NA

Geography - note:

Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005

People
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Population:

uninhabited

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 abbreviation: HIMI

Dependency status:

territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

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:

The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian
Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.

Communications
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Internet country code:

.hm

Transportation
Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Ports and terminals:

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 18 December, 2008

@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 environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.

Geography
Holy See (Vatican City)

Location:

Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)

Geographic coordinates: