Page last updated on January 30, 2014
Geographically the third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco), San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in A.D. 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of the European Union, although it is not a member; social and political trends in the republic track closely with those of its larger neighbor, Italy.
Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy
total: 61 sq km
country comparison to the world: 229
land: 61 sq km
water: 0 sq km
about one third times the size of Washington, DC
total: 39 km
border countries: Italy 39 km
Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers
lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m
highest point: Monte Titano 755 m
arable land: 16.67%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 83.33% (2011)
air pollution; urbanization decreasing rural farmlands
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution
landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines
noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Sammarinese
32,448 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
0-14 years: 16.2% (male 2,799/female 2,461)
15-24 years: 10.6% (male 1,749/female 1,679)
25-54 years: 42.8% (male 6,575/female 7,327)
55-64 years: 11.8% (male 1,926/female 1,919)
65 years and over: 18.5% (male 2,680/female 3,333) (2013 est.)
total: 43.2 years
male: 42.3 years
female: 44 years (2013 est.)
0.93% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
8.78 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
8.17 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
8.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
urban population: 94% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
total: 4.58 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 185
male: 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 83.12 years
country comparison to the world: 5
male: 80.59 years
female: 85.88 years (2013 est.)
1.48 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
7.2% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 80
4.88 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
3.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 97%
female: 95%
conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino
local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
local short form: San Marino
name: San Marino
geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 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
9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle
Founding of the Republic, 3 September (A.D. 301)
consists of several legislative instruments, chief among them the Statutes (Leges Statuti) of 1600 and the Declaration of Citizen Rights of 1974; latter document amended 2000, 2002 (2013)
civil law system with Italian civil law influences
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Co-chiefs of State Captain Regent Anna Maria MUCCIOLI and Captain Regent Gian Carlo CAPICCHIONI (for the period 1 October 2013-1 April 2014)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Pasquale VALENTINI (since 5 December 2012)
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term
elections: co-chiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Grand and General Council for a six-month term; election last held on 17 September 2013 (next to be held in March 2014); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Grand and General Council for a five-year term; election last held on 11 November 2012 (next to be held by November 2017)
election results: Anna Maria MUCCIOLI and Gian Carlo CAPICCHIONI elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Pasquale VALENTINI elected 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 (co-chiefs 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 nine other members, all are selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are nine secretaries of state; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some prime ministerial roles
unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 November 2012 (next to be held by November 2017)
election results: percent of vote by party - San Marino Common Good coalition (San Marino Bene Comune) 50.7% (PDCS 29.5%, PSD 14.3%, AP 6.7%), Entente for the Country coalition (Intesa per Il Paese) 22.3% (PS 12.1%, UPR 8.4%, USDM 1.7%), Active Citizenry coalition (Cittadinanza Attiva) 16.1% (SU 9.1%, Civic 10 6.7%), Civic Movement R.E.T.E. 6.3%, For San Marino 2.8%, San Marino 3.0 1.8%; seats by party - San Marino Common Good coalition 35 (PDCS 21, PSD 10, AP 4), Entente for the Country coalition 12 (PS 7, UPR 5), Active Citizenry 9 (SU 5, Civic 10 4), Civic Movement R.E.T.E. 4
highest court(s): Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII (consists of 12 members)
judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Grand and General Council from among its own to serve 5-year terms
subordinate courts: first instance and first appeal criminal, administrative, and civil courts; justices of the peace or conciliatory judges
San Marino Common Good:
Entente for the Country:
Active Citizenship:
other:
CE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
chief of mission: Ambassador Paolo RONDELLI (since 16 July 2007)
chancery: 1711 N Street NW, 2nd floor, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: 202-223-2418
FAX: 202-223-2748
the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the ambassador to Italy, currently Ambassador John R. PHILLIPS, is accredited to San Marino
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the main colors derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field; the towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature, Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale; the coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colors are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively
three peaks each displaying a tower
name: "Inno Nazionale della Repubblica" (National Anthem of the Republic)
lyrics/music: none/Federico CONSOLO
note: adopted 1894; the music for the lyric-less anthem is based on a 10th century chorale piece
San Marino's economy relies heavily on tourism, the banking industry and the manufacture and export of ceramics, clothing, fabrics, furniture, paints, spirits, tiles, and wine. The manufacturing and financial sectors account for more than half of San Marino's GDP. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous regions of Italy. The economy benefits from foreign investment due to its relatively low corporate taxes and low taxes on interest earnings. The income tax rate is also very low, about one-third the average EU level. San Marino does not issue public debt securities; when necessary, it finances deficits by drawing down central bank deposits. San Marino''s economy has encountered five years of GDP contraction, largely due to weakened demand from Italy - which accounts for 90% of its export market - and financial sector consolidation. Difficulties in the banking sector, the recent global economic downturn, and the sizeable decline in tax revenues have contributed to negative real GDP growth. The government has adopted measures to counter the economic downturn, including subsidized credit to businesses. For the first time since 2009, there were signs of improvements in the financial sector in the third quarter of 2012. San Marino continues to work towards harmonizing its fiscal laws with EU and international standards. In September 2009, the OECD removed San Marino from its list of tax havens that have yet to fully adopt global tax standards, and in 2010 San Marino signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements with most major countries. San Marino's Government continues to work with Italy to ratify a financial information exchange agreement, seen by businesses and investors as crucial to strengthening the economic relationship between the two countries.
$1.335 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$1.83 billion (2012 est.)
-4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
$0 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 228
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 39.2%
services: 60.7% (2009)
wheat, grapes, corn, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides
tourism, banking, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine
2.3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
21,830 (December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 209
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 34.4%
services: 65.5% (2010 est.)
7% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 78
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $667.7 million
expenditures: $694.7 million (2011)
36.5% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 60
-1.5% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 72
2.5% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 66
5.92% (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
$4.584 billion (31 December 2007)
country comparison to the world: 131
$8.822 billion (30 September 2010)
country comparison to the world: 102
$3.827 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, ceramics
$2.551 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
wide variety of consumer manufactures, food, energy
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
18,700 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 189
36,000 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 205
general assessment: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 170 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 378; connected to Italian international network (2011)
state-owned public broadcaster operates 1 TV station and 3 radio stations; receives radio and TV broadcasts from Italy (2012)
11,015 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 133
17,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 195
total: 292 km
country comparison to the world: 205
paved: 292 km (2006)
no regular military forces; voluntary Military Corps (Corpi Militari) performs ceremonial duties and limited police support functions (2010)
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; government has the authority to call up all San Marino citizens from 16-60 years of age to service in the military (2012)
males age 16-49: 6,892 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 5,565
females age 16-49: 6,067 (2010 est.)
male: 186
female: 166 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of Italy
