatican City is a religious and cultural country that also holds great historical and political significance, it receives a large number of tourists each year. Compared to its population of 1000 citizens, the number of tourists in the country is much higher. The Vatican museum itself receives almost 5.5 million visitors each year.