Global InformationMonaco information
Principality of Monaco Principauté de Monaco (French) Prinçipatu de Mùnegu (Monégasque) | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Deo Juvante" (Latin) (English: "With God's Help") | |
| Anthem: "Hymne Monégasque" (English: "Hymn of Monaco") | |
 Location of Monaco (green) in Europe (green & dark grey) | |
| Capital | Monaco (city-state) 43°43′52″N 07°25′12″E / 43.73111°N 7.42000°E |
| Largest quarter | Monte Carlo |
| Official languages | French[1] |
| Common languages |
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| Ethnic groups |
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| Religion |
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| Demonym(s) |
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| Government | Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Albert II |
• Minister of State | Pierre Dartout |
| Legislature | National Council |
| Independence | |
• House of Grimaldi (under the sovereignty of the Republic of Genoa) | 8 January 1297 |
• from the French Empire | 17 May 1814 |
• from occupation of the Sixth Coalition | 17 June 1814 |
• Franco-Monégasque Treaty | 2 February 1861 |
• Constitution | 5 January 1911 |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.08 km2 (0.80 sq mi) (194th) |
• Water (%) | negligible[4] |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate |  39,050[5] (190th) |
• 2016 census | 37,308[6] |
• Density | 18,774/km2 (48,624.4/sq mi) (1st) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2015 estimate |
• Total |  $7.672 billion (2015 est.)[7] (168th) |
• Per capita | $115,700 (2015 est.)[7] (3rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2019[b] estimate |
• Total | $7.424 billion[8] (159th) |
• Per capita | $190,513[9] (2nd) |
| Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right[10] |
| Calling code | +377 |
| ISO 3166 code | MC |
| Internet TLD | .mc |
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Monaco,[a] officially the Principality of Monaco,[b] is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents,[11] of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals;[12] it is widely recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world.[13][14] The official language of the principality is French. In addition, Monégasque (a variety of Ligurian), English and Italian are spoken and understood by many residents.[c]
With an area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi), it is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its 19,009 inhabitants /km2 (49,230/sq mi) make it the most densely-populated sovereign state in the world. Monaco has a land border of 5.47 km (3.40 mi) and the world's shortest coastline of approximately 3.83 km (2.38 mi);[15] it has a width that varies between 1,700 and 349 m (5,577 and 1,145 ft). The highest point in the state is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires ward, which is 161 m (528 ft) above sea level. The principality is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the border with Italy.[16] Since 2013, it consists of nine administrative wards, the largest of which is Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo/Spélugues, 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi)), and the most populous of which is Larvotto (Larvotto/Bas Moulins, 5,443 residents as of 2008). Through ongoing land reclamation, started in 1861 and accelerating in the 1960s, Monaco's small land mass has expanded by 20 per cent.
The principality is governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who wields immense political power despite his constitutional status. The prime minister, who is the head of government, can be either a Monégasque or a French citizen; the monarch consults with the Government of France before an appointment. Key members of the judiciary in Monaco are detached French magistrates.[17] The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297.[18] The state's sovereignty was officially recognised by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full United Nations voting member in 1993. Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France, besides maintenance of two small military units.
Monaco's economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with the opening of the state's first casino, the Monte Carlo Casino, and a railway connection to Paris.[19] Since then, Monaco's mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principality's status as a tourist destination and recreation centre for the rich. In more recent years, Monaco has become a major banking centre and has sought to diversify its economy into the services sector and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is famous as a tax haven, as the principality has no personal income tax (except for French citizens) and low business taxes. Over 30% of the residents are millionaires,[20] with real estate prices reaching €100,000 ($116,374) per square metre in 2018. Monaco is considered a global hub of money laundering, and in February 2023 was placed under review by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force watchdog, with the threat of being placed on its 'grey list', for its failures in financial supervision and reform to inhibit global criminality and terrorism financing.[21]
Monaco is not formally a part of the European Union (EU), but it participates in certain EU policies, including customs and border controls. Through its relationship with France, Monaco uses the euro as its sole currency; before, it used the Monegasque franc, which was pegged, and exchangeable with, the French franc until 1 January 2002. Monaco joined the Council of Europe in 2004 and is a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). It is also the host of the annual street circuit motor race, the Monaco Grand Prix, one of the original Grands Prix of Formula One. The local motorsports association gives name to the Monte Carlo Rally, hosted in January in the French Alps. The principality has a club football team, AS Monaco, which competes in the French Ligue 1 and have become French champions on multiple occasions, and a basketball team, which plays in the EuroLeague. A centre of research into marine conservation, Monaco is home to one of the world's first protected marine habitats,[22] an Oceanographic Museum, and the International Atomic Energy Agency Environment Labs, which is the only marine laboratory in the United Nations structure.[23]
- ^ "Constitution de la Principauté". Council of Government. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
- ^ Constitution de la Principaute at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 September 2011) (French): Art. 9., Principaute De Monaco: Ministère d'Etat (archived from the original on 27 September 2011).
- ^ "The Global Religious Landscape" (PDF). Pewforum.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ^ "Monaco en Chiffres" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009., Principauté de Monaco. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ^ "Population on 1 January and is one of the smallest country. It is 2nd most smallest country". ec.europa.eu/eurostat. Eurostat. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ "Recensement de la Population 2016" (PDF) (in French). Institut Monégasque de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (IMSEE). February 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ a b "EUROPE :: MONACO". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ "GDP (current US$) - Monaco". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "GDP per capita (current US$) - Monaco". data.worldbank.org. World Bank. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ "What side of the road do people drive on?". Whatsideoftheroad.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^ "Population, total". World Bank. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Demography / Population and employment / IMSEE - Monaco IMSEE". www.monacostatistics.mc. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "The 1.25-mile waterfront stretch in Monaco that used to be the world's most expensive street looks no different from the rest of the city". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Monaco Is The Most Expensive Place To Buy Property In The World". Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ "Monaco Statistics / IMSEE — Monaco IMSEE". Imsee.mc (in French). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ "Ventimiglia - Principato di Monaco". www.distanza.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Communiqué de la Direction des Services Judiciaires" Archived 17 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Government of Monaco (in French), 26 June 2019.
- ^ In fact Francesco Grimaldi, who captured the Rock on the night of 8 January 1297, was forced to flee Monaco only four years after the fabled raid, never to come back. The Grimaldi family was not able to permanently secure their holding until 1419 when they purchased Monaco, along with two neighbouring villages, Menton and Roquebrune. Source: Edwards, Anne (1992). The Grimaldis of Monaco: The Centuries of Scandal – The Years of Grace. William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-688-08837-8.
- ^ "Monte Carlo: The Birth of a Legend". SBM Group. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
- ^ Beck, Katie. "The country running out of space for its millionaires". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Théo Bourgery-Gonse, Monaco’s anti-money laundering system inadequate, risks name-and-shame, 23 January 2023 [1] Archived 1 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Monaco's Prince Albert II: Oceans are a 'family heritage,' with little time to save them". Los Angeles Times. 13 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC)" (PDF). United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
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