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| Monaco |

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) (2001)
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: | 32,270 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 2,554; female 2,453) 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,860; female 10,165) 65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,959; female 4,279) (2004 est.)
Median age: | total: 45.1 years male: 43.1 years female: 47.1 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.44% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: | 9.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: | 12.74 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate: | 7.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 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 (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 79.42 years male: 75.53 years female: 83.5 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.76 children born/woman (2004 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: | conventional long form: Principality of Monaco conventional short form: Monaco local short form: Monaco local long form: Principaute de Monaco
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 (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3 elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held NA February 2008)
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: | National and Democratic Union or UND [Jean-Louis CAMPORA]; Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, 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, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major construction project extended 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 (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | NA (2000)
Labor force: | 30,540 (January 1994)
Unemployment rate: | 3.1% (1998)
Budget: | revenues: $518 million expenditures: $531 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1995)
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: | $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 (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | NA
Currency: | euro (EUR)
Currency code: | EUR
Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar - 0.8860 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Monaco

Telephones - main lines in use: | 33,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 19,300 (2002)
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)
Radios: | 34,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 5 (1998)
Televisions: | 25,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .mc
Internet hosts: | 533 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000)
Internet users: | 16,000 (2002)

Transportation | Monaco

Highways: | total: 50 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)
Ports and harbors: | Monaco
Merchant marine: | none
Airports: | none; linked to the airport at Nice, France by helicopter service (2003) (2003 est.)
Heliports: | 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2003 est.)

Military | Monaco

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues | Monaco

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005