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Travel to Monaco — Unbiased reviews and
great deals from TripAdvisorMonaco
| Principality of Monaco National
name: Principauté de Monaco Ruler: Prince Albert II (2005) Minister of State: Patrick Leclercq
(2000)
Current government officials
Total area: 0.8 sq mi (2.0 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 32,796 (growth rate:
0.3%); birth rate: 9.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.1/1000; life
expectancy: 79.9; density per sq km: 16,398
Capital (2003 est.):
Monaco, 1,400 Largest city: Monte Carlo, 15,400 Monetary unit: Euro
Languages:
French (official), English, Italian,
Monégasque
Ethnicity/race:
French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other
21%
Religion:
Roman Catholic 90%
National Holiday:
National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), November
19 Literacy rate: 99% (2003
est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP
(2006 est.): $976.3 million; note: Monaco does not publish national
income figures; the estimates are extremely rough; per capita $30,000.
Real growth rate: 0.9%. Inflation: 1.9%.
Unemployment: 0% (2005). Arable land: 0%.
Agriculture: none. Labor force: 44,000; note: includes
workers from all foreign countries (2005 est.). Natural
resources: none. Industries: tourism, construction,
small-scale industrial and consumer products. Exports: $716.3
million (2005); note: full customs integration with France, which
collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU
market system through customs union with France. Imports:
$916.1 million (2005); note: full customs integration with France,
which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates
in EU. Communications: Telephones: main
lines in use: 34,000 (2005); mobile cellular: 17,200 (2005). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM n.a., shortwave 8 (1998).
Radios: 34,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 5
(1998). Televisions: 25,000 (1997). Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): 14,520 (2007). Internet users: 20,000
(2006). Transportation: Railways:
total: 1.7 km. Highways: total: 50 km; paved: 50 km; unpaved: 0
km (1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Monaco. Airports:
linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service. International disputes: none.
Major sources and definitions
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Geography
Monaco is a tiny, hilly wedge driven into the
French Mediterranean coast; it is 9 mi east of Nice, France.
Government
Constitutional monarchy.
History
The Phoenicians, and after them the Greeks, had
a temple on the Monacan headland honoring Hercules. The principality took
its name from Monoikos, the Greek surname for this mythological
hero. After being independent for 800 years, Monaco was annexed to France
in 1793 and placed under Sardinia's protection in 1815. By the
Franco-Monegasque treaty of 1861, Monaco went under French guardianship
but continued to be independent. A treaty made with France in 1918
contained a clause providing that, in the event that the male Grimaldi
dynasty should die out, Monaco would become an autonomous state under
French protection.
Monaco has a tourist business that attracts as
many as 1.5 million visitors a year and is famous for its beaches and
casinos, especially world-famous Monte Carlo. It had gaming tables as
early as 1856.
Prince Rainier III, born on May 31, 1923,
succeeded his grandfather, Louis II, on the latter's death, on May 9,
1949. Rainier was married, in 1956, to American actress Grace Kelly and
they subsequently had three children. Their son, Prince Albert Louis
Pierre (b. 1958) was heir to the throne. Immensely popular, Princess Grace
died on Sept. 14, 1982, of injuries received in a car accident near Monte
Carlo. She was 52.
Monaco's practice of providing a tax shelter for
French businessmen resulted in a 1962 dispute between the countries. A
compromise was reached by which French citizens with less than five years'
residence in Monaco were taxed at French rates, and taxes were imposed on
Monegasque companies doing more than 25% of their business outside the
principality. The country was admitted to the UN in May 1993, making it
the smallest country represented there. It celebrated the 700th
anniversary of the Grimaldi reign in 1997. In 2002, the constitution was
revised to ensure that the Grimaldis retain the throne even if Crown
Prince Albert has no heir. On April 6, 2005, Prince Rainier, Europe's
longest-reigning monarch, died, and Prince Albert II succeeded him.
See also Encyclopedia: Monaco.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Monaco
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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