- comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
101.9 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by
a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak);
McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues:
NA
People Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Population: uninhabited (July 2004 est.)
Government Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment
and Heritage
Legal system:
the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview:
No indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government
allows limited fishing around the islands.
Communications Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code: .hm
Transportation Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts
fisheries patrols
Transnational Issues Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
======================================================================
@Holy See (Vatican City)
Introduction Holy See (Vatican City)
Background:
Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula
for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many
of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when
Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner"
popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties,
which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted
Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat
between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier
treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the
Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include
religious freedom, international development, the Middle East,
terrorism, the failing health of Pope JOHN PAUL II, interreligious
dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine
in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people
worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Geography Holy See (Vatican City)
Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
41 54 N, 12 27 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 0.44 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry
summers (May to September)
Terrain:
low hill
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state;
outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo
(the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights
People Holy See (Vatican City)
Population:
921 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate: