Page last updated on January 30, 2014
The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling GRIMALDI family first seized temporary control in 1297, and again in 1331, but were not able to permanently secure their holding until 1419. 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.
Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy
total: 2 sq km
country comparison to the world: 250
land: 2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
total: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 12 nm
Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 m
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 99% (urban area) (2011)
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
second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban
noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan
French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10%
30,500 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
0-14 years: 11.9% (male 1,856/female 1,782)
15-24 years: 9.4% (male 1,479/female 1,384)
25-54 years: 35.6% (male 5,387/female 5,456)
55-64 years: 14.4% (male 2,217/female 2,172)
65 years and over: 28.7% (male 3,913/female 4,854) (2013 est.)
total: 50.5 years
male: 49.4 years
female: 51.7 years (2013 est.)
-0% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
6.79 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224
8.75 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
1.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
urban population: 100% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
total: 1.81 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 224
male: 2.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 1.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 89.63 years
country comparison to the world: 1
male: 85.7 years
female: 93.71 years (2013 est.)
1.51 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
4.3% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 157
7.06 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
16.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)
1.2% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 170
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
total: 18 years
male: 18 years
female: 17 years (2009)
total: 6.9%
country comparison to the world: 130
male: 6.6%
female: 7.4% (2000)
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco
local short form: Monaco
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
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; note - Moneghetti, a part of La Condamine, is sometimes called the 5th quarter of Monaco
1419 (beginning of permanent rule by the House of GRIMALDI)
National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), 19 November (1857)
previous 1911 (suspended 1959); latest adopted 17 December 1962; amended 2002 (2013)
civil law system influenced by French legal tradition
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
head of government: Minister of State Michel ROGER (since 29 March 2010)
cabinet: Council of Government 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
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 on 10 February 2013 (next to be held in February 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - Horizon Monaco 50.3%, Union Monegasque 39%, Renaissance 10.7%; seats by party - Horizon Monaco 20, Union Monegasque 3, Renaissance 1
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 5 permanent members and 2 substitutes)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court members appointed by the monarch upon the proposals of the National Council, State Council, Crown Council, Court of Appeal, and Trial Court
subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Civil Court of First Instance
Horizon Monaco [Laurent NOUVION]
CD, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
chief of mission: Ambassador Maguy Maccario DOYLE (since 3 December 2013)
chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Suite 2K-100, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 234-1530
FAX: (202) 244-7656
consulate(s) general: New York
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
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the colors are those of the ruling House of Grimaldi and have been in use since 1339, making the flag one of the world's oldest national banners
note: similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red
name: "A Marcia de Muneghu" (The March of Monaco)
lyrics/music: Louis NOTARI/Charles ALBRECHT
note: music adopted 1867, lyrics adopted 1931; although French is much more commonly spoken, only the Monegasque lyrics are official; the French version is known as "Hymne Monegasque" (Monegasque Anthem); the words are generally only sung on official occasions
Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. The principality also is a 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. Monaco, however, is not a tax-free shelter; it charges nearly 20% value-added tax, collects stamp duties, and companies face a 33% tax on profits unless they can show that three-quarters of profits are generated within the principality. Monaco's reliance on tourism and banking for its economic growth has left it vulnerable to a downturn in France and other European economies which are the principality's main trade partners. In 2009, Monaco''s GDP fell by 11.5% as the euro-zone crisis precipitated a sharp drop in tourism and retail activity and home sales. A modest recovery ensued in 2010 with GDP growth of 2.5%, but Monaco''s economic prospects remain clouded in uncertainty tied to future euro-zone growth. Weak economic growth also has deteriorated public finances as the principality recorded a budget deficit of 1.3% of GDP in 2012. Monaco was formally removed from the OECD''s "grey list" of uncooperative tax jurisdictions in late 2009, but continues to face international pressure to abandon its banking secrecy laws and help combat tax evasion. 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.
$5.748 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
note: data are in 2011 US dollars
$5.748 billion (2011 est.)
5.1% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$70,600 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 6
agriculture: 0%
industry: 10%
services: 90% (2011)
tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products
50,580
country comparison to the world: 191
note: includes workers from all foreign countries (2011 est.)
0% (2011)
country comparison to the world: 2
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $1.125 billion
expenditures: $1.197 billion (2011 est.)
19.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
-1.3% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
1.5% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 28
$864.6 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 162
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France
$847.9 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 183
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
44,500 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 166
33,200 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 207
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system; the country's sole fixed line operator offers a full range of services to residential and business customers
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 200 per 100 persons
international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system (2011)
TV Monte-Carlo (TMC) operates a TV network; cable TV available; Radio Monte-Carlo has extensive radio networks in France and Italy with French-language broadcasts to France beginning in the 1960s and Italian-language broadcasts to Italy beginning in the 1970s; other radio stations include Riviera Radio and Radio Monaco (2012)
26,009 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 111
23,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 191
total: 77 km
country comparison to the world: 217
paved: 77 km (2010)
registered in other countries: 64 (Bahamas 8, Bermuda 2, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 30, Panama 11, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 63
no regular military forces; Directorate of Public Security (2012)
males age 16-49: 5,749 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 4,629
females age 16-49: 4,597 (2010 est.)
male: 153
female: 141 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of France
