Monaco

Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 1.9 sq km
land area: 1.9 sq km
comparative area: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total 4.4 km, France 4.4 km

Coastline: 4.1 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky

Natural resources: none

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Note: second smallest independent state in world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban

People

Population: 31,515 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (female 2,691; male 2,740)
15-64 years: 63% (female 10,233; male 9,645)
65 years and over: 20% (female 3,939; male 2,267) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 10.66 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 12.12 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.9 years
male: 74.18 years
female: 81.8 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Monacan(s) or Monegasque(s)
adjective: Monacan or Monegasque

Ethnic divisions: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%

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

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: NA

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco
local short form: Monaco

Digraph: MN

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Monaco

Administrative divisions: 4 quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo

Independence: 1419 (rule by the House of Grimaldi)

National holiday: National Day, 19 November

Constitution: 17 December 1962

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

Suffrage: 25 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Prince RAINIER III (since NA November 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre (born 14 March 1958)
head of government: Minister of State Paul DIJOUD (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Government; under the authority of the Prince

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Council (Conseil National): elections last held 24 and 31 January 1993 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (18 total) Campora List 15, Medecin List 2, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal (Tribunal Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: National and Democratic Union (UND); Campora List, Anne-Marie CAMPORA; Medecin List, Jean-Louis MEDECIN

Member of: ACCT, ECE, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

Diplomatic representation in US:
honorary consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
honorary consulate(s): Dallas, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC

US diplomatic representation: no mission in Monaco, but the US Consul General in Marseille, France, is accredited to Monaco

Flag: 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

Overview: Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. 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. About 50% of Monaco's annual revenue comes from value-added taxes on hotels, banks, and the industrial sector; about 25% of revenue comes from tourism. Living standards are high, that is, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan suburbs.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $558 million (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: NA%

National product per capita: $18,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Unemployment rate: NEGL%

Budget:
revenues: $424 million
expenditures: $376 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

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

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

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 10,000 kW standby; power imported from France
production: NA kWh
consumption per capita: NA kWh (1993)

Agriculture: none

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9243 (January 1995), 5.520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 1.7 km
standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge

Highways: none; city streets

Ports: Monaco

Merchant marine: none

Airports: linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service

Communications

Telephone system: 38,200 telephones; automatic telephone system
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: no satellite links; served by cable into the French communications system

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 5
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Note: defense is the responsibility of France