Monaco

Coordinates	50°43′″N21°54′″N
Common name	Monaco
Native name	Principatu de Múnegu (Monégasque) Principauté de Monaco (French)
Conventional long name	Principality of Monaco
Map caption
National motto	"Deo Juvante"(Latin)"With God's Help"
National anthem	Hymne Monégasque
Capital	Monaco
Largest settlement type	Most populated quartier
Largest settlement	Monte Carlo
Official languages	French is the only official language. Monégasque, Italian and English are also widely spoken and understood. (See Languages of Monaco)
Government type	Constitutional monarchyPrincipality
Leader title1	Prince
Leader title2	Minister of State
Leader title3	President of the National Council
Leader name1	Albert II
Leader name2	Michel Roger
Leader name3	Stéphane Valeri
Area km2	1.98
Area sq mi	0.76
Area rank	232nd
Area magnitude	1 E6
Percent water	0.0
Population estimate	35,586
Population estimate year	2010
Population estimate rank	211th
Population density km2	15,142
Population density sq mi	39,217
Population density rank	1st
Population census	35,352
Gdp ppp year	2010
Gdp ppp rank	n/a
Gdp ppp per capita	$123,811
Colspan	"7" style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"| Former municipality of Monaco
05 || monaco-ville || style	"text-align:right;"| 184,750 || style="text-align:right;"| 1,034|| style="text-align:right;"| 5597 || style="text-align:right;"| 19 || Old City with palace
Colspan	"7" style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"| Former municipality of Monte Carlo
01 || monte carlo/spélugues (bd. des moulins-av. de la madone)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 281,461 || style="text-align:right;"| 3,034 || style="text-align:right;"| 10779|| style="text-align:right;"| 20|| the casino and resort area
02 || la rousse/saint roman (annonciade-château périgord)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 105,215|| style="text-align:right;"| 3,223 || style="text-align:right;"| 30633|| style="text-align:right;"| 15|| in the northeast, incl. Le Ténao
03 || larvotto/bas moulins (larvotto-bd psse grace)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 328,479 || style="text-align:right;"| 5,443 || style="text-align:right;"| 16570|| style="text-align:right;"| 15|| eastern beach area
10 || saint michel (psse charlotte-park palace)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 142,223|| style="text-align:right;"| 3,807 || style="text-align:right;"| 26768|| style="text-align:right;"| 24|| central residential area
Colspan	"7" style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"| Former municipality of La Condamine
04 || la condamine || style	"text-align:right;"| 237,283 || style="text-align:right;"| 3,847 || style="text-align:right;"| 16213|| style="text-align:right;"| 27|| port area in the northwest
07 || la colle (plati-pasteur-bd charles iii)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 188,073 || style="text-align:right;"| 2,822 || style="text-align:right;"| 15005|| style="text-align:right;"| 15|| on the western border with Cap d'Ail
08 || les révoires (hector otto-honoré labande)|| style	"text-align:right;"| 75,747 || style="text-align:right;"| 2,515 || style="text-align:right;"| 33203|| style="text-align:right;"| 11|| containing the Jardin Exotique de Monaco
09 || moneghetti/ bd de belgique (bd rainier iii-bd de belgique) || style	"text-align:right;"| 107,056 || style="text-align:right;"| 3,003 || style="text-align:right;"| 28051 || style="text-align:right;"| 18||
Colspan	"7" style="text-align:center; background:#efefef;"| New land reclaimed from the sea
06 || fontvieille || style	"text-align:right;"| 324,157|| style="text-align:right;"| 3,292 || style="text-align:right;"| 10156|| style="text-align:right;"| 9|| started 1971
11 || le portier || style	"text-align:right;"| 275,000(1) || style="text-align:right;"| – || style="text-align:right;"| -|| style="text-align:right;"| -|| plans put on hold by Prince Albert II in 2009
- style	"background: #CCC;"
|| monaco || style	"text-align:right;"| 1,974,444 || style="text-align:right;"| 32,020 || style="text-align:right;"| 16217|| style="text-align:right;"| 173||
Colspan	"7" style="background:#fff;"|(1) Area not included in total, as it is only proposed
Date	September 2010

Sport and entertainment

Formula One

Since 1955, the Monaco Grand Prix has been held annually in the streets of Monaco. It is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. The erection of the Circuit de Monaco takes six weeks to complete, and the removal after the race another three weeks. The circuit has many elevation changes and tight corners, along with a tunnel. This together with being incredibly narrow and tight makes it perhaps the most demanding Formula One track. Only two drivers have ever crashed into the harbour, the most famous being Alberto Ascari in the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, just four days before losing his life at Monza. The other was Paul Hawkins, during the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix.

Monte Carlo Rally

The Monte Carlo Rally has been held since 1911, having originally been held at the behest of Prince Albert I and is, like the principality's Grand Prix, organised by the Automobile Club de Monaco. It has long been considered to be one of the toughest and most prestigious events in rallying and from 1973 to 2008 was the opening round of the World Rally Championship. Since 2009, the rally has served as the opening round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, having most recently been run on the 19th-22 January 2011 in celebration of the event's centenary.

Football

Monaco hosts two major football teams in the principality; men's football club AS Monaco FC and women's football club OS Monaco. AS Monaco plays at the Stade Louis II and competes in the Ligue 2, the second division of French football. The club is historically one of the most successful clubs in France, however suffered relegation in the 2010–11 season. Because of the popular appeal of living in Monaco and the lack of income tax, many international stars have played for the club, such as Marcelo Gallardo, Jürgen Klinsmann, Oliver Bierhoff, George Weah, John Collins, Fernando Morientes, Thierry Henry, Fabien Barthez, Rafael Márquez, Javier Saviola, David Trezeguet, John Arne Riise, Patrice Evra, Shabani Nonda, Emmanuel Adebayor, Eiður Guðjohnsen, Jan Koller, Victor Ikpeba, Park Chu-Young and Mahamadou Diarra.

The club reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final, led by the likes of Dado Pršo, Fernando Morientes, Akis Zikos, and Ludovic Giuly, losing 3–0 to Portuguese team F.C. Porto. The Stade Louis II also plays host to the annual UEFA Super Cup, which is played between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. The women's team, OS Monaco, competes in the women's French football league system. The club currently plays in the local regional league deep down in the league system, however once played in the Division 1 Féminine in the 1994–95 season, but were quickly relegated. Current French women's international goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi had a short stint at the club before going to the Clairefontaine academy.

Rugby

Monaco's national rugby team, as of March 2010, is 91st in the International Rugby Board rankings.

Other sports

, Monaco]] The Monte-Carlo Masters is currently held annually in neighbouring Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, as a professional tournament for men as part of tennis' ATP Masters Series. The tournament has been held since 1897. Golf's Monte Carlo Open was also held at the Monte Carlo Golf Club at Mont Agel in France between 1984 and 1992. Monaco has also competed in the Olympic Games, although, as of 2008, no athlete from Monaco has ever won an Olympic medal.

In 2009, the Tour de France, the world's premier bicycle race, started from Monaco with a 15 km closed-circuit individual time trial starting and finishing there on the first day (4 July) and the 182 km second leg starting there on the following day and ending in Brignoles, France.

Monaco also stage part of the Global Champions Tour (International Show-jumping). Acknowledged as the most glamorous of the series, Monaco will be hosting the world's most celebrated riders, including Monaco's own Charlotte Casiraghi, in a setting facing out over the world's most beautiful yachts, and framed by the Port Hercule and Prince's palace. In 2009, the Monaco stage of the Global Champions tour took place between 25 – 27 June.

The Monaco Marathon is the only marathon in the world to pass through three separate countries, those of Monaco, France and Italy. The 2010 event took place on 21 March. Runners complete the race by returning to the Stade Louis II.

The Monaco Ironman 70.3 triathlon race is an annual event with over 1000 athletes competing and attracts top professional athletes from around the world. The race includes a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride and 21.1 km run.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Monaco has ten state-operated schools, including: seven nursery and primary schools; one secondary school, Collège Charles III; one lycée that provides general and technological training, Lycée Albert 1er; and one lycée that provides vocational and hotel training, Lycée technique et hôtelier de Monte-Carlo. There are also two grant-aided denominational private schools, including Institution François d'Assise Nicolas Barré and Ecole des Sœurs Dominicaines, and one international school, the International School of Monaco.

Colleges and universities

There is one university located in Monaco:

International University of Monaco

Demographics

.]] Monaco's population is unusual in that the native Monegasques are a minority in their own country. The largest proportion of residents are French nationals (28%), followed by Monegasque (21.6%), Italians (19%), Anglos (7.5% UK & 1% USA), and Germans, Swiss, and Belgians (2.5% to 3% each); another 15% is labeled as "other" populations. A Monacoian is the term used to describe a person living in Monaco who is not a citizen of Monaco.

Language

The official language of Monaco is French. The traditional national language is Monégasque, now spoken by only a minority of residents. It resembles Ligurian, which is spoken in Genoa. In the old part of Monaco, street signs are printed in both French and Monégasque. Italian is also spoken by the principality's sizeable community from Italy. English is used by British and American residents.

Religion

Christian

Roman Catholic

The official religion is Roman Catholicism, with freedom of other religions guaranteed by the constitution. There are five Roman Catholic parish churches in Monaco and one cathedral, which is the seat of the archbishop of Monaco. The diocese, which has existed since the mid-nineteenth century, was raised to an archbishopric in 1981 as the Archdiocese of Monaco.

Anglican

There is one Anglican church (St. Paul's Church), located in the Avenue de Grande Bretagne in Monte Carlo. In 2007 this had a formal membership of 135 Anglicans resident in the principality, but was also serving a considerably larger number of Anglicans temporarily in the country, mostly as tourists. The church site also accommodates an English-language library of over 3,000 books. The church is part of the Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.

Jewish

The Association Culturelle Israélite de Monaco (founded 1948) is a converted house containing a synagogue, a community Hebrew school, and a kosher food shop, located in Monte Carlo. The community (approximately 1,500) mainly consists of retired Jews from Britain (40%) and North Africa. One third of the Jewish population there is Ashkenazi, while the other two thirds are Sephardic.

Security

The wider defence of the nation is provided by France. Monaco has no navy or air force, but on both a per-capita and per-area basis, Monaco has the largest police force (515 police officers for 35,000 people) and police presence in the world. Its police includes a specialist unit which operates patrol and surveillance boats. There is also a small military consisting of a bodyguard unit for the Prince and his palace called the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince which numbers 116 officers and men and is equipped with modern weapons such as M16 rifles and 9 mm pistols, and a militarized (and armed) fire and civil defence Corps.

The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince's Company of Carabiniers) is a military unit of the military force of Monaco. It was created by Prince Honoré IV in 1817 for the protection of the Principality and the Princely family. The company numbers exactly 116 officers and men; while the NCOs and soldiers are local, the officers have generally served in the French Army. Together with the local fire service (Sapeurs-Pompiers), the Carabiniers form Monaco's total public forces. In addition to their guard duties, the company patrols the Principality's beaches and coastal waters, as well as duties around the Palace in Monaco-Ville.

Flag

The flag of Monaco is one of the world's oldest national flag designs. The flag of Monaco is identical to the flag of Indonesia, except for the ratio of height to width.

Transport

Monaco is served by several train systems and the Monte Carlo International Heliport. The closest airport is Côte d'Azur Airport in Nice, France. Some airlines marketed Monaco via Nice Airport.

See also

Association des Guides et Scouts de Monaco

Foreign relations of Monaco

* France–Monaco relations

List of radio stations in Monaco

List of rulers of Monaco

Microstate

Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra

Music of Monaco

Postage stamps and postal history of Monaco

Repossi jewellers

Telecommunications in Monaco

The Princess Grace Hospital Centre

References

External links

; Government

Official Government Portal

Official website of the Prince's Palace of Monaco

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

; General information

Monaco from UCB Libraries GovPubs

Monaco information about Monaco

History of Monaco: Primary documents

; Travel

Official website for Tourism

Your Monaco Monaco travel guide

Principality Monaco Principality Monaco travel and special offers site

maBoum.com Unofficial guide to what's on in Monaco

; Other Order of the doctors of Monaco French Monaco Web portail

La Principauté – Le premier journal d'actualité de Monaco

Monaco Today, a daily newsletter in English, Monaco247.com

Monaco247.com English news portal

The Monaco Times – a regular feature in The Riviera Times is the English language newspaper for the French – Italian Riviera and the Principality of Monaco provides monthly local news and information about business, art and culture, people and lifestyle, events and also the real estate market.

Monaco-IQ Monaco information and news aggregator

Monte-Carlo Italian Monte-Carlo unofficial portal

Category:Capitals in Europe Category:City-states Category:Constitutional monarchies Category:Countries of the Mediterranean Sea Category:European countries Category:French-speaking countries Category:Italian-speaking countries Category:Massalian colonies Category:Member states of La Francophonie Category:Member states of the Union for the Mediterranean Category:Port cities of the Mediterranean Sea Category:Principalities Category:States and territories established in 1297 Category:Western Europe Category:Member states of the United Nations Category:Liberal democracies