When you think of a country, you might imagine sprawling cities, long highways, and millions of people. But the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, defies all of that.

Tucked inside the city of Rome, Italy, Vatican City covers just 0.49 square kilometers — that’s about 1/8th the size of New York’s Central Park. Despite its size, it holds massive global significance. It’s the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church, home to the Pope, and a major pilgrimage site for millions of Catholics worldwide.

Founded as an independent country in 1929, the Vatican has its own post office, radio station, passport system, and even its own Euro coins. Its most iconic attraction is St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world, and the Sistine Chapel, famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling masterpiece.

With fewer than 1,000 residents, mostly clergy and Swiss Guards, Vatican City might be tiny in size, but its cultural, religious, and historical impact is anything but small.