Monaco Population: 32,796
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| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| Second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban. | |
| 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 |
| Area: | total: 1.95 sq km land: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 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 |
| Current Environment Issues: | NA |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 32,796 (July 2008 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 14.8% (male 2,488/female 2,369) 15-64 years: 62.4% (male 10,110/female 10,353) 65 years and over: 22.8% (male 3,048/female 4,428) (2008 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 45.5 years male: 43.5 years female: 47.5 years (2008 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.375% (2008 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 9.09 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12.96 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 7.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.18 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.96 years male: 76.14 years female: 83.97 years (2008 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.75 children born/woman (2008 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.) |
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| 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; modified 2 April 2002 |
| 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: 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: | CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador to the US and UN Gilles NOGHES chancery: 2314 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 234-1530 FAX: (202) 552-5778 |
| 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 |
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| Economy | |
| 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.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | |
| 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: | |
| Industries: | tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products |
| Industrial production growth rate: | |
| 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) |
| Exports - commodities: | |
| 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) |
| Imports - commodities: | |
| Debt - external: | $18 billion (2000 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Currency (code): | euro (EUR) |
| Exchange rates: | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 34,000 (2005) |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 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: | 21,058 (2008) |
| Internet users: | 20,000 (2006) |
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| Transportation | |
| Heliports: | 1 (2007) |
| Roadways: | total: 50 km paved: 50 km (2007) |
| Merchant marine: | registered in other countries: 70 (Bahamas 15, Georgia 4, Isle of Man 3, Liberia 8, Marshall Islands 13, Norway 5, Panama 16, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Vanuatu 1) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Monaco |
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| Military | |
| Defense is the responsibility of France | |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; the Palace Guard performs ceremonial duties |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 6,687 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 5,376 (2008 est.) |
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