How Vatican City Became a Country

Vatican City is the smallest country on Earth, just 0.44 square kilometers surrounded entirely by Rome. But why does such a tiny country exist? From the fall of the Papal States to the Lateran Treaty of 1929, discover how a decades-long conflict between the Pope and Italy created the world’s smallest independent state. So how did Vatican City become a country, and why was its independence so important? 00:00 The Smallest Country on Earth 00:50 When the Pope Ruled Central Italy 01:48 The Prisoner of the Vatican 03:12 The Deal That Created a Country 04:12 Why 44 Hectares Are Enough