Autonomous Territory of the Vatican City

The Autonomous Territory of the Vatican City (: Autonomes Gebiet der Vatikanstadt) is a province of the Duchy of Brunswick. It is landlocked by Italy. Since the Vatican City is an autonomous territory, it is free from government interference and does not answer to a Statthalter, but to the Pope. Its capital is.

History
The Vatican City (Holy See) was formed from the remnants of papal states that once comprised an area of 17,000 sq. mi. in 1859 before the Italians unified and claimed most of the area. The territory of the papacy shrunk to the Vatican, palaces, and Catel Gandolfo’s villa in 1871. The autonomy of the Holy See was established in 1929.

The Vatican City became an autonomous territory of the Duchy in 2009.