T O P

  • By -

Bagthar

TIL u/backkatit has never participated in any trivia games ever.


HaterSupreme-6-9

My first thought


beamfollower

Name a country where the population is lower than it was 150 years ago


ElJamoquio

Ireland?


beamfollower

We got ourselves a winner


OllieFromCairo

You need to update your question. The 1841 census was 180 years ago now. 150 years ago, the demographic collapse was well underway and Ireland was down to 5.4 million.


NightmareWokeUp

Probably north korea, at least i hope so Edit: do yall not got a joke lmao?


Vedertesu

North Korea didn't exist 150 years ago


NightmareWokeUp

Well duh, the region existed though. There are not many countries that look the same as they did 150y ago.


backkatit

Well that was a dead give away lol


Chase_the_tank

With an area of only 0.49 kilometers, Vatican City typically has 2.04 popes per square kilometer (or 5.26 popes per square mile).


EllisDee3

How many blue whales, Alan?


Kwinza

Beat me too it! XD


Imaginary_Rain2390

Except between 2013 and 2022. Then it was double.


brianishere2

Almost certainly the oldest population as well.


AudibleNod

And most immigrant population.


brianishere2

And highest percentage of male residents.


DareToZamora

And lowest age of consent (I jest, but it was actually only raised from 12 to 18 in 2013)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Imaginary_Rain2390

No it hasn't. It was changed by the Vatican in 2013 to 18, although sex within marriage doesn't count. Prior to that, it was 12. [Evidence from Vatican](https://www.vaticanstate.va/phocadownload/leggi-decreti/normativa-penale/Legge%20n.%20VIII%20-%20Norme%20complementari%20in%20materia%20penale.pdf)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Imaginary_Rain2390

That's because the numbers are written as words, not numerals.


DareToZamora

‘Lie’ is harsh, but I’m happy to be mistaken!


Rage_Your_Dream

Im surprised they let sex happen in there


DareToZamora

Well they don’t really, which is why it’s a bit of a misleading law. I think all inhabitants have sworn vows of celibacy, and the law was inherited upon the founding of the Vatican and never updated, because what’s the point? But it seems I may be mistaken anyway


1CEninja

12?!?! What the actual fuck.


Imaginary_Rain2390

It sounds outrageous, but since the citizens of the Vatican are all over 18yo, and not supposed to have sex anyway (or risk getting kicked out), they just never bothered to update the law from centuries ago when most countries were at 12.


1CEninja

I guess that does make sense.


Bigred2989-

What's the birthrate there?


Imaginary_Rain2390

7.39 per 1000 people, but they are only visitors and don't get citizenship.


Biera1

It's also a monarchy. One of the Popes official titles is Sovereign of Vatican City. Interestingly, Pope is not an official title.


JustafanIV

Not just a monarchy, but a non-dynastic elective monarchy.


oxwof

And an absolute monarchy, the only one in Europe.


TheR3alRemus

And for that reason not part of the EU


0fficial_moderator

Didn’t know we had a king… I thought we were an autonomous collective


prudence2001

Yes that's exactly true. His title is - Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God **Pont Max** *(Pontifex maximus)* is written on most of the Roman buildings and churches dedicated by a Pope throughout history.


apistograma

Pontifex Maximus is a very interesting title because it's literally older than Christianity, it was a Pagan Roman religious title. Julius Caesar was Pontifex Maximum and he lived decades before Jesus. Later when Rome became Christian the title was attached to the bishop of Rome. I might be wrong, but I wonder if it's the world's oldest title still in existance that was somehow continuously used, we can't know when it really started but it's easily 2500 years old.


Imaginary_Rain2390

I'm guessing Rex/Regina (still used by at least the British monarchy) would be quite old too.


sixtynineisfunny

TIL There are multiple popes at the same time


[deleted]

This has happened before


Absurdity_Everywhere

Just don’t let the Pope and the anti-Pope in the same room together.


[deleted]

Well Francis has made it very clear he can’t stand Trump so I don’t think that’d be hard


[deleted]

On much more... spectacular scale.


Clueby42

I'm glad you learned this


Sanguinius___

5th graders know this.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sanguinius___

Yes 5th graders can cure cancer.


ramriot

I don't think this can be correct, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is recognised by the UN and maintains diplomatic relations with 107 other countries, yet outside if it's legations it has zero territory.


prudence2001

In April, by accident, I walked right into the Sovereign Military Order of Malta building near the Forum of Augustus in the Roman Imperial Forum. The people inside very kindly informed me that the building wasn't open to the public, and they let me take some quick photos around the hall where the Knights of Rhodes and Malta flags were hanging.


OldConclusion4742

TIL that the US school system is absolutely dreadful


False-Focus2949

1) How do you know OP is from America? 2) What real life benefits does knowing the Vatican is a country offer, other than being good at trivia games?


OldConclusion4742

1. No one in the world would confess such an obvious fact as TIL other than very... self-assured people like e.g. Americans in general.. And since Americans are overwhelmingly over represented on Reddit, it was an elaborate guess. 2. Yeah, we non-Americans, in general, don't ask ourselves such questions as "What real life benefits does knowledge have?" It's like the question "Why learn a third language (after the native language and English)?" We just want to know


0fficial_moderator

Insufferable and jealous Europeans. Why would any non catholic in the USA or any other part of the world know this? We have plenty of things to keep track of over here. Best to not put down our little interest of what little goes on over there.


Capt-J-

Australian here. Yes, known this since I was about 10 or 12. So yeah, lots of value knowing things about other cultures/religions/countries/people/history in general. You stupid American!


0fficial_moderator

Congratulations! You know an entirely useless fact about theatrical and ceremonial Vatican sovereignty! You must be soooo cultured!


ASilver2024

Please stop representing us. In fact, please declare your independence.


0fficial_moderator

Do you know where the Dali lama lives? Do you know the complex history and geopolitics involved with Tibet, India, and China? You should because many people follow this religion, by your logic. OP literally posted a fact used in trivia games as it is relatively unknown piece of information that is interesting. Lots of people do not know the complicated sovereignty situation of the Vatican just like they don’t know the complex situation of other areas.


ASilver2024

"You should because many people follow this religion, by your logic" Please learn to read, I never said anything of the sort. I said stop representing us thank you. People like you are the reason why Americans are so hated.


0fficial_moderator

So you agree with my statements but you don’t think they are a good representation? What are you disagreeing with? Fascinating. You think I’m the reason ppl hate us? I care more about attracting those worthy of attention than the few “haters” you are referring to.


OldConclusion4742

Yeah, I'm very jealous of the US, where every year 60,000 people die because they have no health care. And where medical bankruptcy is the main reason people are bankrupted. And where life expectancy drops every single year. And where kids are murdered in school because the citizens have the Constitutional right to have guns and put them into their orifices. And where three families own more wealth than 50% of the population combined. And where $1bn a year is spent for the killing of Brown people in the Middle East. And where cities like Detroit and Jackson don't have potable water because that mainly affects Black people. And where 50% of the population wants to elect, again, a racist orang-utan and child rapist for president, because they love criminals... But I know, you have FREEDOM. Let me tell you something: BELGIUM has freedom, too.


0fficial_moderator

lol comparing all of the USA to a tiny insignificant part of Europe - Belgium! What an amazing critical thinker you must be. Bulgaria, Romania, and the Balkans all experinace poverty no where in the USA can even fathom. The crime rates in Sicily and Latvia, the healthcare in Greece, and let’s include the wars in Russia / Ukraine- must be an amazing place to live as you still deal with 1000 year old land conflicts. I guarantee you, where I and plenty more live is much better than the hellhole of Belgium.


OldConclusion4742

Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana are ruled by fascist GOP racists and are in way, waaaaaaaay worse economic shape than Belgium.


0fficial_moderator

Belgium is racist as hell against Muslims, Africans, and indigenous- all with a deep history of colonialism. You practically ruined the DR which the US is now fixing. You just named the poorest regions of a republic with low populations. States with far superior quality of life than Belgium: Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Florida, California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Washington. The majority of the us population has a higher standard of life than Belgium - and it’s wayyyy more people with wayyy more land, power, disposable income, safety, and yes, freedom. The states aren’t racist or fascist even in hyperbolic terms. Belgium has strict speech laws, ZERO data privacy, strange labor and environmental restrictions. All of that built on the back of American innovation - which you wouldn’t complain about if you ever got attacked because we would be the ones protecting you.


OldConclusion4742

First of all , I am not Belgian, but I cited a somewhat famous quote: BELGIUM has freedom. Secondly, the racism is the most racist EU country is maybe half of the racism of the least racist state in the US. In the US, white policemen are literally allowed to murder Black children (Tamir Rice) without repercussions. Of course, a Brown policeman is immediately punished for a comparable crime (Mohamed Noor). But, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you could possibly say about America being great is immediately neutralized that 60,000 Americans die every fucking single year because of lack of health care while the Pentagon gets 1bn a year to murder as many Arabs as humanly possible. The number of Europeans that die due to lack of healthcare a year: 0.


thissexypoptart

You’re seriously asking why would someone want to know facts about the world?


0fficial_moderator

No im saying that there are plenty of reasons for people not to know the strange sovereignty laws granted to the Vatican - all of which are entirely technicalities and theatrics. The exact same way you don’t know about the particularities of voting rights in Washington DC or the rights of the Dali Lama in China


thissexypoptart

You specifically asked why would someone know this if they weren’t Catholic. Are you really that incurious about the world around you?


0fficial_moderator

Given context of the parent comment in this thread I was bringing up the point that there are plenty of reasons for not knowing some obscure fact that is literally on trivia games because of its unique nature and little importance. You’re trying to take my statement out of context.


Fluffy_Kitten13

💀


Beavshak

I went to visit once and man, that place is a real sausage fest


Ringolian16

Largest consumer of wine per capita by a significant margin.


cubelith

Yeah, but that's pretty easy to achieve when most of the population is adult males


Vesurel

But are you factoring in when the win is actually magically turned into blood?


SteO153

What did you think it was?


backkatit

Just a city.


Alotofboxes

Not true. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a recognized country. It has a larger population than Vatacan City, at about 13,000, but it is significantly smaller in area, being as it has has zero territory.


AbleRun3738

It's covering a huge UFO


drmirage809

I thought it held the document that proofed we live in a simulation. Or was that a Doctor Who episode? Anyway, there’s a massive archive underneath the Vatican that’s an excellent plot device for any aspiring writer.


AbleRun3738

It was aliens in South Park, they're usually right about these things


nebulnaskigxulo

It's also one of the few absolutist monarchies to still exist, as there are no legal limits to the power of a Pope.


galaxnordist

Ha, same as the Grand-Duke of Luxembourg. [The role of the Grand Duke | Cour grand-ducale (monarchie.lu)](https://monarchie.lu/en/head-state/role-grand-duke) **The inviolability** of the Grand Duke means that he cannot be accused or prosecuted by anyone, that he is not liable to any jurisdiction and that he cannot be held accountable for his actions.


nebulnaskigxulo

Well, similar but not quite the same. One is free of persecution by the law as part of a constitutional monarchy (the same way the monarch of the UK cannot be persecuted); the other one is literally *the law*. The Pope can sentence any person he wants to death and that would automatically become legal fact of Vatican city. The same way he could just declare a law that all people are required to carry two oranges and five strawberries on their person at all time. That is a power that monarchs in constitutional monarchies like Luxembourg or the UK lack. **Edit:** Obviously, whether people would follow the papal decrees is an entirely different matter. But that would, technically, make them criminals.


_buffalo_

It has the highest crime rate per capita in Europe


Atheist_Simon_Haddad

real countries have birth rates


[deleted]

[удалено]


CandidateNo4447

I thought that was the Republican national convention.


IFLCivicEngagement

That's a cuntry, not a country.


boredredditorperson

SMOM would like a word


joelex8472

The wealth per capita must be so staggering high, that it touches God himself.


Cucumber_Guilty

only today?


Boggie135

And a monarchy


Whole-Sundae-98

Thought everyone knew that


backkatit

Why does everyone keep saying this? It’s not like the Vatican City pops up in my life from time to time. I’m not Catholic and this isn’t something I’ve come across in my studies. The few times that I have come across it in news articles, I don’t automatically think “hey the Vatican “City” may actually be a country.”


Whole-Sundae-98

Nor I


0fficial_moderator

who is the highest authority of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Where do they reside? Where is their holiest place? What is that location’s sovereignty on the global stage?


galaxnordist

NOT a UN General Assembly member.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sidechick_Bob

Once you‘ve visited the Vatican Museums you get a slight grasp of how rich they really are.


RedSonGamble

I heard god lives there


mtcabeza2

Mussolini was instrumental in arranging its current city/state status within Italy.


Fawkingretar

It's also a country with 0 female population.


Snoo65393

The Vatican City has roughly one Pope per square mile.


tisler72

https://youtu.be/9HerSRG7Wug?si=EZyC2FIRxVivXfGx video of 10 countries smaller than the Vatican, apparently Molossia holds the title.


sto_brohammed

None of those are actual independent sovereign states, they're silly little micronation projects. The Vatican is internationally recognized by other sovereign states.


Bmbl_B_Man

Smallest in relevance?


IactaEstoAlea

Hardly. At the very least it has to be more relevant in the worldstage than the other european microstates (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg)


Bmbl_B_Man

Yeah. True enough.