| San Marino |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

San Marino | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | The third smallest state in Europe (after The Holy See and Monaco) also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy. Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor.

San Marino | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Geographic coordinates: | 43 46 N, 12 25 E

Map references: | Europe

Area: | total: 61.2 sq km land: 61.2 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: | total: 39 km border countries: Italy 39 km

Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: | none (landlocked)

Climate: | Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Terrain: | rugged mountains

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m highest point: Monte Titano 755 m

Natural resources: | building stone

Land use: | arable land: 17% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 83% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

Natural hazards: | NA

Environment - current issues: | NA

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution

Geography - note: | landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

San Marino | People | Top of Page

Population: | 27,336 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15.88% (male 2,241; female 2,100) 15-64 years: 67.94% (male 9,048; female 9,525) 65 years and over: 16.18% (male 1,902; female 2,520) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.45% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 10.76 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 7.68 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 11.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 81.23 years male: 77.68 years female: 85.1 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.3 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural) adjective: Sammarinese

Ethnic groups: | Sammarinese, Italian

Religions: | Roman Catholic

Languages: | Italian

Literacy: | definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 97% female: 95% (1976 est.)

San Marino | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of San Marino conventional short form: San Marino local long form: Repubblica di San Marino local short form: San Marino

Government type: | independent republic

Capital: | San Marino

Administrative divisions: | 9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle

Independence: | 3 September 301

National holiday: | Founding of the Republic, 3 September (301)

Constitution: | 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

Legal system: | based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Luigi LONFERNINI and Captain Regent Fabio BERARDI (for the period 1 April 2001-30 September 2001) head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Gabriele GATTI (since NA July 1986) cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term elections: cochiefs of state (captain regents) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA March 2001 (next to be held NA September 2001); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held NA June 1998 (next to be held NA June 2003) election results: Luigi LONFERNINI and Fabio BERARDI elected captain regents; percent of legislative vote - NA; Gabriele GATTI reelected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - NA note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State) which has ten other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are three secretaries of state - Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Finance - and several additional secretaries; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed many of the prerogatives of a prime minister

Legislative branch: | unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next likely to be held by NA June 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 40.8%, PSS 23.3%, PPDS 18.6%, APDS 9.8%, RC 3.3%, SR 4.2%; seats by party - PDCS 25, PSS 14, PPDS 11, APDS 6, RC 2, SR 2

Judicial branch: | Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

Political parties and leaders: | Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM [Alessandro ROSSI]; San Marino Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Pier Marino MENICUCCI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats or APDS [Mario VENTURINI]; San Marino Progressive Democratic Party or PPDS [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Augusto CASALI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | CE, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | San Marino does not have an embassy in the US honorary consulate(s) general: Washington, DC, and New York honorary consulate(s): Detroit

Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Flag description: | two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)

San Marino | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 1999 more than 3 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking, wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous regions of Italy, which supplies much of its food.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $860 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 8% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $32,000 (2000 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): | 2.2% (2000)

Labor force: | 18,500 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation: | services 60%, industry 38%, agriculture 2% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 3% (1999)

Budget: | revenues: $400 million expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: | tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine

Industrial production growth rate: | 6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production: | NA kWh

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%

Electricity - consumption: | NA kWh

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh note: electric power supplied by Italy (1999)

Electricity - imports: | NA kWh note: electricity supplied by Italy

Agriculture - products: | wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides

Exports: | trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

Exports - commodities: | building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics

Imports: | trade data are included with the statistics for Italy

Imports - commodities: | wide variety of consumer manufactures, food

Debt - external: | $NA

Economic aid - recipient: | $NA

Currency: | Italian lira (ITL); euro (EUR)

Currency code: | ITL; EUR

Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999); Italian lire per US dollar - 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

San Marino | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 18,000 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 3,010 (1998)

Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate connections domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system international: connected to Italian international network

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 16,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 1 (San Marino residents also receive broadcasts from Italy) (1997)

Televisions: | 9,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .sm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)

Internet users: | NA

San Marino | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km; note - there is a 1.5 km cable railway connecting the city of San Marino to Borgo Maggiore

Highways: | total: 220 km paved: 220 km unpaved: 0 km (2001)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | none

Airports: | none

San Marino | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Voluntary Military Force, Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $700,000 (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA%

San Marino | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none