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Monaco
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Monaco

Country Profile

Capital City: Monaco (pop. 32 020)

Local Time: UTC +1h

Geography:
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy.
Area: 1.95 sq. km. (0.75 sq. mi); about the size of New York City's Central Park.
Border countries: France

Terrain: Hilly, rugged.

Climate: Mediterranean with mild winters and hot, dry but sea breezes cooled summers.

Government:
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949)
Constitution: 17 December 1962 (amended in April 2002).

People:
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Monegasque.
Population (2000 census): 32 020, about 20 000 of them are millionaires.
Ethnic groups (2000 census): Monegasque 19%, French 32%, Italian 20%, other 29%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, other 10%.
Languages: French (official), English, Italian, and Monegasque (a blend of French and Italian).
Literacy: 99%.

Business

Currency: Euro (EUR)

Natural resources: none

Agriculture products: none

Industries: Tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products.

Internet Links

Official Sites of Monaco

Principauté de Monaco

Le Palais de Monaco

Consulate General of Monaco in New York

Maps
Interactive Map of Monaco

Monaco Map

Introduction

Monaco

Background: 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 Monaco

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 water: 0 sq km land: 1.95 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

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)
(1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: second smallest independent state in the world (after
Holy See); almost entirely urban

People Monaco

Population: 31,987 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 2,545; female 2,418) 15-64 years:
62.1% (male 9,762; female 10,093) 65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,922;
female 4,247) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.45% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 9.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 7.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 83.25 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2002 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%

Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

Literacy: definition: NA total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%

Government Monaco

Country name: Principality of Monaco conventional short form: Government
type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Monaco

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 the rule by the House of Grimaldi)

National holiday: National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November

Constitution: 17 December 1962

Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949);
Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre, son of the monarch
(born 14 March 1958) 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 cabinet: Council
of Government is under the authority of the monarch head of government:
Minister of State Patrick LECLERCQ (since 5 January 2000)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Council or Conseil National
(18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: last held 1 and 8 February 1998 (next to be held NA
January 2003)

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: Campora List [Anne-Maria CAMPORA];
Medecin List [Jean-Louis MEDECIN]; National and Democratic Union or UND
[Jean-Louis CAMPORA]; National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM
[leader NA]; Rally for the Monegasque Family or RFM [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ECE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO,
ICC, ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Monaco does not have an embassy
in the US consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) is accredited
to 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 Monaco

Economy - overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean
coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino
and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major new construction project
will extend the pier used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The
Principality 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. Monaco does not publish
national income figures; the estimates below are extremely rough.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 30,540 (January 1994)

Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1998)

Budget: revenues: $518 million expenditures: $531 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

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 (1999)

Agriculture - products: none

Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and
rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system
through customs union with France

Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and
rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system
through customs union with France

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $NA

Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code: EUR; FRF

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar -
5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Monaco

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,027 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA international: no satellite earth stations; connected by
cable into the French communications system

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998)

Radios: 34,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 5 (1998)

Televisions: 25,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .mc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Monaco

Railways: total: 1.7 km standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

Highways: total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Monaco

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: none; linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service
(2001)

Heliports: 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice,
France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2001)

Military Monaco

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Monaco

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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