Q 01/05

On the bank of which river does Vatican City sit, as an enclave inside the Italian capital?

A) The Tiber

B) The Po

C) The Adige

D) The Arno

Answer · why

A) The Tiber

Its border with Italy across St Peter's Square is just a white line on the paving, and there are no passport controls.

Q 02/05

Which 1929 agreement between the Holy See and Italy created the modern state of Vatican City?

A) The Law of Guarantees

B) The Concordat of Worms

C) The Lateran Treaty

D) The Treaty of Rome

Answer · why

C) The Lateran Treaty

Mussolini signed for the king and Cardinal Gasparri for the pope on 11 February; it ended the 'Roman Question' that had festered since 1870.

Q 03/05

What is the approximate area of Vatican City?

A) 1,000 hectares

B) 4 hectares

C) 440 hectares

D) 44 hectares

Answer · why

D) 44 hectares

That is roughly a fifth of a square mile, and about half of it is taken up by the Vatican Gardens.

Q 04/05

Roughly how many people lived in Vatican City in 2024?

A) About 40,000

B) About 12,000

C) About 3,000

D) About 880

Answer · why

D) About 880

It is the only country with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants; another 372 citizens, mostly diplomats and cardinals, live elsewhere.

Q 05/05

What kind of state is Vatican City politically?

A) A parliamentary republic

B) An absolute elective monarchy

C) A constitutional monarchy

D) A theocratic federation

Answer · why

B) An absolute elective monarchy

The pope holds legislative, executive and judicial power, making him the continent's only absolute monarch.