Vatican City

Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population - just 0.49 square kilometers and around 800 residents. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in influence. This is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, home to the Pope, and the spiritual center for over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. The Vatican has its own post office, radio station, army (the Swiss Guard), and even its own telescope.

Despite being entirely enclosed within the city of Rome, the Vatican operates as a fully sovereign nation with its own passport, license plates, and banking system. The art collection inside these walls is staggering - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, Raphael's rooms, and the Vatican Museums contain one of the most important collections of art in human history. St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world and took 120 years to build. The Vatican Library holds manuscripts dating back to the 4th century. It's the kind of place where you could spend weeks and still not see everything, crammed into a space smaller than most golf courses.