  |
| |
| Background: | The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling Grimaldi family secured control in the late 13th century, and a principality was established in 1338. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality’s mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center. |
| | |
| Geography |
| | |
| Location: | Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy |
| Geographic coordinates: | 43 44 N, 7 24 E |
| Map references: | Europe |
| Area: | total: 1.95 sq km
land: 1.95 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area—comparative: | about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: | total: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km |
| Coastline: | 4.1 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 12 nm |
| Climate: | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers |
| Terrain: | hilly, rugged, rocky |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 m |
| Natural resources: | none |
| Land use: | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | NA |
| Environment—current issues: | NA |
| Environment—international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography—note: | second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban |
| | |
| People |
| | |
| Population: | 32,671 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15% (male 2,514/female 2,394)
15-64 years: 62.3% (male 10,047/female 10,312)
65 years and over: 22.7% (male 3,019/female 4,385) (2007 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 45.5 years
male: 43.4 years
female: 47.4 years (2007 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.386% (2007 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 9.12 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12.92 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 7.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.974 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.688 male(s)/female
total population: 0.912 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.82 years
male: 75.99 years
female: 83.85 years (2007 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.75 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS—adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS—people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS—deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan |
| Ethnic groups: | French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 90%, other 10% |
| Languages: | French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
| | |
| Government |
| | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco
local short form: Monaco |
| Government type: | constitutional monarchy |
| Capital: | name: Monaco
geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Administrative divisions: | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular – quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo |
| Independence: | 1419 (beginning of rule by the House of Grimaldi) |
| National holiday: | National Day (Saint Rainier’s Day), 19 November (1857) |
| Constitution: | 17 December 1962 |
| Legal system: | based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June 2005)
cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 February 2008 (next to be held February 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party – UPM 52.2%, REM 40.5%, Monaco Together 7.3%; seats by party – UPM 21, REM 3 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM); Rally and Issues for Monaco or REM; Monaco Together |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador to the US and UN Gilles NOGHES
chancery: 565 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 286-0500
FAX: (212) 286-1574 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France), under the authority of the US ambassador to France, handles routine diplomatic and consular matters concerning Monaco |
| Flag description: | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red |
| | |
| Economy |
| | |
| Economy—overview: | Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The principality also is a major banking center and has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $976.3 million
note: Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates are extremely rough (2006 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $NA |
| GDP—real growth rate: | 0.9% (2000 est.) |
| GDP—per capita (PPP): | $30,000 (2006 est.) |
| GDP—composition by sector: | agriculture: 0%
industry: 4.9%
services: 95.1% (2005) |
| Labor force: | 44,000
note: includes workers from all foreign countries (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 0% (2005) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.9% (2000) |
| Budget: | revenues: $863 million
expenditures: $920.6 million (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture—products: | none |
| Industries: | tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity—consumption: | NA kWh |
| Electricity—imports: | NA kWh; note – electricity supplied by France |
| Exports: | $716.3 million
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France (2005) |
| Imports: | $916.1 million
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France (2005) |
| Debt—external: | $18 billion (2000 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Economic aid—recipient: | $NA |
| Currency (code): | euro (EUR) |
| Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar – 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| | |
| Communications |
| | |
| Telephones—main lines in use: | 34,000 (2005) |
| Telephones—mobile cellular: | 17,200 (2005) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: country code – 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 5 (1998) |
| Internet country code: | .mc |
| Internet hosts: | 14,520 (2007) |
| Internet users: | 20,000 (2006) |
| | |
| Transportation |
| | |
| Heliports: | 1 (2007) |
| Roadways: | total: 50 km
paved: 50 km (1999) |
| Merchant marine: | registered in other countries: 64 (Bahamas 11, Barbados 1, Georgia 10, Isle of Man 3, Liberia 8, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 5, Panama 11, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 6, unknown 1) (2007) |
| Ports and terminals: | Monaco |
| | |
| Military |
| | |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 6,256 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 4,971 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males age 18-49: 148 (2005 est.) |
| Military—note: | defense is the responsibility of France; the Palace Guard performs ceremonial duties (2003) |
| | |
| Transnational Issues |
| | |
| Disputes—international: | none |
