- published: 27 Nov 2009
- views: 66460
- author: RickSteves
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Abkhazia
Abkhazia (Abkhaz: Аҧсны́ Apsny, IPA /apʰsˈnɨ/; Georgian: აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti; Russian: Абхазия Abkhaziya) is a disputed territory on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.
Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny. This status is recognised by Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and also by the partially recognised states of South Ossetia, Transnistria and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Georgian government and the majority of the world's governments consider Abkhazia a part of Georgia's territory. Under Georgia's official designation it is an autonomous republic, called the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, whose government sits in exile in Tbilisi. On 28 August 2008, the Parliament of Georgia passed a resolution declaring Abkhazia a "Russian-occupied territory".
The status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict. The wider region formed part of the Soviet Union until 1991. As the Soviet Union began to disintegrate towards the end of the 1980s, ethnic tensions grew between Abkhaz and Georgians over Georgia's moves towards independence. This led to the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia that resulted in a Georgian military defeat, de facto independence of Abkhazia and the mass exodus and ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population from Abkhazia. In spite of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the status dispute has not been resolved, and despite the long-term presence of a United Nations monitoring force and a Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping operation, the conflict has flared up on several occasions. In August 2008, the sides again fought during the South Ossetia War, which was followed by the formal recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, the annulment of the 1994 cease fire agreement and the termination of the UN and CIS missions.[citation needed]
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Albania
Albania (
i/ælˈbeɪniə/ al-BAY-nee-ə, Albanian: Shqipëri/Shqipëria; Gheg Albanian: Shqipnia), officially known as the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë pronounced Albanian pronunciation: [ɾɛpuˈblika ɛ ʃcipəˈɾiːs]), is a country in Southern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea.
Albania is a member of the UN, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe, World Trade Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and one of the founding members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Albania has been a potential candidate for accession to the European Union since January 2003, and it formally applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009.
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Andorra
Andorra (i/ænˈdɔrə/; Catalan pronunciation: [ənˈdorə], locally: [anˈdɔra]), officially the Principality of Andorra (Catalan: Principat d'Andorra), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, (Catalan: Principat de les Valls d'Andorra), is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and an estimated population of 84,082 in 2009. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken.
The Principality was formed in 1278. The role of monarch is exercised jointly by the two co-princes, the Catalan Bishop of Urgell and the President of France (the whole state is a part of Diocese of Urgell).
Andorra is a prosperous country mainly because of its tourism industry, which services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually, and also because of its status as a tax haven. It is not a member of the European Union, but the euro is the de facto currency. The people of Andorra have the 4th highest human life expectancy in the world — 82 years at birth.
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Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (Portuguese: República de Angola, pronounced: [ʁɨˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈɡɔla];Kikongo, Kimbundu, Umbundu: Repubilika ya Ngola), is a country in southern Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city. The exclave province of Cabinda has borders with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Portuguese were present in some—mostly coastal—points of the territory of what is now Angola, from the 16th to the 19th century, interacting in diverse ways with the peoples that lived there. In the 19th century they slowly and hesitantly began to establish themselves in the interior. Angola as a Portuguese colony encompassing the present territory was not established before the end of the 19th century, and "effective occupation", as required by the Berlin Conference (1884) was achieved only by the 1920s. Independence was achieved in 1975, after a protracted liberation war. After independence, Angola was the scene of an intense civil war from 1975 to 2002. The country has vast mineral and petroleum reserves, and its economy has on average grown at a two-digit pace since the 1990s, especially since the end of the civil war. In spite of this, standards of living remain low for the majority of the population, and life expectancy and infant mortality rates in Angola are among the worst-ranked in the world. At the same time, a minority has reached comfortable life standards, and the dominant stratum has succeeded in accumulating considerable wealth, so that social inequality in Angola is one of the highest in the world.
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Argentina
Argentinai/ˌɑrdʒənˈtiːnə/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, the continent's second largest by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.
Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, are suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories.
A recognised middle power, Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, with a "very high" rating on the Human development index. Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita and the highest in purchasing power terms. Analysts have argued that the country has a "foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as middle emerging economy. Argentina is a founding member of the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.
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Armenia
Armeniai/ɑrˈmiːniə/ (Armenian: Հայաստան Hayastan [hɑjɑsˈtɑn]), officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն, Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun, [hɑjɑstɑˈni hɑnɾɑpɛtuˈtʰjun]), is a landlocked, mountainous country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.
A former republic of the Soviet Union, Armenia is a unitary, multiparty, democratic nation-state with an ancient and historic cultural heritage. The Kingdom of Armenia became the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as its religion, in the early years of the 4th century (the traditional date is 301 AD). The modern Republic of Armenia recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church, the world's oldest national church, as the country's primary religious establishment. Armenians have their own unique alphabet invented by Mesrob Mashtots in 406 AD.
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Austria
Austria (i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] (
listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: 
Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (
i/ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/ AZ-ər-by-JAHN; Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası) is the largest country in the Caucasus region located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhchivan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest.
Azerbaijan has an ancient and historic cultural heritage. Aside from having been the first Muslim-majority country to have operas, theater and plays, Azerbaijan today is among the Muslim-majority countries where support for secularism and tolerance is the highest. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, was established in 1918, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. Azerbaijan regained independence in 1991. Shortly thereafter, during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, neighboring Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, its surrounding territories and the enclaves of Karki, Yukhary Askipara, Barkhudarly and Sofulu. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh, continues to be not diplomatically recognized by any nation and the region is still considered a de jure part of Azerbaijan, despite being de facto independent since the end of the war. Azerbaijan has come under repeated international criticism for its record on human rights.
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Belarus
Belarus (i/bɛləˈruːs/ bel-ə-ROOSS; Belarusian: Беларусь, Russian pronunciation: [bʲɛlaˈrusʲ] Russian: Беларусь, Белоруссия, Belarus', Belorussiya), officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno (Hrodna), Gomel (Homiel), Mogilev (Mahilyow) and Vitebsk (Vitsebsk). Over forty percent of its 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are agriculture and manufacturing.
Until the 20th century, the lands of modern-day Belarus belonged to several countries, including the Principality of Polotsk, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Belarus became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). The borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were incorporated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland. The nation and its territory were devastated in World War II, during which Belarus lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources. The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years. In 1945 the Belorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations, along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR.
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Belgium
Belgium (i/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
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Bolivia
Coordinates: 16°42′43″S 64°39′58″W / 16.712°S 64.666°W / -16.712; -64.666 Bolivia (i/bəˈlɪviə/, Spanish: [boliˈβja]) officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, Quechua: Bulivya Mamallaqta, Aymara: Wuliwya Suyu), is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest, and Peru to the west.
Prior to European colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was a part of the Inca Empire – the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century. During most of the Spanish colonial period, this territory was called Upper Peru and was under the administration of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of Spain's South American colonies. After declaring independence in 1809, 16 years of war followed before the establishment of the Republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on 6 August 1825. Bolivia has struggled through periods of political instability, dictatorships and economic woes.
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Borgo Maggiore
Borgo Maggiore is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of San Marino. It lies at the foot of Monte Titano and has a population of 5,992 (at the end of 2003), making it the second largest town of San Marino, after Dogana.
It borders the San Marino municipalities Serravalle, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, San Marino City, and Acquaviva and the Italian municipality Verucchio.
The area was previously called Mercatale ("marketplace") and remains today the most important market town in San Marino. A cable car allows Monte Titano to be scaled up to the town of San Marino. Today Borgo Maggiore contains the nation's only heliport. Though it is not the most populated, the Market, as well as the connection to San Marino City, make it very much a city-like shopping hub.
Borgo Maggiore has 6 parishes (curazie):
Media related to Borgo Maggiore at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 43°56′42.08″N 12°26′59″E / 43.9450222°N 12.44972°E / 43.9450222; 12.44972
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Brazil
Brazili/brəˈzɪl/ (Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 km (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas region of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos form part of Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of kingdom and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal.Independence was achieved in 1822 with the formation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The country became a presidential republic in 1889, when a military coup d'état proclaimed the Republic, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to the ratification of the first constitution in 1824. Its current Constitution, formulated in 1988, defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.
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Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°45′N 25°30′E / 42.75°N 25.5°E / 42.75; 25.5
Bulgariai/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and the Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history was marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Communist republic with a single-party system until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.
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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km2 (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.
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Cape Verde
Cape Verdei/ˌkeɪp ˈvɜrd/ (Portuguese: Cabo Verde, pronounced: [ˈkabu ˈveɾdɨ]), officially the Republic of Cape Verde, is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. The islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) are fairly flat, sandy and dry, the remaining ones are generally rockier and have more vegetation. However, because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green.
The name of the country stems from the nearby Cap Vert, on the Senegalese coast, which in its turn was originally named "Cabo Verde" when it was sighted by Portuguese explorers in 1444, a few years before the islands were discovered (verde is Portuguese for "green").
The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th Century, and became important in the Atlantic slave trade for their location. The islands' prosperity often attracted privateers and pirates, including Sir Francis Drake, a corsair (privateer) under the authority of the British crown, who twice sacked the (then) capital Ribeira Grande, in the 1580s. The islands were also visited by Charles Darwin's expedition in 1832. The decline in the slave trade in the 19th century resulted in an economic crisis for the islands. With few natural resources, and without strong sustainable investment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontent with the colonial masters, who nevertheless refused to provide the local authorities with more autonomy. This discontent festered and culminated in 1975, when a movement originally led by Amílcar Cabral who was assassinated on 20 January 1973 then passed onto his half-brother Luís Cabral, achieved independence for the archipelago.
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Chiesanuova
Chiesanuova is a minor municipality of San Marino. It has a population of 1,029 inhabitants (conditions 2006) in an area of 5.46 km².
It borders the San Marino municipalities San Marino and Fiorentino and the Italian municipalities Sassofeltrio, Verucchio and San Leo.
The medieval castle of Busignano was situated in this area and in 1320 its inhabitants decided to join San Marino. The name Chiesanuova dates back to the 16th century around the time of rebuilding of the church of S. Giovanni Battista in Curte (which no longer exists).
Chiesanuova has 7 parishes (curazie):
http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/chiesanuova.html
Coordinates: 43°54′16.08″N 12°25′15.06″E / 43.9044667°N 12.42085°E / 43.9044667; 12.42085
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Chile
Chile (i/ˈtʃɪliː/ or /ˈtʃɪleɪ/), officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈtʃile] ( listen)), is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. Along with Ecuador, it is one of two countries in South America that do not border Brazil. Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island. Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.
Chile's distinctive shape—4,300 kilometres (2,700 mi) long and on average 175 kilometres (109 mi) wide—makes it the longest country in the world, north to south, with the fifth lengthiest coastline at over 78 thousand kilometers. The diverse climate of Chile ranges from the world's driest desert in the north—the Atacama—through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, humid subtropical in Easter Island, to an Oceanic climate, including alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south. The northern desert contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.
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City of San Marino
The City of San Marino, also known simply as San Marino, is the capital city of the Republic of San Marino on the Italian peninsula, near the Adriatic Sea. The city has a population of 4,493. It is on the western slopes of San Marino's highest point, Monte Titano.
Although the capital, most of the businesses are in Borgo Maggiore. It is the third largest city in the country, after Dogana and Borgo Maggiore. It borders the San Marino municipalities Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Fiorentino, and Chiesanuova and the Italian municipality San Leo.
Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj San Marino is centered here.
Due to its being the capital and previously the only city in San Marino, the history of this city is almost the same as the History of San Marino. For more information on that topic, see that article.
The city was founded by Saint Marinus and several Christian refugees in the year 301. From then on the city became a center of Christian refugees who fled from Roman persecution. As a result, the city become the oldest republic in Europe, for the republic's territory at that time only included the single city of San Marino.
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Colombia
Colombia (
/kəˈlʌmbiə/ kə-LUM-biə, or /kəˈlɒmbiə/ kə-LOM-biə), officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia [reˈpuβlika ðe koˈlombja]), is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia has maritime borders with Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Colombia is the 26th largest country by area and the fourth largest in South America after Brazil, Argentina and Peru. With over 46 million people, Colombia is the 27th largest country in the world by population and has the second largest population of any Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico. Colombia is a middle power, with the fourth largest economy in Latin America, and the third largest in South America. Colombia is famous for the production of coffee, flowers, emeralds, coal, and oil. All of these products make up the primary sector of economy.
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Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
Costa Rica, which means "Rich Coast", constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949. It is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world's 22 older democracies. Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), ranked 69th in the world in 2011. Also was cited by the UNDP in 2010 as one of the countries that have attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, and in 2011 was highlighted by UNDP for being a good performer on environmental sustainability, and better record on human development and inequality than the median of their region. It was also the only country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. The country is ranked fifth in the world, and first among the Americas, in terms of the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.
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Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (French: Conseil de l'Europe) is an international organization promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation. It was founded in 1949, has 47 member states with some 800 million citizens, and is an entirely separate body from the European Union (EU), which has only 27 member states. Unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws. The two do however share certain symbols such as the flag of Europe. The Council of Europe has nothing to do with either the Council of the European Union or the European Council, which are both EU bodies.
The best known bodies of the Council of Europe are the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, which sets the quality standards for pharmaceutical products in Europe. The Council of Europe's work has resulted in standards, charters and conventions to facilitate cooperation between European countries.
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Croatia
Croatia (i/kroʊˈeɪʃə/ kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and has diverse, mostly continental and Mediterranean climates. Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast contains more than a thousand islands. The country's population is 4.29 million, most of whom are Croats, with the most common religious denomination being Roman Catholicism.
In the early 7th century the Croats arrived in area of present-day Croatia. They organised the state into two dukedoms by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925 AD, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne. In 1918, after World War I, Croatia was included in the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs that declared independence from Austria–Hungary and co-founded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A Croatian state briefly existed during World War II as a fascist puppet state. After the war, Croatia became a founding member and a federal constituent of the Second Yugoslavia, a socialist state. In June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully during the four years following the declaration.
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Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, (i/ˈkjuːbə/; Spanish: República de Cuba, pronounced: [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈkuβa] ( listen)) is an island country in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. To the north of Cuba lies the United States (140 km or 90 mi away) and the Bahamas, Mexico is to the west, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south, and Haiti and the Dominican Republic are to the southeast.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on and claimed the island now occupied by Cuba, for the Kingdom of Spain. Cuba remained a territory of Spain until the Spanish–American War ended in 1898, and gained formal independence from the U.S. in 1902. A fragile democracy, increasingly dominated by radical politics eventually evolved, solidified by the Cuban Constitution of 1940, but was definitely quashed in 1952 by former president Fulgencio Batista, and an authoritarian regime was set up, intensifying and catalyzing already rampant corruption, political repression and crippling economic regulations.Batista was ousted in January 1959 by the July 26 movement, and a new administration under Fidel Castro established, which had by 1965 evolved into a single-party state under the revived Communist Party of Cuba, which holds power to date.
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Cyprus
Cyprusi/ˈsaɪprəs/ (Greek: Κύπρος, Kýpros, IPA: [ˈcipɾos]; Turkish: Kıbrıs, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs]), officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία, Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía, IPA: [cipɾiaˈci ðimokɾaˈtia]; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti, IPA: [ˈkɯbɾɯs dʒumhuɾijeˈti]), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria, Lebanon, northwest of Israel and north of Egypt. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union.
The earliest known human activity on the island dates back to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, which has been declared a World Heritage Site with an "enhanced protection" status in the event of armed conflict by UNESCO, along with the archaeological sites of Paphos and the Painted Churches of the Troodos Region. Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world.
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Czech Republic
The Czech Republic (i/ˈtʃɛk/ CHEK;Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen), short form Česko Czech pronunciation: [ˈtʃɛskɔ]) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the north, Germany to the west, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. Its capital and largest city, with 1.3 million inhabitants, is Prague.
It is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy, a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group.
The Czech state, formerly known as Bohemia, was formed in the late 9th century as a small duchy around Prague, at that time under dominance of the powerful Great Moravian Empire (which reached its greatest territorial extent during the reign of Svatopluk I from the House of Mojmír). After the fall of the Empire in 907, the centre of power was transferred from Moravia to Bohemia, under the Přemyslids. During the rule of Přemyslid dukes/kings and their successors, the Luxembourgs, the country reached its greatest territorial extent (13th–14th century). Life in the country was significantly affected by the Hussite wars, during which it faced economic embargo and crusades from all over Europe. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg monarchy as one of its three principal parts alongside the Archduchy of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary. The Bohemian Revolt (1618–20) led to the further centralization of the monarchy including forced recatholization and Germanization. During radical reforms in the 18th century the Bohemian Crown was even de facto abolished (1749). In the 19th century the Czech lands became the industrial powerhouse of the monarchy and the core of the Republic of Czechoslovakia which was formed in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire after World War I.
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Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia (Czech and Slovak: Československo, Česko-Slovensko) was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992. From 1939 to 1945, the state did not de facto exist because of its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czechoslovak government-in-exile nevertheless continued to exist during this period. In 1945, the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia was taken over by the Soviet Union. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Form of state:
Neighbours:
Topography:
The country was of generally irregular terrain. The western area was part of north-central European uplands. The eastern region was composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube River basin lands.
Climate:
The weather was predominantly continental, but varied from the moderate temperature of Western Europe in the west, to more severe weather of Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.
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Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark, pronounced [ˈkɔŋəʁiːəð ˈdanmɑɡ̊] ( listen)) is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting the country of Denmark in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The kingdom is a unitary state with some power being devolved from Denmark proper to Greenland and the Faroe Islands; this polity is referred to as the Danish Realm. Denmark proper is the hegemonial area, where judicial, executive, and legislative power resides. The Faroe Islands are defined to be a community of people within the kingdom, and the Greenlandic people are defined as a separate people with the right to self-determination.
Denmark is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, located southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland and many islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm, as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.
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Domagnano
Domagnano is a municipality in San Marino. It has 2,865 inhabitants (conditions 2006) in an area of 6.62 km².
It borders the San Marino municipalities Faetano, Borgo Maggiore, Serravalle and the Italian municipality Coriano.
Domagnano, previously known as Montelupo (mountain of wolves) after its coat of arms, was already colonized by Roman times and was first mentioned in c. 1300. It is located on Monte Titano and you can see the Adriatic Sea from here.
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Domagnano has got 5 parishes (curazie):
Media related to Domagnano at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 43°56′59.92″N 12°27′56.32″E / 43.9499778°N 12.4656444°E / 43.9499778; 12.4656444
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Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic (i/dəˌmɪnɨkən rɨˈpʌblɪk/; Spanish: República Dominicana [reˈpuβlika ðominiˈkana]) is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation (after Cuba), with 48,442 square kilometres (18,704 sq mi) and an estimated 10 million people.
Taínos inhabited what is now the Dominican Republic since the 7th century. Christopher Columbus landed on it in 1492, and it became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's first capital in the New World. Santo Domingo can boast of many firsts in the Americas, including the first cathedral, and castle, both in the Ciudad Colonial area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (tiˈmɔr ˈlɛʃteɪ), commonly known as East Timori/ˌiːst ˈtiːmɔr/ (Tetum: Timór Lorosa'e, Portuguese: Timor-Leste), is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor. The small country of 15,410 km² (5,400 sq mi) is located about 640 km (400 mi) northwest of Darwin, Australia.
East Timor was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until Portugal's decolonization of the country. In late 1975, East Timor declared its independence, but later that year was invaded and occupied by Indonesia and was declared Indonesia's 27th province the following year. In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory and East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. East Timor is one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being the Philippines.
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Ecuador
Ecuador (i/ˈɛkwədɔr/ E-kwə-dawr), officially the Republic of Ecuador (Spanish: República del Ecuador [reˈpuβlika ðel ekwaˈðor], which literally translates to the "Republic of the Equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, (along with Chile), that do not have a border with Brazil. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) west of the mainland.
The main spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish. Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name, and has an area of 275,830 km2 (106,500 sq mi). Its capital city is Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America. The country's largest city is Guayaquil. The historic center of Cuenca, the third largest city in the country, was also declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, for being an outstanding example of a planned inland Spanish style colonial city in the Americas. Ecuador is also home—despite its size—to a great variety of species, many of them endemic, like those of the Galápagos islands. This species diversity makes Ecuador one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature, or ecosystem rights.
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El Salvador
El Salvadori/ɛl ˈsælvədɔr/ (Spanish: República de El Salvador, literally 'Republic of The Savior') is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country as well as Central America. El Salvador borders the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the countries of Guatemala to the north and Honduras to the east. Its easternmost region lies on the coast of the Gulf of Fonseca, opposite Nicaragua. As of 2009, El Salvador had a population of approximately 5,744,113 people, composed predominantly of Mestizos.
The colón was the official currency of El Salvador from 1892 to 2001, when it adopted the U.S. Dollar.
In 2010 El Salvador ranked in the top 10 among Latin American countries in terms of the Human Development Index and in the top 3 in Central America (behind Costa Rica and Panama), due in part to ongoing rapid industrialization. In addition, tropical forests and overall forest cover has expanded by nearly 20 percent from the year 1992 to 2010. Making it one of the few countries experiencing reforestation.
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Emilia Romagna
Emilia–Romagna (pronounced [eˈmiːlja roˈmaɲɲa], Emilian: Emélia–Rumâgna, Romagnol: Emélia–Rumâgna) is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of 22,446 km2 (8,666 sq mi) and about 4.4 million inhabitants.
Emilia–Romagna today is considered as one of the richest and most developed regions in Europe and has the third highest GDP per capita in Italy.Bologna, the region's capital, has one of Italy's highest quality of life indices and has highly advanced and modern social services. Emilia–Romagna is also a major cultural and tourist centre, being the home of one of the first universities in the world, containing numerous Renaissance cities (such as Modena, Parma and Ferrara), being a major centre for food and automobile production (Emilia–Romagna is home of numerous iconic gastronomical and automotive industries, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, De Tomaso and Ducati) and having a lively and colourful coastline, with numerous tourist resorts, such as Rimini and Riccione.
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Estonia
Estoniai/ɨsˈtoʊniə/ (Estonian: Eesti), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik), is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by Lake Peipus and the Russian Federation (338.6 km). Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km2 (17,462 sq mi), and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. The Estonians are a Finnic people, and the official language, Estonian, is closely related to Finnish.
Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic divided into 15 counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. With a population of 1.29 million, it is one of the least-populous members of the European Union, Eurozone and NATO. Estonia has the highest GDP per person among former Soviet republics. Estonia is listed as a "High-Income Economy" by the World Bank and as an "advanced economy" by the International Monetary Fund; the country is an OECD member. The United Nations lists Estonia as a developed country with a Human Development Index of "Very High". The country is also ranked highly for press freedom, economic freedom, democracy and political freedom and education.
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Faetano
Faetano is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of San Marino. It has 1.132 inhabitants (conditions 2006) in an area of 7,75 km².
It borders on the San Marino municipalities Montegiardino, Fiorentino, Borgo Maggiore, and Domagnano and the Italian municipalities Coriano, Montescudo and Sassofeltrio.
It was attached voluntarily to San Marino in 1463 in the last territorial expansion.
Faetano has four parishes (curazie):
Media related to Faetano at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 43°55′32″N 12°29′54″E / 43.92556°N 12.49833°E / 43.92556; 12.49833
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Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°00′N 06°47′W / 62°N 6.783°W / 62; -6.783
The Faroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar pronounced [ˈfœɹjaɹ], Danish: Færøerne Danish pronunciation: [ˈfæɐ̯øːˀɐnə]) are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. The islands form a self-governing country under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. The total area is approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.
The Faroe Islands has been a self-governing dependency of Denmark since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also has representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.
The Faroe Islands were associated with and taxed by Denmark and Norway up to 1814, when Norway fell under the rule of Sweden. Scandinavia was in political turmoil following the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in 1814. The Danish trade monopoly ended in 1856.
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Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finlandi/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.
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Fiorentino
Fiorentino is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of the Republic of San Marino. It has 2,245 inhabitants (conditions 2006) in an area of 6.57 km².
It borders the San Marino municipalities Chiesanuova, San Marino, Borgo Maggiore, Faetano, and Montegiardino and the Italian municipalities Monte Grimano and Sassofeltrio. Two Normal Days Past.
Evidence proves that this settlement existed before Roman times.
Fiorentino has got 3 parishes (curazie):
Media related to Fiorentino at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 43°54′38″N 12°27′20″E / 43.91056°N 12.45556°E / 43.91056; 12.45556
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France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( /dʒɨˈbrɒltər/) is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.
An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain "in perpetuity" under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It was an important base for the Royal Navy; today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services, and shipping.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
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Greece
Greecei/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen) historically in Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [eˈlas] and [helːás] respectively), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe.Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). The population of the country is around 11 million.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
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Guaita
Guaita is one of three peaks which overlooks the city of San Marino, the capital of San Marino. The other two are De La Fratta and Montale.
The Guaita fortress is the oldest of the three towers constructed on Monte Titano, and the most famous. It was built in the 11th century and served briefly as a prison. It is one of the three towers depicted on both the national flag and coat of arms. San Marino also has a cake known as La Torta Di Tre Monti (Cake of the Three Mountains/Towers), as a symbol for the area. It is something of a layered wafer cake covered in chocolate.
Coordinates: 43°56′07″N 12°26′59″E / 43.9354°N 12.4496°E / 43.9354; 12.4496
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Guatemala
Guatemala (i/ˌɡwɑːtəˈmɑːlə/ GWAH-tə-MAH-lə), officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de Guatemala [reˈpuβlika ðe ɣwateˈmala]), is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its area is 108,890 km2 (42,043 mi2) with an estimated population of 13,276,517.
A representative democracy, its capital is Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City. Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contributes to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot. The former Mayan civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization, which continued throughout the Post-Classic period until the arrival of the Spanish. The Mayas live in Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, the southern part of Mexico and northern parts of El Salvador.
Guatemala became independent from Spain in 1821, joining the Mexican Empire. After it became an independent country in its own right, it was ruled by a series of dictators, assisted by the United Fruit Company. The late 20th century saw Guatemala embroiled in a 36-year-long civil war. Following the war, Guatemala has witnessed both economic growth and successful democratic elections. In the most recent election, held in 2011, Otto Pérez Molina of the Patriotic Party, won the presidency.
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Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey ( /ˈɡɜrnzi/ GURN-zee; French: Bailliage de Guernesey, IPA: [bajaʒ də ɡɛʁnəzɛ]), is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, and Lihou. Furthermore, the Bailiwick includes Alderney and Sark, which each has its own parliament.
Although its defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey is not part of the UK; and while it participates in the Common Travel Area, it is not part of the European Union.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey is included (along with the Bailiwick of Jersey) in the grouping known as the Channel Islands.
The name of Guernsey, as well as that of neighbouring Jersey, is of Old Norse origin. The second element of Guernsey (-ey) is the Old Norse for "island". Guern similar to Spanish "Cuerno", French "Coi(r)n", Dutch "Hoorn", Frisian "Hoarn", Swedish "Hörn", Swiss "Gorn" means "Corner". - Corner Island.
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Haiti
Haitii/ˈheɪti/ (French: Haïti [aiti]; Haitian Creole Ayiti [ajiti]), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti; Repiblik Ayiti), is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti (land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft). The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. Haitian Creole and French are the official languages.
Haiti's regional, historical, and ethno-linguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the first black-led republic in the world, and the second republic in the Americas when it gained independence in 1804 as part of a successful slave revolution lasting nearly a decade. In 2012, Haiti announced its intention to seek associate membership status in the African Union. Haiti is the only predominantly Francophone independent nation in the Americas. It is one of only two independent nations in the Americas (along with Canada) to designate French as an official language; the other French-speaking areas are all overseas départements, or collectivités, of France.
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Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was at times referred to as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize. The country is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea.
Honduras was home to several important indigenous cultures, most notably the Maya. Much of the country was conquered by Spain who introduced its predominant language and many of its customs in the sixteenth century. It became independent in 1821 and has been a republic since the end of Spanish rule.
Its size is just over 112,492 km² with an estimated population of almost eight million. Its capital is Tegucigalpa. Its northern portions are part of the Western Caribbean Zone.
It is notable for its production of minerals, tropical fruit, and recently for exportation of clothing for the international market.
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Hungary
Hungaryi/ˈhʌŋɡəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ( listen)) is a country, which is located in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The country's capital, and largest city, is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, also known as Magyar, which is part of the Finno-Ugric group and is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe.
Following a Celt (after c. 450 BC) and a Roman (AD 9 - c. 430) period, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian prince Árpád, whose great-grandson Saint Stephen I was crowned with a crown sent by the pope from Rome in 1000 AD. The Kingdom of Hungary lasted for 946 years, and at various points was regarded as one of the cultural centres of the Western world. After about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation (1541–1699), Hungary was integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy, and later constituted half of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (1867–1918).
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Iceland
Icelandi/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]) is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (slaves) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture, and the country was one of the poorest and least developed in the world. Industrialisation of the fisheries and aid from the Marshall Plan brought prosperity in the years after World War II, and by the 1990s it was one of the world's wealthiest countries. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
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Imola
Imola (Iômla in the local dialect) is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno River, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy. The town is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna. The Sacmi group of companies were founded here in 1919. John Restakis considers it "to be one of the towns most venerated institutions".
The city is most noted as the home of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari who formerly hosted the Formula One San Marino Grand Prix. The race is named for the nearby independent republic of San Marino, which is too small to host a grand prix, and the deaths of Formula One drivers Ayrton Senna (Brazilian) and Roland Ratzenberger (Austrian) during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The city was anciently called Forum Cornelii, after the Roman dictator L. Cornelius Sulla, who founded it about 82 BCE. The town was an agricultural and trade center, famous for its ceramics.
The name Imola was first used in the 7th century by the Lombards, who applied it to the fortress (the present Castellaccio, the construction of which is attributed to the Lombard Clefi), whence the name passed to the city itself. According to Paul the Deacon, Imola was in 412 the scene of the marriage of Ataulf, King of the Visigoths, to Galla Placidia, daughter of Emperor Theodosius the Great. In the Gothic War (535–552), and after the Lombard invasion, it was held alternately by the Byzantines and barbarians.
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Isle of Man
The Isle of Man ( /ˈmæn/; Manx: Ellan Vannin, pronounced [ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn]), otherwise known simply as Mann (Manx: Mannin, IPA: [ˈmanɪn]), is a self-governing Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is represented by a Lieutenant Governor. The island is not part of the United Kingdom, but its foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the UK Government. Although the United Kingdom does not usually interfere in the island's domestic matters, its "good government" is ultimately the responsibility of the Crown (that is, in practice, the Government of the United Kingdom).
The island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century AD, and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, gradually emerged. In the 9th century, the Norse began to settle there. A Norse-Gaelic culture arose and the island came under Norse control. In 1266, the island became part of Scotland as formalised by the Treaty of Perth. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the island came under the feudal overlordship of the English Crown in 1399. The lordship revested into the British Crown in 1764 but the island never became part of Great Britain or its successor the United Kingdom and retained its status as an internally self-governing Crown dependency.
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Israel
Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.[neutrality is disputed] Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.
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Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula, also Italy (Italian: Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe (the other two being the Iberian Peninsula and Balkan Peninsula), spanning 1,000 km (620 mi) from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale (The Boot). Three smaller peninsulas contribute to this characteristic shape, namely Calabria, Salento and Gargano.
Since the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus (end of first century BCE), the northern border of the peninsula has been set on the Alps watershed, but geographically it coincides with a line extending from the Magra to the Rubicone rivers, north of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, which excludes the Po Valley and the southern slope of the Alps.
Nearly all of the peninsula is part of the state of the Italian Republic, apart from San Marino and the Vatican City. Additionally, Sicily, Elba, Malta (an independent state), and other smaller islands, as Palagruža (It. Pelagosa), belonging to Croatia, are usually considered as islands off the peninsula and in this sense geographically grouped along with it.
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Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
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Japan
Japani/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
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Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, French: Bailliage de Jersey ( /ˈdʒɜrzi/, French: [ʒɛʁzɛ]; Jèrriais: Jèrri), is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and other rocks and reefs.
Jersey is a self-governing parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, with its own financial, legal and judicial systems.
The island of Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. Although the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are often referred to collectively as 'the Channel Islands', they are not a constitutional or political unit. Jersey has a separate relationship to the British Crown from the other Crown Dependencies of Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It is not part of the United Kingdom, and has an international identity separate from that of the UK but the United Kingdom is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey. Jersey is not a part of the European Union but has a special relationship with it, being treated as part of the European Community for the purposes of free trade in goods.
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Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan (i/ˌkɑːzəkˈstɑːn/ or /ˌkæzəkˈstæn/) (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, pronounced [qɑzɑqstɑ́n]; Russian: Казахстан [kəzɐxˈstan]), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Europe. The ninth largest country in the world by land area, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of 2,727,300 square kilometres (1,053,000 sq mi) is larger than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. Although Kazakhstan does not share a border with Mongolia, its most easterly point is only 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Mongolia's western tip. The terrain of Kazakhstan ranges from flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, and snow-capped mountains to deserts. With 16.6 million people (2011 estimate) Kazakhstan has the 62nd largest population in the world, though its population density is less than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.). The capital was moved in 1998 from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to Astana.
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Latin Union
The Latin Union is an international organization of nations that use Romance languages, with the aim of protecting, projecting, and promoting the common cultural heritage and unifying identities of the Latin, and Latin-influenced, world. It was created in 1954 in Madrid, Spain, and has existed as a functional institution since 1983. Its membership has risen from 12 to 36 states, including countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The official names of the Latin Union are: Unió Llatina in Catalan, Union latine in French, Unione Latina in Italian, União Latina in Portuguese, Uniunea Latină in Romanian, and Unión Latina in Spanish.
According to the Latin Union's website, membership is open to any nation that meets the following criteria:
The official languages of the Latin Union are Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Romanian, and Catalan. Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian are used as working languages. All the texts of general diffusion are translated into these four languages, with some also going into Romanian and Catalan.
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Latvia
Latviai/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km), and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,067,887 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigenous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German (Teutonic Order), Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (26.9% in Latvia and 25.5% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.
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Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (i/ˈlɪktənstaɪn/ LIK-tən-styn; German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein, German pronunciation: [ˈfʏʁstn̩tuːm ˈlɪçtn̩ʃtaɪn]) is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan. Liechtenstein has the highest gross domestic product per person in the world when adjusted by purchasing power parity, and has the world's lowest external debt. Liechtenstein also has the second lowest unemployment rate in the world at 1.5% (Monaco is first).
Liechtenstein is the smallest yet the richest (by measure of GDP per capita) German-speaking country in the world and the only country to lie entirely within the Alps. It is known as a principality as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. Liechtenstein is divided into 11 municipalities. Much of its terrain is mountainous, making it a winter sports destination. Many cultivated fields and small farms characterize its landscape both in the south (Oberland, upper land) and in the north (Unterland, lower land). The country has a strong financial sector located in the capital, Vaduz, and has been identified as a tax haven. It is a member of the European Free Trade Association and part of the European Economic Area, the Schengen Area but not of the European Union.
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Lithuania
Lithuania (i/ˌlɪθuːˈeɪniə/ or /ˌlɪθjuːˈeɪniə/; Lithuanian: Lietuva), officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe, the largest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark. It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and a Russian exclave (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. The Lithuanians are a Baltic people, and the official language, Lithuanian, is one of only two living languages (together with Latvian) in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family.
For centuries, the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea was inhabited by various Baltic tribes. In the 1230s the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the first Lithuanian state, on 6 July 1253. During the 14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country in Europe: present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With the Lublin Union of 1569, Lithuania and Poland formed a voluntary two-state union, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth lasted more than two centuries, until neighboring countries systematically dismantled it from 1772 to 1795, with the Russian Empire annexing most of Lithuania's territory.
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Luxembourg
Luxembourg (i/ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ/ LUKS-əm-burg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg, Dutch: Groothertogdom Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south. Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi). A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is now the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.
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Malta
Maltai/ˈmɒltə/, officially known as the Republic of Malta (Maltese: Repubblika ta' Malta), is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, 80 km (50 mi) south of Sicily, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya, with Gibraltar 1,755 km (1,091 mi) to the west and Alexandria 1,508 km (937 mi) to the east. Malta covers just over 316 km2 (122 sq mi) in land area, making it one of the world's smallest states. It is also one of the most densely populated countries worldwide. The de facto capital city of Malta is Valletta; the largest town, Birkirkara. The main island comprises many towns, which together form one Larger Urban Zone (LUZ) with a population of 368,250 according to Eurostat. The country has two official languages, Maltese (constitutionally the national language) and English.
Throughout history, Malta's location has given it great strategic importance, and a succession of powers including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Habsburg Spain, Knights of St John, French and the British ruled the islands. Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a republic in 1974, whilst retaining membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Malta was admitted to the United Nations in 1964 and to the European Union in 2004. Malta is also party to the Schengen Agreement and in 2008 it became part of the eurozone.
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Mexico
Mexico (i/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México, IPA: [ˈmexiko] ( listen)), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (help·info)), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the thirteenth largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of over 113 million, it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.
In Pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory from its base in México-Tenochtitlan, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony's independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican-American War and territorial cession to the United States, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party.
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Moldova
Moldovai/mɒlˈdoʊvə/, officially the Republic of Moldova (Moldovan/Romanian: Republica Moldova pronounced [reˈpublika molˈdova]) is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991 as part of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On 29 July 1994, the new constitution of Moldova was adopted. A strip of Moldova's internationally recognized territory on the east bank of the river Dniester has been under the de facto control of the breakaway government of Transnistria since 1990.
The nation is a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime minister as head of government. Moldova is a member state of the United Nations, Council of Europe, WTO, OSCE, GUAM, CIS, BSEC and other international organizations. Moldova currently aspires to join the European Union, and has implemented the first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
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Monaco
Monacoi/ˈmɒnəkoʊ/, officially the Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque: Principatu de Múnegu; Italian: Principato di Monaco; Occitan: Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city state, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. Bordered by France on three sides, with one side bordering the Mediterranean Sea, its center is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy, and is only 15 km (9.3 mi) north east of Nice, France. It has an area of 1.98 km2 (0.76 sq mi), and a population of 35,986, making Monaco the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. Monaco has a land border of only 4.4 km (2.7 mi), a coastline of 4.1 km (2.5 mi), and a width that varies between 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and 349 metres (382 yards). The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires district, which is 161 metres (528 feet) above sea level. Monaco's most populated Quartier is Monte Carlo, and the most populated Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. After a recent expansion of Port Hercules, Monaco's total area is 2.05 km2 (0.79 sq mi), with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.
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Montegiardino
Montegiardino is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of San Marino. It has 818 inhabitants (conditions 2006) in an area of 3.31 km².
Due to its small size, it is the smallest subdivision of a country in population. It borders the San Marino municipalities Fiorentino and Faetano and the Italian municipalities Monte Grimano and Sassofeltrio.
Montegiardino was added due to the last territorial expansion of San Marino, in 1463.
Montegiardino has 1 parish (curazia): Cerbaiola.
Media related to Montegiardino at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 43°54′32″N 12°29′04″E / 43.90889°N 12.48444°E / 43.90889; 12.48444
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Montenegro
Montenegro (i/ˌmɒntɨˈneɪɡroʊ/ or /ˌmɒntɨˈniːɡroʊ/; or /ˌmɒntɨˈnɛɡroʊ/; Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора [tsr̩̂ːnaː ɡɔ̌ra] ( listen), meaning "Black Mountain") is a country in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica (Пријестоница), meaning the former Royal Capital City.
In the 10th century, there existed three Slavic principalities on the territory of Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half, Travunia, the west, and Rascia, the north. In 1042, archon Stefan Vojislav led a revolt that resulted in independence of Duklja and the establishment of the Vojislavljević dynasty. Duklja reached its zenith under Vojislav's son, Mihailo (1046–81), and his son Bodin (1081–1101). By the 13th century, Zeta had replaced Duklja when referring to the realm, which at the time was part of the Serbian Grand Principality of the Nemanjić dynasty.
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Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Portuguese: Moçambique or República de Moçambique, pronounced: [ʁɛˈpublikɐ di musɐ̃ˈbiki]), is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. The capital city is Maputo, formerly known as Lourenço Marques.
Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west. Swahili, and later also Arab, commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal in 1505. Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. It was the scene of an intense civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992.
Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but with industry, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminium and petroleum production, is growing fast. The country's tourism sector is also growing. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. Portugal, Spain, and Belgium are also among the country's most important partners. Since 2001 Mozambique is one of the world's top ten for annual average GDP growth. However, Mozambique still has one of the lowest GDP per capita, one of the worst human development index and one of the highest inequality in the world, as well as having the world's lowest life expectancy.
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Nauru
Coordinates: 0°31′38″S 166°56′12″E / 0.527288°S 166.936724°E / -0.527288; 166.936724
Nauru (Englishi/nɑːˈuːruː/ nah-OO-roo), officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 kilometres (186 mi) to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi). With just over 9,322 residents, it is the second least-populated country after Vatican City.
Settled by Micronesian and Polynesian people, Nauru was annexed and claimed as a colony by the German Empire in the late 19th century. After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate administered by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. During World War II, Nauru was occupied by Japanese troops, who were bypassed by the Allied advance across the Pacific. After the war ended, it entered into trusteeship again. Nauru gained its independence in 1968.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Nauru was a "rentier state". Nauru is a phosphate rock island, with rich deposits close to the surface, which allow for simple strip mining operations; moreover, it has some phosphate reserves which are presently (as of 2011) not economically viable for extraction. Nevertheless, this island was a major exporter of phosphate starting in 1907, when the Pacific Phosphate Company began mining there, through the formation of the British Phosphate Commission in 1919, and continuing after independence. This returned to Nauru full control of its minerals under the Nauru Phosphate Corporation, until the deposits ran out during the 1980s. For this reason, Nauru briefly boasted the highest per-capita income enjoyed by any sovereign state in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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Nicaragua
Nicaragua (i/ˌnɪkəˈrɑːɡwə/ nik-ə-RAH-gwə), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (Spanish: República de Nicaragua [reˈpuβlika ðe nikaˈɾaɣwa] ( listen)), is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The country's physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific lowlands; wet, cooler central highlands; and the Caribbean lowlands. On the Pacific side of the country are the two largest fresh water lakes in Central America—Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Surrounding these lakes and extending to their northwest along the rift valley of the Gulf of Fonseca are fertile lowland plains, with soil highly enriched by ash from nearby volcanoes of the central highlands. Nicaragua's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot.
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Northern Cyprus
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti), commonly called Northern Cyprus, is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus. Recognised only by Turkey, Northern Cyprus is considered by the international community to be occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
Northern Cyprus extends from the tip of the Karpass Peninsula in the north east, westward to Morphou Bay and Cape Kormakitis (the Kokkina/Erenköy exclave marks the westernmost extent of the area), and southward to the village of Louroujina/Akıncılar. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital of both states.
Tensions between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot populations in Cyprus culminated in 1974 with a coup d'état, an attempt to annex the island to Greece, and an invasion by Turkey in response. This resulted in the partitioning of the island, the resettlement of many of its inhabitants, and a unilateral declaration of independence by the north in 1983. Due to its lack of recognition, Northern Cyprus is heavily dependent on Turkey for economic, political and military support.
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Norway
Norwayi/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.
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Panama
Panama (i/ˈpænəmɑː/ PAN-ə-mah; Spanish: Panamá), officially the Republic of Panama (Spanish: República de Panamá [reˈpuβlika ðe panaˈma]), is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The capital is Panama City. Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Nueva Granada, Ecuador, and Venezuela, named the Republic of Gran Colombia.When Gran Colombia the dissolved in 1831, Panama and Nueva Granada remained joined. Nueva Granada later became the Republic of Colombia.
With the backing of the United States, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, allowing the Panama Canal to be built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the United States to Panama by the end of the century.
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Paraguay
Paraguay (i/ˈpɛərəɡwaɪ/, PAIR-ə-gwy), officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay [reˈpuβlika ðel paɾaˈɣwai], Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái [teˈtã paɾaˈɣwaj]), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América, or the Heart of America.
The Guaraní have been living in Paraguay since before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, when Paraguay became part of the Spanish colonial empire. Following independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who followed isolationist and protectionist policies. This development was truncated by the disastrous Paraguayan War (1864–1870) in which the country lost 60% to 70% of its population and large amounts of territory. During a large part of the 20th century, Paraguay was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner, who led one of South America's longest lived military dictatorships. In 1989 Stroessner was toppled and free elections were celebrated in 1993. In 1994 Paraguay joined Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to found Mercosur.
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Pennabilli
Pennabilli is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 140 km southeast of Bologna and about 45 km south of Rimini.
Until August 15, 2009, the comune belonged to the Marche (Province of Pesaro-Urbino) from which it was detached, together with six other municipalities of the Alta Valmarecchia area, following the implementation of the outcome of a referendum held on 17 and 18 December, 2006.
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Peru
Perui/pəˈruː/ (Spanish: Perú; Quechua: Perú;Aymara: Piruw), officially the Republic of Peru (Spanish: República del Perú, pronounced: [reˈpuβlika ðel peˈɾu] ( listen)), is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
Peruvian territory was home to ancient cultures, spanning from the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing.
Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes Mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 31%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles.
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Philippines
The Philippinesi/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.
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Piazza della Libertà
Piazza della Libertà is the northernmost point of the historic centre of Florence. It was created in the 19th century during works to produce the Viali di Circonvallazione around the city. It host the triumphal arch of Florence and the Parterre where in winter is set an ice rink for skating.
A clearing around Porta San Gallo has existed since the fourteenth century and its name has historically been Porta San Gallo Square. In 1738 the square's triumphal arch was erected to celebrate the arrival of Lorena dynasty in Florence.
In 1865, the square was upset to crush the walls of the city, and was rebuilt with a completely new drawing by the architect Giuseppe Poggi, that since 1865 and 1875 made the odiern elliptical square, surrounded by harmonious palaces, with classical series of porches. In the middle of the square was settled a garden with fountain and a pool among Porta San Gallo and triumphal arch. Were planted many high trees that also today protect the square from the traffic of the viali di Circonvallazione that surrounds the square.
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Poggio Casalino
Poggio Casalino is a village (curazia) located in San Marino. It belongs to the municipality (castello) of Chiesanuova.
The village is situated in the western border of its municipality, close to the borders with Italy and the municipality of San Leo. It lies on a road that links the city of San Marino with the rural area of San Leo and some of its civil parishes.
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Poland
Polandi/ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska; Kashubian: Pòlskô Repùblika; Silesian: Polsko Republika), is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member. Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Economic Area, International Energy Agency, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Atomic Energy Agency, G6, Council of the Baltic Sea States, Visegrád Group, Weimar Triangle and Schengen Agreement.
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Portugal
Portugali/ˈpɔrtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, IPA: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula . Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose Latin name was Portus Cale.
The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times: occupied by Celts like the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians, integrated into the Roman Republic and later settled by Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Swabians, Vandals and the Visigoths. In the 8th century most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Moorish invaders professing Islam, which were later expelled by the Knights Templar under the Order of Christ. During the Christian Reconquista, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from León in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European nation state.
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Republic of Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.
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Rimini
Rimini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈriːmini] ( listen); Latin: Ariminum) is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient Ariminus) and Ausa (ancient Aprusa). It is one of the most famous seaside resorts in Europe, thanks to its 15 km-long sandy beach, over 1,000 hotels and thousands of bars, restaurants and discos. The first bathing establishment opened in 1843. An art city with ancient Roman and Renaissance monuments, Rimini is the hometown of the famous film director Federico Fellini as well.
Founded by the Romans in 268 BC, throughout their period of rule Rimini was a key communications link between the north and south of the peninsula, and on its soil Roman emperors erected monuments like the Arch of Augustus and the Tiberius Bridge, while during the Renaissance, the city benefited from the court of the House of Malatesta, which hosted artists like Leonardo and produced works such as the Malatesta Temple. In the 19th century, Rimini was one of the most active cities in the revolutionary front, hosting many of the movements aimed at the unification of Italy. In the course of World War II the city was the scene of clashes and bombings, but also of a fierce partisan resistance that earned it the honor of a gold medal for civic valor. Finally, in recent years it has become one of the most important sites for trade fairs and conferences in Italy.
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Romania
Romania (i/roʊˈmeɪniə/ roh-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Roumania; or Rumania;Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast and east, and Bulgaria to the south.
At 238,400 square kilometers (92,000 sq mi), Romania is the ninth largest country of the European Union by area, and has the seventh largest population of the European Union with over 19 million people. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the tenth largest city in the EU with about two million people.
The Kingdom of Romania emerged when the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were united under Prince Alexander Ioan Cuza in 1859. Independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared on 9 May 1877, and was internationally recognized the following year. At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the Kingdom of Romania. Greater Romania emerged into an era of progression and prosperity that would continue until World War II. By the end of the War, many north-eastern areas of Romania's territories were occupied by the Soviet Union, and Romania forcibly became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact.
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Rome
Rome (/ˈroʊm/; Italian: Roma pronounced [ˈroːma] ( listen); Latin: Rōma) is a city and special comune ("Roma Capitale") in Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and the capital of Lazio (Latin: Latium). With 2.8 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi), it is also the country's largest and most populated comune and fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. Between 3.2 and 3.7 million people live in the Rome metropolitan area. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.
Rome's history spans two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean for over seven hundred years from the 1st century BC until the 7th century AD and the city is regarded as one of the birthplaces of western civilization. Since the 1st century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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San Leo
San Leo is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 135 km southeast of Bologna and about 35 km southwest of Rimini.
San Leo borders the following municipalities: Acquaviva (San Marino), Chiesanuova (San Marino), Città di San Marino (San Marino), Maiolo, Montecopiolo, Monte Grimano, Novafeltria, Sassofeltrio, Torriana, Verucchio.
San Leo is home to a large fortress at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level.
After the referendum of 17 and 18 December 2006, San Leo was detached from the Province of Pesaro and Urbino (Marche) to join Emilia-Romagna and the Province of Rimini on 15 August 2009.
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San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino (i/sæn məˈriːnoʊ/ san-mə-REE-noh; Italian: Repubblica di San Marino) and also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino), is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.
San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301, by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then the Roman colony of Arba, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.
The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect. The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to some of the more developed Italian regions, such as Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus.
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Senegal
Senegali/ˌsɛnɨˈɡɔːl/ (French: le Sénégal), officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA: [ʁepyblik dy seneɡal]), is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north. Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds The Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, exempting Gambia's short Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 square kilometres (76,000 sq mi), and has an estimated population of about 13 million. The climate is tropical with two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season.
Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, is located at the westernmost tip of the country on the Cap-Vert peninsula. About 500 kilometres (300 mi) off the coast, in the Atlantic Ocean, lie the Cape Verde Islands. During the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous trading posts, belonging to various colonial empires, were established along the coast. The town of St. Louis became the capital of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, or AOF) before it was moved to Dakar in 1902. Dakar later became its capital in 1960 at the time of independence from France.
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Serbia
Serbiai/ˈsɜrbiə/, officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Република Србија / Republika Srbija, pronounced [rɛpǔblika sř̩bija]), is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans. Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia to the south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro to the west; additionally, it borders Albania through Kosovo, whose status as part of Serbia is disputed. Serbia covers an area of 88,361 km2 and has a population of just over 7.1 million, while the capital and largest city is Belgrade.
The arrival of the Serbs to the Balkans in the 7th century, established several states, eventually forming the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. By the 16th century, Serbia was conquered and occupied by the Ottoman Empire, at times interrupted by the Habsburgs. In the early 19th century the Serbian revolution re-established the country as the region's first constitutional monarchy, which subsequently expanded its territory and pioneered the abolition of feudalism in the Balkans. The former Habsburg crownland of Vojvodina united with Serbia in 1918. Following World War I, Serbia formed Yugoslavia with other South Slavic peoples which existed in several forms up until 2006, when the National Assembly of Serbia declared independence and the legal succession to the former State Union. In February 2008 the parliament of UNMIK-governed Kosovo, Serbia's southern province, declared independence, with mixed responses from international governments.
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Slovakia
The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakiai/sloʊˈvɑːkiə/ or /sləˈvækiə/; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is the capital, Bratislava, and the second largest is Košice. Slovakia is a member state of the European Union, NATO, United Nations, OECD and WTO among others. The official language is Slovak, a member of the Slavic language family.
The Slavs arrived in the territory of present day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries during the migration period. In the course of history, various parts of today's Slovakia belonged to Samo's Empire (the first known political unit of Slavs), Principality of Nitra (as independent polity, as part of Great Moravia and as part of Hungarian Kingdom), Great Moravia, Kingdom of Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Habsburg Empire, and Czechoslovakia. A separate Slovak state briefly existed during World War II, during which Slovakia was a dependency of Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1944. From 1945 Slovakia once again became a part of Czechoslovakia. The present-day Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
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Slovenia
Slovenia (i/sloʊˈviːniə/ sloh-VEE-nee-ə, Slovene: Slovenija), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija, [reˈpublika sloˈveːnija]) is a Slavic nation state, situated in South-Central Europe, at the crossroad of main European cultural and trade routes. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast, and Hungary to the northeast. It covers 20,273 square kilometres (7,827 sq mi) and has a population of 2.05 million. It is a parliamentary republic, member of the European Union and NATO. Relative to its geography, history, economy, culture, and language, it is a very diverse country distinguished by a transitional character. It is characterised by a high economic and social level. Its capital and largest city is Ljubljana.
The territory of Slovenia is mainly hilly or mountainous and has an exceptionally high landscape and biological diversity and a mosaic structure, which are a result of natural attributes and the long-lasting presence of humans. Four major European geographic units interweave here: the Alps, the Dinaric Alps, the Mediterranean, with a small portion of coastline along the Adriatic Sea, and the Pannonian Plain. The climate is temperate and significantly influenced by the variety of territory, with a strong interaction of the continental climate, the sub-Mediterranean climate and Alpine climate across most of the country. The country is one of the water-richest in Europe, with a dense river network, a rich aquifer system, and significant karstic underground watercourses. Over half of the territory is covered by forest.
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South Ossetia
South Ossetia ( /əˈsɛtiə/ə-SET-ee-ə or /ɒˈsiːʃə/o-SEE-shə; Ossetic: Хуссар Ирыстон, Xussar Iryston; Georgian: სამხრეთ ოსეთი, Samxret Oseti; Russian: Южная Осетия, Yuzhnaya Osetiya) or Tskhinvali Region (Georgian: ცხინვალის რეგიონი, Tsxinvalis regioni; Russian: Цхинвальский регион, Tskhinvalskiy region) is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
South Ossetians declared independence from Georgia in 1990, calling themselves the Republic of South Ossetia. The Georgian government responded by abolishing South Ossetia's autonomy and trying to retake the region by force. This led to the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War. Georgian fighting against those controlling South Ossetia occurred on two other occasions, in 2004 and 2008. The last conflict led to the 2008 South Ossetia war, during which Ossetian and Russian forces gained full, de facto control of the territory of the former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast.
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Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
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Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
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Switzerland
Switzerland (German: die Schweiz[ˈʃvaɪts]; French: Suisse [sɥis(ə)]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvit͡sːɛra]; Romansh: Svizra [ˈʒviːtsrɐ] or [ˈʒviːtsʁːɐ]), in its full name the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in western Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zurich and Geneva.
The Swiss Confederation has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area.
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Transnistria
Transnistria (also called "Trans-Dniestr" or "Transdniestria") is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine. Since its declaration of independence in 1990, and especially after the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR, also known as "Pridnestrovie"), a state with limited recognition which claims the territory to the east of the river Dniester, the city of Bender and its surrounding localities located on the west bank. The Republic of Moldova does not recognize the secession and considers the territories controlled by the PMR to be part of Moldova's autonomous region of Stînga Nistrului ("Left Bank of the Dniester").
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Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
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Ukraine
Ukraine (i/juːˈkreɪn/ yew-KRAYN; Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina, [ukrɑˈjinɑ]; Russian: Украина; Crimean Tatar: Ukraina) is a country in Central and Eastern Europe. Ukraine borders the Russian Federation to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after the Russian Federation.
According to a popular and well established theory, the medieval state of Kievan Rus was established by the Varangians in the 9th century as the first historically recorded East Slavic state which emerged as a powerful nation in the Middle Ages until it disintegrated in the 12th century. By the middle of the 14th century, Ukrainian territories were under the rule of three external powers—the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland. After the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Ukraine was divided between a number of regional powers and, by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. A chaotic period of incessant warfare ensued, with several internationally recognized attempts at independence from 1917 to 1921, following World War I and the Russian Civil War. Ukraine emerged from its own civil war, and on December 30, 1922 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian SSR's territory was enlarged westward during the civil war shortly before, and after World War II, and further south in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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Uruguay
Uruguayi/ˈjʊərəɡwaɪ/, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; (Spanish: República Oriental del Uruguay pronounced: [re̞ˈpuβ̞lika o̞ɾje̞n̪ˈt̪al̪ d̪e̞l uɾuˈɰwai̯]) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.3 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88% of the population are of European ancestry.
Except for the recent union of Timoteo Domínguez Island and Argentina's Martín García Island, Uruguay's only land border is with Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to the north. To the west lies the Uruguay River and the estuary of the Río de la Plata to the southwest. To the southeast lies the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. With an area of approximately 176,000 square kilometres (68,000 sq mi), Uruguay is the second-smallest nation in South America by area, after Suriname.
Colonia del Sacramento, one of the oldest European settlements in the country, was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Uruguay won its independence in 1811–28 following a three-way struggle between the claims of Spain, Argentina and Brazil. It is a constitutional democracy, with a president who is both the head of state and the head of government.
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Vatican City
Vatican Cityi/ˈvætɨkən ˈsɪti/, or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano (pronounced [ˈstaːto della t͡ʃitˈta del vatiˈkaːno]), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of just over 800. This makes Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.
Vatican City State was established in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gasparri, on behalf of Pope Pius XI and by Prime Minister and Head of Government Benito Mussolini on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. Vatican City State is distinct from the Holy See, which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, issues only diplomatic and service passports, whereas Vatican City State issues normal passports. In each case very few passports are issued.
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Venezuela
Venezuela (i/ˌvɛnɨˈzweɪlə/ VEN-ə-ZWAY-lə), officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela [repuˈβlika βoliβaˈɾjana ðe βeneˈswela]), is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Its northern coastline of roughly 2,800 kilometres (1,700 mi) includes numerous islands in the Caribbean Sea, and in the north east borders the northern Atlantic Ocean. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba and the Leeward Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela's territory covers around 916,445 square kilometres (353,841 sq mi) with an estimated population of 29,105,632. Venezuela is considered a state with extremely high biodiversity, with habitats ranging from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rainforest in the south, via extensive llanos plains and Caribbean coast in the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east.
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Åland Islands
The Åland Islands (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈoːland], Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland. The islands collectively constitute the smallest region of Finland, with only 0.49% of its land area, and 0.50% of its population.
Åland comprises Fasta Åland (the "Main Island," with 90% of the population), together with an archipelago to the east that comprises over 6,500 skerries and islands. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometres (24 mi) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Åland's only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Märket, which it shares with Sweden.
Because of the autonomous status of the Åland Islands, the powers exercised at the provincial level by representatives of the central state administration in the rest of Finland are largely exercised by the Government of Åland in Åland.
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincolni/ˈeɪbrəhæm ˈlɪŋkən/ (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union while ending slavery, and promoting economic and financial modernization. Reared in a poor family on the western frontier, Lincoln was mostly self-educated. He became a country lawyer, a Whig Party leader, Illinois state legislator in the 1830s, and a one-term member of the United States House of Representatives in the 1840s. After a series of debates in 1858 that gave national visibility to his opposition to the expansion of slavery, Lincoln lost a Senate race to his arch-rival Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln, a moderate from a swing state, secured the Republican Party nomination. With almost no support in the South he swept the North and was elected president in 1860. His election was the signal for seven southern slave states to declare their secession from the Union and form the Confederate States of America. The departure of the Southerners gave Lincoln's party firm control of Congress, but no formula for compromise or reconciliation was found. And the war came.
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Alberto Selva
Alberto Selva (born 21 September 1964) was Captain Regent of San Marino for the term October 2007 - March 2008, together with Mirko Tomassoni.
Selva, a lawyer, is a member of the Alleanza Popolare. He was elected in June 2006 to the Grand and General Council.
Selva had studied law at the University of Bologna.
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Alessandro Mancini
Alessandro Mancini (born October 4, 1975) was Captain Regent of San Marino for the six-months term from April 1 to October 1, 2007, together with Alessandro Rossi.
Mancini is a member of the Party of Socialists and Democrats.
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Alex De Angelis
Alex de Angelis (born February 26, 1984 in Rimini) is a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from San Marino.
Alex made his debut at world championship level in 1999 in the 125 cc class; his first full season was in 2000, when his best results were two sixth places. He rode a total of four full seasons in the 125cc category. His best season in the 125 class came in 2003 when he claimed six podium finishes and finished second to Dani Pedrosa, despite not recording any wins.
He moved to the 250cc category in 2004, when he scored two podiums and was fifth overall. Next year he had four podiums and was seventh overall. 2006 turned out to be real breakthrough, as he finished third in the championship. He took his first victory at the season finale in Valencia, after over 20 podiums beforehand. In 2007 he finished 3rd overall with 235 points and eight podiums, including four successive second places midseason. He finished on the podium at the Sachsenring every year between 2002 and 2007.
For 2008 he moved to the MotoGP class, riding for Gresini Honda. At Mugello he was fastest in the warmup, and impressed on race day to finish 4th. He also came fourth at the Sachsenring, and consistently scored minor points for the rest of the season.
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Andy Selva
Andy Selva (born 25 May 1976 in Rome) is an Italian-born Sanmarinese professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Fidene and the San Marino national team.
He began his career in 1994–95, playing in the Eccellenza with A.S. Latina, in which he scored five goals in 26 appearances. The following season he produced 10 goals in 31 appearances in Civita Castellana in Serie D, before moving to Fano (Serie C2), where he remained until March 1998, he played 32 games with only one goal. In 1999, Selva played with another Serie C2 club, Catanzaro, making 40 appearances, scoring six goals.
Selva went back to the Eccellenza with Tivoli in 1999, which he scored 15 goals in 21 matches, while for the following season, he moved to San Marino, where he scored four goals in 26 appearances. In the 2001–02 season playing in three different teams, he collected three appearances with San Marino, then five with Maceratese in Serie D, scoring a goal, and thus finishing the season in Serie D, with Grosseto (15 appearances and two goals). He scored 22 goals in 30 games for Bellaria in the following season.
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Austria
Austria (i/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.
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Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva (pronounced [aˈiɾtõ ˈsenɐ da ˈsiwvɐ] ( listen); 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver. Senna was a three-time Formula One world champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. He died in a crash at Tamburello corner while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and is the most recent driver to die at the wheel of a Formula One car.
Senna began his motorsport career in karting, moving up to open-wheel racing in 1981, and winning the British Formula 3 championship in 1983. He made his Formula One debut with Toleman-Hart in 1984 before moving to Lotus-Renault the following year and winning six Grands Prix over the next three seasons. In 1988, he joined Frenchman Alain Prost at McLaren-Honda. Between them, they won all but one of the 16 Grands Prix that year and Senna his first World Championship. Prost claimed the championship in 1989, and Senna his second and third championships in 1990 and 1991. In 1992, the Williams-Renault combination began to dominate Formula One. Senna nonetheless managed to finish the 1993 season as runner-up, winning five races and negotiating a move to Williams in 1994.
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Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (Italian pronunciation: [beˈniːto musːoˈliːni]; 29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party, ruling the country from 1922 to his ousting in 1943, and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of fascism.
Originally a member of the Italian Socialist Party and editor of the Avanti! from 1912 to 1914, Mussolini fought in World War I as an ardent nationalist and created the Fasci di Combattimento in 1919, catalyzing his nationalist and socialist beliefs in the Fascist Manifesto, published in 1921. Following the March on Rome in October 1922 he became the 27th Prime Minister of Italy and began using the title Il Duce by 1925, about which time he had established dictatorial authority by both legal and extraordinary means, aspiring to create a totalitarian state. After 1936, his official title was Sua Eccellenza Benito Mussolini, Capo del Governo, Duce del Fascismo e Fondatore dell'Impero ("His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire") Mussolini also created and held the supreme military rank of First Marshal of the Empire along with King Victor Emmanuel III, which gave him and the King joint supreme control over the military of Italy. Mussolini remained in power until he was replaced in 1943; for a short period after this until his death, he was the leader of the Italian Social Republic.
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Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( /ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn/ or /ˈʃɑrləmeɪn/; French pronunciation: [ʃaʁ.lə.maɲ]; c. 742 – 28 January 814), also known as Charles the Great (Latin: Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus), was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans (Imperator Romanorum) from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned Imperator Augustus by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800 in Rome.
His rule is also associated with the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne helped define both Western Europe and the European Middle Ages. He is numbered as Charles I in the regnal lists of Germany, the Holy Roman Empire, and France.
The son of King Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, a Frankish queen, he succeeded his father in 768 and was initially co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. It has often been suggested that the relationship between Charlemagne and Carloman was not good, but it has also been argued that tensions were exaggerated by Carolingian chroniclers.
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Daria Kinzer
Daria Kinzer (born May 29, 1988 in Aschaffenburg, West Germany) is a Croatian singer who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Germany. Kinzer won the national selection on March 5 with her entry "Celebrate", and took part in the first semifinal night of the Contest finishing at 15th place. She has also recorded a German version of the "Celebrate" song, entitled "Diese Nacht". ( English lyrics for "Diese Nacht" by Daria Kinzer )
Kinzer was born in West Germany to a Croatian mother and German father and raised in Austria, but she also speaks Croatian. She studies in Vienna.
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Davide Gualtieri
Davide Gualtieri (born 27 April 1971 in San Marino) is a retired Sammarinese footballer.
He is most well-remembered for scoring the fastest ever goal in FIFA World Cup qualification history. He achieved the record in a qualifier that took place on 17 November 1993. The opposition was England.
In the match, which took place in Bologna, Italy, San Marino had the kick-off, and the ball was quickly played through the inside-right channel. England defender Stuart Pearce attempted a back-pass to goalkeeper David Seaman. Pearce's pass was under-hit, and Gualtieri ran on to touch the ball past Seaman. The goal was timed at 8.3 seconds, and still remains the quickest World Cup-related goal ever scored. England took over 20 minutes to equalise, but eventually finished up winning the match 7–1. Both England and San Marino failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. England needed to win by a seven goal margin and for Poland to defeat the Netherlands. As neither happened, England finished third.
The England manager, Graham Taylor resigned shortly after the game took place, and this was to be his last game in charge. Gualtieri continued to play for the San Marino national team until 2000, when he retired due to injury. He now works as a computer salesman in San Marino.
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Diocletian
Diocletian (Latin: Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Augustus; c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305. Born to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia, Diocletian rose through the ranks of the military to become cavalry commander to the Emperor Carus. After the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian on campaign in Persia, Diocletian was proclaimed Emperor. The title was also claimed by Carus' other surviving son, Carinus, but Diocletian defeated him in the Battle of the Margus. With his accession to power, Diocletian ended the Crisis of the Third Century. He appointed fellow officer Maximian Augustus his senior co-emperor in 285.
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Gaspard Monge
Gaspard Monge, Comte de Péluse (9 May 1746 – 28 July 1818) was a French mathematician, revolutionary, and inventor of descriptive geometry, the theoretical basis on which technical drawing is based. During the French Revolution he served as minister of the Marine and was involved in the reform of the French educational system, founding the École Polytechnique.
Monge was born at Beaune, Côte-d'Or, the son of a merchant. He was educated at the college of the Oratorians at Beaune. In 1762 he went to the Collège de la Trinité at Lyon, where, one year after he had begun studying, he was made a teacher of physics at the age of seventeen. After finishing his education in 1764 he returned to Beaune, where he made a large scale plan of the town, inventing the methods of observation and constructing the necessary instruments; the plan was presented to the town, and is still preserved in their library. An officer of engineers who saw it wrote to the commandant of the École Royale du Génie at Mézières, recommending Monge to him and he was given a job as a draftsman.
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Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe ɡariˈbaldi] (Joseph Marie Garibaldi at birth, 4 July 1807, Nice, French Empire – 2 June 1882, Caprera, Kingdom of Italy) was an Italian general, politician and patriot. He is considered, with Camillo Cavour, Victor Emmanuel II and Giuseppe Mazzini, as one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland".
Garibaldi was a central figure in the Italian Risorgimento, since he personally commanded and fought in many military campaigns that led eventually to the formation of unified Italy. He generally tried to act on behalf of a legitimate power, which does not make him exactly a revolutionary: for example, he was appointed general by the provisional government of Milan in 1848, General of the Roman Republic in 1849 by the Minister of War, and led the Expedition of the Thousand on behalf and with the consent of Victor Emmanuel II.
He has been called the "Hero of Two Worlds" because of his military enterprises which he conducted in both South America and Europe. These earned him a considerable reputation both in Italy and abroad. This is also due to the exceptional international media coverage that he received at the time. Many of the greatest intellectuals of his time, such as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and George Sand, showered him with their admiration. The United Kingdom and the United States helped him a great deal, offering him financial and military support in difficult circumstances.
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Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace (March 19, 1916 - June 29, 1990) was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. Wallace was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme. One critic described him "as the most successful of all the many exponents of junk fiction perhaps because he took it all so seriously, not to say lugubriously". Wallace was a blue-collar writer who wrote for a blue-collar audience. Most critics were scornful of his novels' flat prose and pedestrian characters.
Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to Bessie Liss and Alexander Wallace (an Americanized version of the original family name of Wallechinsky). The family was Jewish and originally from Russia. Wallace was named after his maternal grandfather, a bookkeeper and Talmudic scholar of Narewka. Wallace grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he attended Kenosha Central High School. He was the father of Olympic historian David Wallechinsky and author Amy Wallace.
Wallace began selling stories to magazines when he was a teenager. In World War II Wallace served in the Frank Capra unit in Fort Fox along with Theodor Seuss Geisel - more popularly known as Dr Seuss - and continued to write for magazines. He also served in the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Force. Soon, however, Wallace turned to a more lucrative job as a Hollywood screenwriter. He collaborated on such films as The West Point Story (1950), Split Second (1953), Meet Me at the Fair (1953), and The Big Circus (1959). He also contributed at least one script to the western television program "Have Gun, Will Travel".
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Italo Righi
Italo Righi (born June 5, 1959) is a is a Sammarinese politician who currently serves as a Captain Regent, having held the post since April 1, 2012, with Maurizio Rattini.
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Jesus
Jesus ( /ˈdʒiːzəs/; Greek: Ἰησοῦς; 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE), also referred to as Jesus Christ or simply Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and most Christian denominations venerate him as God the Son incarnated. In Islam, Jesus (in Arabic: عيسى in Islamic usage, commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets.
Most modern historians agree that Jesus existed and was a Jewish teacher from Galilee in Roman Judaea, who was baptized by John the Baptist, and was crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate. Scholars have offered competing descriptions and portraits of Jesus, which at times share a number of overlapping attributes, such as a rabbi, a charismatic healer, the leader of an apocalyptic movement, a self-described Messiah, a sage and philosopher, or a social reformer who preached of the "Kingdom of God" as a means for personal and egalitarian social transformation. Scholars have correlated the New Testament accounts with non-Christian historical records to arrive at an estimated chronology of Jesus' life.
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Liburnians
The Liburnians (or Liburni, Greek: Λιβυρνοί) were an ancient Illyrian tribe inhabiting the district called Liburnia, a coastal region of the northeastern Adriatic between the rivers Arsia (Raša) and Titius (Krka) in what is now Croatia.
Liburnia in ancient geography was the land of the Liburnians, a region along the northeastern Adriatic coast in Europe, modern Croatia.
The first account of the Liburni comes from Periplus or Coastal passage, an ancient Greek text of the mid 4th century BC.
Fall of Liburnian domination in the Adriatic Sea and their final retreat to their ethnic region (Liburnia) were caused by military and political activities of Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse (406 – 367 BC). The imperial power base of this Syracusan tyrant stemmed from a huge naval fleet of 300 tetreras and penteras. When he finished Carthaginian authority and diminished concurrence in Sicily, Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse turned against the Etruscans. He made use of the Celtic invasion of Italy and the Celts became his allies in the Italian peninsula (386 - 385 BC). This alliance was crucial for his politics, then focused to the Adriatic Sea, where the Liburnians still dominated. In light of this strategy, he established a few Syracusan colonies on the coasts of the Adriatic Sea, Adria at the mouth of Po river and Ancona at the western Adriatic coast, Issa on the most outer island of the central Adriatic archipelago (island of Vis) and the others, while in 385-384 BC he helped colonizers from the Greek island of Paros to establish Pharos (Starigrad) colony on the Liburnian island of Hvar, thus taking control of the important points and navigable routes in the southern, central and northern Adriatic Sea.
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Manuel Poggiali
Manuel Poggiali (born February 14, 1983) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion from San Marino. He was the 2001 125cc World Champion, and the 2003 250cc World Champion. He scored 12 race wins, 11 pole positions, and 35 podium finishes. He often struggled with motivation and the mental side of racing, and this contributed to his early retirement from the sport.
Poggiali began racing Minibikes in 1994, and made his first Grand Prix starts in 1998, also winning the Italian 125cc Championship that year. He went into the 125cc World Championship fulltime in 1999, and showed promise over the next two years, scoring a first podium at Assen in 2000. In 2001 he improved to win the title on a Gilera. He remained in the class in 2002, scoring 7 podia in the first 8 races but failing to defend his title, losing out to Arnaud Vincent.
For 2003 he moved up to 250s, and followed Freddie Spencer and Tetsuya Harada in winning the title at his first attempt, including victories in the season's first two races. He had a disappointing 2004 however, finishing only 9th overall with just three podium results.
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Maurizio Rattini
Maurizio Rattini (born November 13, 1949) is a Sammarinese politician who currently serves as a Captain Regent, having held the post since April 1, 2012, with Italo Righi. He also served as a Captain Regent from October 1, 1996 - April 1, 1997, with Giancarlo Venturini.
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Miodio
Miodio is a band that consists of three Italian and two Sammarinese members. They represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, performing the song Complice. This was the first time San Marino had entered the competition. They failied to get past the first semi-final on May 20, only receiving 5 points and placing last of 19.
Miodio was founded in the winter of 2002, and they have published a mini-album with 5 tracks. This album was produced by the label "Acanto" owned by the producer and composer Andrea Felli. In 2007 they entered into an exclusive contract with Opera Prima, a record label, releasing their first single "It's Ok", which is still played by more than a hundred national radio stations. The song has been also included in the soundtrack of the movie "Il Soffio dell'Anima" and is listed in the iTunes Store.
The group was selected by an internal jury, after applying through an open invitation for entrants to represent San Marino.
Miodio are the winners of the 17th edition of San Marino Festival as well as the winners of the prize 'Viva Music' and 'Best Original Song' at the 2006 Arts Festival in Bologna. They also represented San Marino at the 12th Biennial of Young Artists of Europe held in Naples, where the band presented a 30-minute filmshot, edited and produced by themselves and praised by an international jury.
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Mirko Tomassoni
Mirko Tomassoni (born 24 April 1969) was Captain Regent of San Marino for the six-month term from October 2007 to March 2008. He served together with Alberto Selva.
Tomassoni was elected in June 2006 to the Grand and General Council as an independent on the list of the Party of Socialists and Democrats. On October 1, 2007 Mirko Tomassoni was elected as one of the heads of state, making him the first disabled person to ever have been elected as captain regent.
Tomassoni is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.
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Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (French: Napoléon Bonaparte [napoleɔ̃ bɔnɑpaʁt]) (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. His legal reform, the Napoleonic Code, has been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide, but he is best remembered for his role in the wars led against France by a series of coalitions, the so-called Napoleonic Wars. He established hegemony over most of continental Europe and sought to spread the ideals of the French Revolution, while consolidating an imperial monarchy which restored aspects of the deposed Ancien Régime. Due to his success in these wars, often against numerically superior enemies, he is generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time and his campaigns are studied at military academies throughout much of the world.
Napoleon was born in Corsica to parents of noble Genoese ancestry, and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France. He rose to prominence under the French First Republic and led successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions arrayed against France. In 1799, he staged a coup d'état and installed himself as First Consul; five years later the French Senate proclaimed him emperor. In the first decade of the 19th century, the French Empire under Napoleon engaged in a series of conflicts—the Napoleonic Wars—involving every major European power.
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Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter whose style incorporated elements of the French Rococo, Bolognese classicism, and nascent Neoclassicism.
He was born in Lucca, the son of a goldsmith, Paolino Batoni. He moved to Rome in 1727, and apprenticed with Agostino Masucci, Sebastiano Conca and/or Francesco Imperiale (1679–1740).
Batoni owed his first independent commission to the rains that struck Rome in April 1732. Seeking shelter from a sudden storm, Forte Gabrielli di Gubbio, count of Baccaresca took cover under the portico of the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill. Here the nobleman met the young artist who was drawing the ancient bas-reliefs and the paintings of the staircase of the palace. Impressed by his skill and the purity of the design, Gabrielli asked Batoni to see some of his works, and when conducted to the painter's studio he was so awed by his talent that he offered him to paint a new altarpiece for the chapel of his family in San Gregorio Magno al Celio, the Madonna on a Throne with child and four Saints and Blesseds of the Gabrielli family (1739).
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Raphael Gualazzi
Raffaele Gualazzi (born 11 November 1981 in Urbino), better known as Raphael Gualazzi, is an Italian singer and pianist.
On 16 September 2005, Gualazzi released his first studio album, titled Love Outside the Window and distributed by Edel Music.
In 2008, Gualazzi recorded a cover of "Georgia on My Mind" for the compilation Piano Jazz, released in France by Wagram Music.
In September 2010 he released a self-titled digital EP in Italy and Europe. The EP features a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" and three new songs written by Gualazzi, including his first single, "Reality and Fantasy". The song was later released in a remix version by French DJ Gilles Peterson.
On 18 February 2011 he won the Sanremo Festival in the Newcomers section, the Critics' "Mia Martini" Award for Newcomers and the "Sala Radio-Tv" Award with the self-penned song "Follia d'amore". The song is included in Gualazzi's second studio album, Reality and Fantasy, released on 16 February 2011 by Sugar Music.
On 19 February 2011, Gualazzi was chosen among the participants at the Sanremo Festival 2011 to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, held in Düsseldorf, Germany. Gualazzi was the first Italian singer to represent the country since the Eurovision Song Contest 1997. "Madness of Love" finished second of 43 countries of all Europe with 189 points, 32 points behind the winning song "Running Scared".
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Roland Ratzenberger
Roland Ratzenberger (4 July 1960 – 30 April 1994) was an Austrian racing driver who raced in Formula Nippon, Formula 3000 and Formula One. He died during qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the same event at which three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna died the following day.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Ratzenberger often claimed 1962 (rather than 1960) as his birth year, wanting to appear younger to extend his racing career. He began racing in German Formula Ford in 1983, and in 1985 won both the Austrian and Central European Formula Ford championships.
In 1985 he also entered the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in England, finishing second. He returned in 1986 and won it before graduating to British Formula Three the following season. While in the UK, he briefly gained fame for the similarity of his name to that of TV puppet Roland Rat, with whom he appeared in an edition of TV-am and whose branding briefly appeared on his car.
Two years in British F3 yielded two 12th places in the championship with West Surrey Racing and Madgwick Motorsport respectively. He also raced in other formulae than single seaters, once finishing second in the 1987 World Touring Car Championship driving a Team Schnitzer BMW M3. In 1988 he entered the final few rounds of the British Touring Car Championship in a class B BMW M3 for the Demon Tweeks team.
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Saint Marinus
Saint Marinus was the founder of the world's oldest surviving republic, San Marino, in 301. Tradition holds that he was a stonemason by trade who came from the island of Rab on the other side of the Adriatic Sea (modern Croatia), fleeing persecution for his Christian beliefs in the Diocletianic Persecution. He became a Deacon, and was ordained by Gaudentius, the Bishop of Rimini, until he was accused by an insane woman of being her estranged husband, when he fled to Monte Titano to live as a hermit. There he built a chapel and monastery. Marinus was canonised and later, the State of San Marino grew up from the centre created by the monastery. His memorial day is September 3, commemorating the day of the year when he founded San Marino, which is also the state's national holiday.
According to legend, he died in the Winter of 366 and his last words were: "Relinquo vos liberos ab utroque homine." ("I leave you free from both men"). This somewhat mysterious phrase is most likely to refer to the two "men" from whose oppressive power Saint Marinus had decided to separate himself, becoming a hermit on Mount Titano: respectively the Emperor and the Pope. This affirmation of freedom (first and foremost fiscal franchise) from both the Empire and the Papal States, however legendary, has always been the inspiration of the tiny republic.
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Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen (Koine Greek: Στέφανος, Stephanos; sometimes spelled "Stephan"), the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran,Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Stephen's name is derived from the Greek language Stephanos, meaning "crown". Traditionally, Stephen is invested with a crown of martyrdom; he is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs' palm. In Eastern Christian iconography, he is shown as a young, beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments, and often holding a miniature church building or a censer. Rembrandt depicted his martyrdom in his work The Stoning of Saint Stephen.
History approximates Stephen's story around A.D. 34-35, shortly after Jesus' crucifixion[citation needed]. According to Chapter 6 of The Acts of the Apostles, Stephen was among seven men of the early church at Jerusalem appointed to serve as deacon. However, he is depicted as also successfully preaching to his fellow Jews and bringing many to accept Jesus as the Messiah. After a dispute with the members of a synagogue of "Roman Freedmen," he is denounced for blasphemy against God and Moses (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law. Stephen is tried before the Sanhedrin. His defense is presented as accusing the Jews of persecuting the prophets who had spoken out against the sins of the nation:
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Senit
Senhit Zadik Zadik known as Senit (born October 1, 1979 in Bologna) is an Italian singer of Eritrean descent. She represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.
Senit was born and raised in Bologna, Italy by her Eritrean parents. She started her career abroad.
She performed in musicals like Fame, The Lion King and Hair in Switzerland and Germany.
In 2002, she returned to Italy and claimed to fame in the Italian music business releasing her debut album in 2006 and her second album Un tesoro é necessariamente nascosto in 2007 with these singles: La mia cittá é cambiata, La cosa giusta, La faccia che ho. In 2009, Senit released her third album, the English language So high. Three singles were released off of the record: Work hard, No More and Party on the dance floor.
She represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 that was held in Düsseldorf with the song "Stand By".
Senit is currently working on her next album. On June 22, 2011 was released a new pop single: Through the Rain. The fourth album will be released in fall 2012.
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Stella Mwangi
Stella Nyambura Mwangi (also known for stage name STL) (born 1 September 1986 in Nairobi) is a Norwegian-Kenyan singer,songwriter and rapper. Mwangi writes a lot of her music about the situation in her home country Kenya, also about discrimination both Stella and her family had to go through after moving to Norway in 1991. Her work has been used in films such as American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and Save the Last Dance 2, and also in TV-series such as CSI: NY and Scrubs. She has won several awards including; the Kisima Awards, Clops Awards and Jeermaan Awards, she is one of the most popular singers in Norway after winning the Melodi Grand Prix 2011. She started to practice playing music when she was just eight years old. She is not just a singer, but she also plays the piano.
Mwangi has had hits in Kenya, Senegal, and Gambia.
Mwangi's father was killed in a hit-and-run accident in February 2012.
In 2011, Mwangi participated in the Norwegian national selection Melodi Grand Prix 2011 to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, which was held in Düsseldorf, Germany. On 12 February 2011, Mwangi emerged as the winner.
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Stephen Ireland
Stephen James Ireland (born 22 August 1986 in County Cork, Republic of Ireland) is an Irish footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa.
Ireland started his career in Cobh, playing junior football for Cobh Ramblers, a team his father Michael had previously played for. Ireland was captain of the Cork Schoolboys League, Kennedy Cup team in 2000 and was the standout player in that tournament in Limerick in June 2000. In Cork's first game against Wicklow, which Cork won 2–0, he played against Irish boxer Katie Taylor. As a schoolboy, Ireland had trials with a number of British clubs, though several were discouraged by his Osgood-Schlatter disease, which he suffered from in his mid-teens. He eventually chose Manchester City, where he moved in August 2001, as a fifteen year old.
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Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco Knight Grand Cross (born 5 January 1932) is an Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist. He is best known for his groundbreaking 1980 novel Il nome della rosa (The Name of the Rose), an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory. He has since written further novels, including Il pendolo di Foucault (Foucault's Pendulum) and L'isola del giorno prima (The Island of the Day Before). His most recent novel Il cimitero di Praga (The Prague Cemetery), released in 2010, was a best-seller.
Eco has also written academic texts, children's books and many essays. He is founder of the Dipartimento di Comunicazione at the University of San Marino, President of the Scuola Superiore di Studi Umanistici, University of Bologna, member of the Accademia dei Lincei (since November 2010) and an Honorary Fellow of Kellogg College, University of Oxford.
Eco was born in the city of Alessandria in the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. His father, Giulio, was an accountant before the government called upon him to serve in three wars. During World War II, Umberto and his mother, Giovanna, moved to a small village in the Piedmontese mountainside. Eco received a Salesian education, and he has made references to the order and its founder in his works and interviews. His family name is supposedly an acronym of ex caelis oblatus (Latin: a gift from the heavens), which was given to his grandfather (a foundling) by a city official.
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World War I
World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; but, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war). These alliances both reorganised (Italy fought for the Allies), and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.
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Little Europe: San Marino
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:04
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Located just a few miles inland from the Adriatic coast, the Republic of San Marino brags it's the world's oldest and smallest republic. It's remained sovereign and independent from Italy through almost all its 1700-year history. Located in the rugged Apennine Mountains, San Marino takes you back to the age of city-states, an era of pageantry, pride and fierce independence. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
http://wn.com/Little_Europe_San_Marino
Located just a few miles inland from the Adriatic coast, the Republic of San Marino brags it's the world's oldest and smallest republic. It's remained sovereign and independent from Italy through almost all its 1700-year history. Located in the rugged Apennine Mountains, San Marino takes you back to the age of city-states, an era of pageantry, pride and fierce independence. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
BANDA SAN MARINO- ele te trai
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:16
- Updated: 20 Jan 2013
dvd ao vivo
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England v San Marino 5-0 Pitchside Highlights | England
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:55
- Updated: 19 Jan 2013
England v San Marino 5-1 Pitchside Highlights Subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the England football team featuring exclusive news, match highlights and more at www.youtube.com To find out more about the England team log on to: www.thefa.com Become a fan of England on Facebook at www.facebook.com And follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/England_v_San_Marino_5-0_Pitchside_Highlights_|_England
England v San Marino 5-1 Pitchside Highlights Subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the England football team featuring exclusive news, match highlights and more at www.youtube.com To find out more about the England team log on to: www.thefa.com Become a fan of England on Facebook at www.facebook.com And follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com
- published: 13 Oct 2012
- views: 111952
- author: england
Republic of San Marino
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:22
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is a country situated in the Apennine Mountains. It is a landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 60 km2 with an estimated population of almost 30000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. One of the European microstates along with Liechtenstein, the Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, and Malta, San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe. San Marino is the oldest recorded sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, having been founded on 3 September 301 by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then a Roman colony, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates. The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect. ( source Wikipedia )
http://wn.com/Republic_of_San_Marino
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is a country situated in the Apennine Mountains. It is a landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 60 km2 with an estimated population of almost 30000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. One of the European microstates along with Liechtenstein, the Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, and Malta, San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe. San Marino is the oldest recorded sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, having been founded on 3 September 301 by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then a Roman colony, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates. The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect. ( source Wikipedia )
- published: 21 Jan 2010
- views: 14400
- author: THEWORLDOFTRAVEL
San Marino National football team - 11 goals from 19 !
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:26
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
1. Turkey - San Marino - 4-1 (1992) Nicola Bacciocchi 2. San Marino - England 1-7 (1993) Davide Gualtieri 3. San Marino - Faroe Islands 1-3 (1995) Mauro Valentini 4. San Marino - Austria 1-4 (1998) Andy Selva 5. Belgium - San Marino 10-1 (2001) Andy Selva 6. San Marino - Belgium 1-4 (2001) Andy Selva 7. San Marino - Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-3 (2005) Andy Selva 8. San Marino - Ireland 1-2 (2007) Manuel Marani 9. San Marino - Slovakia 1-3 (2008) Andy Selva 10. San Marino - Malta 2-3 (2012) Manuel Marani 11. San Marino - Malta 2-3 (2012) Danilo Rinaldi I found goal Andy Selva (against Wales) and add it later. Now I seeking other 7 goals... Maybe you can help me... 1-2. Andy Selva (against Lieсhtenstein 1-0, Belgium 1-2 [[30.03.2005]]), 3. Waldes Pasolini (against Romania 1-3) 4. Pier Domenico Della Valle (against Finland 1-4) 5. Nikola Albani (against Latvia 1-1) 6. Nicola Ciacci (against Lieсhtenstein 2-2) 7. Alex (not Brayan - it is big mistake !) Gasperoni (against Lieсhtenstein 2-2)
http://wn.com/San_Marino_National_football_team_11_goals_from_19_!
1. Turkey - San Marino - 4-1 (1992) Nicola Bacciocchi 2. San Marino - England 1-7 (1993) Davide Gualtieri 3. San Marino - Faroe Islands 1-3 (1995) Mauro Valentini 4. San Marino - Austria 1-4 (1998) Andy Selva 5. Belgium - San Marino 10-1 (2001) Andy Selva 6. San Marino - Belgium 1-4 (2001) Andy Selva 7. San Marino - Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-3 (2005) Andy Selva 8. San Marino - Ireland 1-2 (2007) Manuel Marani 9. San Marino - Slovakia 1-3 (2008) Andy Selva 10. San Marino - Malta 2-3 (2012) Manuel Marani 11. San Marino - Malta 2-3 (2012) Danilo Rinaldi I found goal Andy Selva (against Wales) and add it later. Now I seeking other 7 goals... Maybe you can help me... 1-2. Andy Selva (against Lieсhtenstein 1-0, Belgium 1-2 [[30.03.2005]]), 3. Waldes Pasolini (against Romania 1-3) 4. Pier Domenico Della Valle (against Finland 1-4) 5. Nikola Albani (against Latvia 1-1) 6. Nicola Ciacci (against Lieсhtenstein 2-2) 7. Alex (not Brayan - it is big mistake !) Gasperoni (against Lieсhtenstein 2-2)
- published: 25 Aug 2012
- views: 7127
- author: valdas199
SAN MARINO NATIONAL TEAM SONG (Champion Theme) - SAN MARİNO ŞAMPİYONLUK MARŞI (Murat Akay)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:05
- Updated: 16 Jan 2013
I think SAN MARINO needs a song to play well.SAN MARINO will destroy all teams after this song.. Sanırım SAN MARINO'nun iyi oynaması için bir şarkıya ihtiyacı vardı.Bu parçadan sonra kimse tutamaz artık Onlar'ı Music-Lyrics-Production-Director : Murat Akay Müzik-Söz-Produksiyon-Yö...
http://wn.com/SAN_MARINO_NATIONAL_TEAM_SONG_Champion_Theme_SAN_MARİNO_ŞAMPİYONLUK_MARŞI_Murat_Akay
I think SAN MARINO needs a song to play well.SAN MARINO will destroy all teams after this song.. Sanırım SAN MARINO'nun iyi oynaması için bir şarkıya ihtiyacı vardı.Bu parçadan sonra kimse tutamaz artık Onlar'ı Music-Lyrics-Production-Director : Murat Akay Müzik-Söz-Produksiyon-Yö...
- published: 09 Oct 2011
- views: 17312
- author: pretioza
England U21 fast paced training game - England v San Marino | FATV
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:00
- Updated: 09 Jan 2013
Highlights to the following 2 games will be exclusively live on FATV from midnight Friday 12th October 2012 England v San Marino World Cup Qualifier England v Serbia U21s Euro Play-off Subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the England football team featuring exclusive news, match highlights and more at www.youtube.com To find out more about the England team log on to: www.thefa.com Become a fan of England on Facebook at www.facebook.com And follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/England_U21_fast_paced_training_game_England_v_San_Marino_|_FATV
Highlights to the following 2 games will be exclusively live on FATV from midnight Friday 12th October 2012 England v San Marino World Cup Qualifier England v Serbia U21s Euro Play-off Subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the England football team featuring exclusive news, match highlights and more at www.youtube.com To find out more about the England team log on to: www.thefa.com Become a fan of England on Facebook at www.facebook.com And follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com
- published: 11 Oct 2012
- views: 25508
- author: england
Randy Mamola highside save 1985 500cc San Marino Grand Prix Misano
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:31
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
http://wn.com/Randy_Mamola_highside_save_1985_500cc_San_Marino_Grand_Prix_Misano
F1 Battles Gilles Villeneuve V's Didier Pironi San Marino 1982
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:25
- Updated: 18 Jan 2013
A lead that swapped almost too many times to count! Perhpas Didier was trying and Gilles wasn't, if you were to believe what Gilles said... The tragedies that soon followed these two will leave the real story as a mystery, but what it wasn't was a staged show by the two Ferrari drivers.
http://wn.com/F1_Battles_Gilles_Villeneuve_V's_Didier_Pironi_San_Marino_1982
A lead that swapped almost too many times to count! Perhpas Didier was trying and Gilles wasn't, if you were to believe what Gilles said... The tragedies that soon followed these two will leave the real story as a mystery, but what it wasn't was a staged show by the two Ferrari drivers.
- published: 03 Nov 2009
- views: 81857
- author: f1educator
Mika Häkkinen qualifying in San Marino 2000
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:07
- Updated: 14 Jan 2013
Häkkinen owns Schumacher in San Marino. Greatest qualifying performance ever in modern Formula1 racing.
http://wn.com/Mika_Häkkinen_qualifying_in_San_Marino_2000
Häkkinen owns Schumacher in San Marino. Greatest qualifying performance ever in modern Formula1 racing.
- published: 19 Jul 2007
- views: 290669
- author: AnttiN
MotoGP - San Marino 500cc GP - Imola 1983.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 22:18
- Updated: 15 Jan 2013
Kenny Roberts Last 500cc GP World Championship Race.
http://wn.com/MotoGP_San_Marino_500cc_GP_Imola_1983
Kenny Roberts Last 500cc GP World Championship Race.
- published: 22 Apr 2011
- views: 14598
- author: yds250
Rally Legend 2011 - Republic of San Marino - Best Of - Pure engine sound - HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 26:45
- Updated: 07 Jan 2013
Watch the complete video ... and You will see racing action from the 9th Rally Legend in San Marino. First the Shakedown, then the special stage "the legend" and in the end the special stage "San Marino". You will see beautiful legend rallye cars in action and in hairy situations ...
http://wn.com/Rally_Legend_2011_Republic_of_San_Marino_Best_Of_Pure_engine_sound_HD
Watch the complete video ... and You will see racing action from the 9th Rally Legend in San Marino. First the Shakedown, then the special stage "the legend" and in the end the special stage "San Marino". You will see beautiful legend rallye cars in action and in hairy situations ...
- published: 13 Oct 2011
- views: 51816
- author: Racemike1
![ZOE featuring IN-GRID - Avec Toi [Official Video HD]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130123021111im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MFxH6mP0Jbk/default.jpg "ZOE featuring IN-GRID - Avec Toi [Official Video HD]")
ZOE featuring IN-GRID - Avec Toi [Official Video HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:26
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
Performed by In-Grid Composed by Zoe Tiganouria Lyrics by Rebekka Roussi Produced by Christodoulos Siganos Directed by Miltos Pilalitos ZOE MUSIC LTD www.zoe-music.net info@zoe-music.net
http://wn.com/ZOE_featuring_IN-GRID_Avec_Toi_Official_Video_HD_
Performed by In-Grid Composed by Zoe Tiganouria Lyrics by Rebekka Roussi Produced by Christodoulos Siganos Directed by Miltos Pilalitos ZOE MUSIC LTD www.zoe-music.net info@zoe-music.net
- published: 17 Nov 2011
- views: 126897
- author: EnergyProductionRec
1991 FIA Review, Round 3, San Marino
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:37
- Updated: 09 Jan 2013
FIA review of the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. I had to cut approx 3.5 mins of pre-race stuff but I may upload that later if there is demand.
http://wn.com/1991_FIA_Review,_Round_3,_San_Marino
FIA review of the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix. I had to cut approx 3.5 mins of pre-race stuff but I may upload that later if there is demand.
- published: 21 Jul 2008
- views: 25808
- author: senorsoupe
Eurovision 2008 San Marino: Miodio - Complice
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:56
- Updated: 09 Jan 2013
Eurovision 2008 San Marino: Miodio - Complice, Official Release (Album Version)
http://wn.com/Eurovision_2008_San_Marino_Miodio_Complice
Eurovision 2008 San Marino: Miodio - Complice, Official Release (Album Version)
- published: 22 Mar 2008
- views: 45081
- author: 0Miodio0
Banda San Marino - Preciso Te Falar (Ao Vivo)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:46
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Performance do DVD "Ao Vivo na Argentina", de 2008, gravado em Outubro de 2007 em Leandro N. Alem, Argentina.
http://wn.com/Banda_San_Marino_Preciso_Te_Falar_Ao_Vivo
Performance do DVD "Ao Vivo na Argentina", de 2008, gravado em Outubro de 2007 em Leandro N. Alem, Argentina.
- published: 08 May 2008
- views: 534034
- author: rafalibrenz
1993 (November 17) San Marino 1-England 7 (World Cup Qualifier).avi
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:33
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Ifinterested in international matches (usually from 80s-90s), you can also check my blog soccernostalgia.blogspot.com I not only provide lineups/goalscorers/etc, but I also try to add anecdotes, facts and trivia pertaining to the match in question.
http://wn.com/1993_November_17_San_Marino_1-England_7_World_Cup_Qualifieravi
Ifinterested in international matches (usually from 80s-90s), you can also check my blog soccernostalgia.blogspot.com I not only provide lineups/goalscorers/etc, but I also try to add anecdotes, facts and trivia pertaining to the match in question.
- published: 20 Nov 2011
- views: 29200
- author: sp1873
Senna vs Prost - 1985 San Marino Grand Prix
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:27
- Updated: 22 Jan 2013
The first ever head to head battle between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, fighting for the lead at Imola in the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix. A great preview of the rest of their careers together.
http://wn.com/Senna_vs_Prost_1985_San_Marino_Grand_Prix
The first ever head to head battle between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, fighting for the lead at Imola in the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix. A great preview of the rest of their careers together.
- published: 26 Oct 2009
- views: 54981
- author: Conquerer13
To De Olho - San Marino (Clipe Oficial HD)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:26
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Video clipe da música lançamento do San Marino 2012. Direção de vídeo de Adelar Elegeda
http://wn.com/To_De_Olho_San_Marino_Clipe_Oficial_HD
Video clipe da música lançamento do San Marino 2012. Direção de vídeo de Adelar Elegeda
- published: 12 Sep 2012
- views: 26377
- author: DicasVideo
Vanessa Amorosi - This Is Who I Am
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:34
- Updated: 21 Jan 2013
Music video by Vanessa Amorosi performing This Is Who I Am. (C) 2009 Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd.
http://wn.com/Vanessa_Amorosi_This_Is_Who_I_Am
Music video by Vanessa Amorosi performing This Is Who I Am. (C) 2009 Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd.
- published: 01 Jul 2010
- views: 168009
- author: VanessaAmorosiVEVO
Rally Legend San Marino 2011
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:52
- Updated: 10 Oct 2012
My photos of the event are here: www.photobucket.com Some of my amateur footage of the night stage and industrial estate stage at the RallyLegend event in San Marino. 6-9 October 2011.
http://wn.com/Rally_Legend_San_Marino_2011
My photos of the event are here: www.photobucket.com Some of my amateur footage of the night stage and industrial estate stage at the RallyLegend event in San Marino. 6-9 October 2011.
- published: 10 Oct 2011
- views: 12101
- author: UKMrChris
1989 San Marino Grand Prix
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:28
- Updated: 17 Jan 2013
The crash of Gerhard Berger from the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola stefangp.wordpress.com
http://wn.com/1989_San_Marino_Grand_Prix
The crash of Gerhard Berger from the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola stefangp.wordpress.com
- published: 30 Apr 2009
- views: 63504
- author: SenorSenor28
Adam Szalai - Hungary - San Marino
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:07
- Updated: 13 Jan 2013
Adam Szalai - Hungary - San Marino
http://wn.com/Adam_Szalai_Hungary_San_Marino
photo: AP / Echorouk Elyaoumi
21 Jan 2013
Algerian security forces on Sunday made grisly discoveries of dozens of bodies at a sprawling natural gas facility, a day after a violent showdown put an end to an international hostage crisis. But as Algeria tallied up the losses, a debate was emerging about whether the militant group linked to al-Qaida that seized the plant had been intent on a massacre or whether it had simply been after money ... ....(size: 2.9Kb)
photo: US Army / Sgt. 1st Class Abram Pinnington
20 Jan 2013
WASHINGTON -- The war rages about cities with names such as Goa and Timbuktu, in a sparsely populated, mostly flat, dusty and landlocked country in northwest Africa. The combatants include a nomadic Berber people known as Tuareg, the French Foreign Legion and a coalition of al-Qaida affiliates who identify themselves with the Maghreb, the desert region of Northwestern Africa ... Some U.S ... Afghanistan ... J ... "They go to where the fight is ... ....(size: 6.6Kb)
photo: AP / Anis Belghoul
22 Jan 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When then-Vice President Dick Cheney stated. "If there's a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It's not about our analysis...it's about our response,"(1) it was clearly evident that the "war on terror" had been lost ... And when Zacarias Moussaoui shouted. "America you lost ... 11....(size: 9.1Kb)
photo: WN / Imran Nissar
20 Jan 2013
The world's 100 richest people earned enough money last year to end world extreme poverty four times over, according to released by international rights group and charity Oxfam. The $240 billion net income of the world's 100 richest billionaires would have ended poverty four times over, according to the London-based group's report released on Saturday ... [...] We're anti-poverty agency ... You don't normally hear us talking about wealth ... ....(size: 18.5Kb)
photo: AP / Win McNamee, Pool
21 Jan 2013
The list. Inauguration Day. President Obama is sworn in for a second term. For only the second time in history, the presidential oath of office has been administered to someone for the fourth time. On the steps of the U.S ... Roberts, Jr. As prescribed in the constitution, Obama was officially sworn into office on Sunday, Jan ... At his first inauguration four years ago, a miscue forced Obama and Roberts to repeat the oath in private ... Sen ... ....(size: 2.4Kb)
News24
22 Jan 2013
>. > >. > ... Gerrard, honoured by a Football Writers' Association tribute dinner on Sunday, won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in World Cup qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header which sees trips to makeweights San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
noodls
22 Jan 2013
(Source. CEB - Confederation of European Baseball). Tuesday, January 22, 2013 .14.20 .Age. 3 hrs The Group drawings for European Cups & Qualifiers have been made. European Cups 2013. The C.E.B. Technical Commission made the drawing for the game schedule for the European Cups in Barcelona (Spain) and Regensburg (Germany) 2013 ... The groups.. Barcelona.. 1. Corendon Kinheim NED. 2. C.B. Barcelona ESP. 3. Rouen Huskies FRA. 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... 1 ... T & A San Marino SMR....(size: 4.3Kb)
Sky Sports
21 Jan 2013
England captain Steven Gerrard has set his sights on breaking David Beckham's international appearance record ... If he remains fit, Gerrard could close in on Beckham's tally at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Three Lions currently sit second in qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro, who they face in March shortly after a trip to San Marino ... World Cup 2014 Winner ... Share. ....(size: 2.1Kb)
Sporting Life
21 Jan 2013
Player Profile. 8. Steven Gerrard. Title Number Appearances 36 (3) Goals 7 Assists 12 Yellows 4 Reds 1 *Current Season ... If he remains fit, Gerrard could close in on Beckham's tally at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Three Lions currently sit second in qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro, who they face in March shortly after a trip to San Marino ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
Sky Sports
21 Jan 2013
England captain Steven Gerrard has set his sights on breaking David Beckham's international appearance record ... If he remains fit, Gerrard could close in on Beckham's tally at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Three Lions currently sit second in qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro, who they face in March shortly after a trip to San Marino ... World Cup 2014 Winner ... Share. ....(size: 2.1Kb)
News24
21 Jan 2013
>. > >. > ... Gerrard, honoured by a Football Writers' Association tribute dinner on Sunday, won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in World Cup qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header which sees trips to makeweights San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)
The Times of India
21 Jan 2013
LONDON ... Gerrard, honoured by a Football Writers' Association tribute dinner on Sunday, won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in World Cup qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header which sees trips to makeweights San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
Independent online (SA)
21 Jan 2013
Gerrard, honoured by a Football Writers' Association tribute dinner on Sunday, won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in World Cup qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header which sees trips to makeweights San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... England haven't won a major trophy since lifting the World Cup on home soil in 1966 and Gerrard added ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
The Los Angeles Times
21 Jan 2013
Los Angeles County transportation officials have released the final version of their analysis of alternatives for closing the so-called 710 gap between Alhambra and Pasadena, setting the stage for more vigorous environmental review ... The MTA will hold three community open houses to share the report's information. from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23 at Maranantha High School, from 6 to 8 p.m ... 24 at San Marino Community Church, and from 9 to 11 a.m ... 0 ... ....(size: 31.9Kb)
noodls
21 Jan 2013
(Source. FIFA - Fédération Internationale de Football Association) ... Gerrard, honoured by a Football Writers' Association tribute dinner on Sunday, won his 100th cap against Sweden in November while England are currently second in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header which sees trips to makeweights San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... distributed by ... (noodl....(size: 3.3Kb)
The Independent
21 Jan 2013
England captain Steven Gerrard has set his sights firmly set on David Beckham's international appearance record and believes lifting the World Cup in Brazil next year might just not be the impossible dream for Roy Hodgson's squad ... The Three Lions currently sit second in Group H, two points behind Montenegro ahead of the March double header with trips to whipping boys San Marino and then the leaders in Podgorica ... PA ....(size: 3.4Kb)
CNN
21 Jan 2013
January 21, 2013 -- Updated 2214 GMT (0614 HKT). Timo Glock has left Marussia by mutual consent following three years with the team. (CNN) -- Timo Glock faces an uncertain future in Formula One after parting company with Marussia ahead of the new season ... Domenicali ... The German won the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994 where both Simtek racer Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna lost their lives ... Case for greatness ... 1....(size: 8.1Kb)
noodls
21 Jan 2013
(Source. Renault Group SA). Monte-Carlo Historique. 5 belinettes to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Alpine-Renault's one-two-three finish in 1973. January 19, 2013 . ID. 43029. Renault Classic to contest the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique for third straight year ... The team's start-studded crew line-up features.. - N°01 ... 1965 - 1st, Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières (Renault 8 Gordini), 2nd, San Marino Rally (Renault 8 Gordini) ... - Record....(size: 10.2Kb)
This article is about the country in southern Europe. For other uses, see San Marino (disambiguation).
| Republic of San Marino
Repubblica di San Marino
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||
| Motto: Libertas (Latin) "Freedom" |
||||||
| Anthem: "Inno Nazionale della Repubblica" "National Anthem of the Republic" |
||||||
 |
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| Capital | City of San Marino 43°56′N 12°26′E / 43.933°N 12.433°E / 43.933; 12.433 |
|||||
| Largest city | Dogana | |||||
| Official language(s) | Italian | |||||
| Ethnic groups | Sammarinese Italian[1] |
|||||
| Demonym | Sammarinese | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | Captains Regent | Italo Righi Maurizio Rattini |
||||
| Legislature | Grand and General Council | |||||
| Independence | ||||||
| - | from the Roman Empire | 3 September 301 (traditional) | ||||
| - | Constitution | 8 October 1600 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 61.2 km2 [2](219th) 24 sq mi |
||||
| - | Water (%) | 0 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 31 March 2011 estimate | 31,887 [3] (219th) | ||||
| - | Density | 501/km2 1,297.6/sq mi |
||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $1.17 billion[4][5] (177th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $35,928[4][5] (24th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | US$1.44 billion[4][5] (163rd) | ||||
| - | Per capita | US$44,208[4][5] (15th) | ||||
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
|||||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| ISO 3166 code | SM | |||||
| Internet TLD | .sm | |||||
| Calling code | +378 | |||||
| Patron saint | Saint Agatha | |||||
| [2][6] | ||||||
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino[2][7] (i/sæn məˈriːnoʊ/ san-mə-REE-noh; Italian: Repubblica di San Marino) and also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino[7] (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino), is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.
San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301, by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then the Roman colony of Arba, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.[8]
The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect.[9] The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to some of the more developed Italian regions, such as Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus.[2]
Contents |
History[link]
Main article: History of San Marino
According to tradition, Saint Marinus left the island of Rab in present-day Croatia with his lifelong friend Leo, and went to the city of Rimini as a mason. After the Diocletianic Persecution following his Christian sermons, he escaped to the nearby Monte Titano, where he built a small church and thus founded what is now the city and state of San Marino. The official date of foundation of the Republic is 3 September 301.
By the mid-5th century, a community was formed; because of its relatively inaccessible location and its poverty, it has succeeded, with a few brief interruptions, in maintaining its independence. In 1631, its independence was recognized by the Papacy.
The advance of Napoleon's army in 1797 presented a brief threat to the independence of San Marino, but the country was saved from losing its liberty thanks to one of its Regents, Antonio Onofri, who managed to gain the respect and friendship of Napoleon. Thanks to his intervention, Napoleon, in a letter delivered to Gaspard Monge, scientist and commissary of the French Government for Science and Art, promised to guarantee and protect the independence of the Republic, offering to extend its territory according to its needs. The offer was declined by San Marino, fearing future retaliation from other states (revanchism).[10]
During the later phase of the Italian unification process in the 19th century, San Marino served as a refuge for many people persecuted because of their support for unification. In recognition of this support, Giuseppe Garibaldi accepted the wish of San Marino not to be incorporated into the new Italian state.
The government of San Marino made United States President Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen. He wrote in reply, saying that the republic proved that "government founded on republican principles is capable of being so administered as to be secure and enduring."[11][12]
20th century[link]
During World War I, when Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915, San Marino remained neutral and Italy adopted a hostile view of Sammarinese neutrality, suspecting that San Marino could harbor Austrian spies who could be given access to its new radiotelegraph station. Italy tried to forcibly establish a detachment of Carabinieri in the Republic and then cut the Republic's telephone lines when it did not comply. Two groups of ten volunteers did, however, join Italian forces in the fighting on the Italian front, the first as combatants and the second as a Medical Corps operating a Red Cross field hospital. The existence of this hospital later caused Austria-Hungary to suspend diplomatic relations with San Marino.[13]
From 1923 to 1943, San Marino was under the rule of the Sammarinese Fascist Party (PFS).
During World War II, San Marino remained neutral, although it was wrongly reported that it declared war on the United Kingdom on 17 September 1940.
Three days after the fall of Benito Mussolini in Italy, PFS rule collapsed and the new government declared neutrality in the conflict. The Fascists regained power on 1 April 1944 but kept neutrality intact. Despite that, on 26 June 1944 San Marino was bombed by the Royal Air Force, which mistakenly believed that the country had been overrun by German forces and was being used to amass stores and ammunition. At least 35 people were killed in the operation. San Marino accepted thousands of civilian refugees when Allied forces went over the Gothic Line.[14] In September 1944, it was briefly occupied by German forces, who were attacked by Allied forces in the Battle of San Marino. Allied troops withdrew from the country shortly afterwards.
San Marino had the world's first democratically elected communist government, which held office between 1945 and 1957.
San Marino is the world's smallest republic, although when Nauru gained independence in 1968 it challenged that claim, Nauru's land mass being only 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi). However Nauru's jurisdiction over its surrounding waters 431,000 km2 (166,000 sq mi) is thousands of times greater than the territory of San Marino.[15]
San Marino became a member of the Council of Europe in 1988 and of the United Nations in 1992. It is not a member of the European Union.
Geography[link]
Main article: Geography of San Marino
San Marino is an enclave in Italy, on the border between the regioni of Emilia Romagna and Marche and about 10 km (6.21 mi) from the Adriatic coast at Rimini. Its topography is dominated by the Apennine mountain range, and it has a rugged terrain. The highest point in the country, the summit of Monte Titano, is situated at 749 m (2,457 ft) above sea level. There are no bodies of water of any significant size. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with only Vatican City and Monaco being smaller. San Marino has no natural level ground; it is entirely composed of hilly terrain.
Climate[link]
The climate is Mediterranean with continental influences, having warm summers and cool winters. The National Centre of Meteorology and Climatology of San Marino provides local forecasts.[16]
Governance[link]
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Main article: Politics of San Marino
See also: Foreign relations of San Marino, Constitution of San Marino, Capital punishment in San Marino, San Marino passport, Law enforcement in San Marino, and Elections in San Marino
San Marino has the political framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic: the Captains Regent are the heads of state, and there is a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Grand and General Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
San Marino was originally led by the Arengo, initially formed from the heads of each family. In the 13th century, power was given to the Great and General Council. In 1243, the first two Captains Regent were nominated by the Council. As of 2010[update], this method of nomination is still in use.
The legislature of the republic is the Grand and General Council (Consiglio grande e generale). The Council is a unicameral legislature with 60 members. There are elections every five years by proportional representation in all nine administrative districts. These districts (townships) correspond to the old parishes of the republic.
Citizens 18 years or older are eligible to vote. Beside general legislation, the Grand and General Council approves the budget and elects the Captains Regent, the State Congress (composed of ten Secretaries with executive power), the Council of Twelve (which forms the judicial branch during the period of legislature of the Council), the Advising Commissions, and the Government Unions. The Council also has the power to ratify treaties with other countries. The Council is divided into five different Advising Commissions consisting of fifteen councillors who examine, propose, and discuss the implementation of new laws that are on their way to being presented on the floor of the Council.
Every six months, the Council elects two Captains Regent to be the heads of state. The Regents are chosen from opposing parties so that there is a balance of power. They serve a six-month term. The investiture of the Captains Regent takes place on 1 April and 1 October in every year. Once this term is over, citizens have three days in which to file complaints about the Captains' activities. If they warrant it, judicial proceedings against the ex-head(s) of state can be initiated.
The practice of multiple heads of state, as well as the frequent re-election of the heads of state, are derived directly from the customs of the Roman Republic. The Council is equivalent to the Roman Senate; the Captains Regent, to the consuls of ancient Rome.
San Marino is a multi-party democratic republic. Due to a new election law in 2008 which raised the threshold for small parties entering Parliament, political parties in San Marino are organised into two opposing alliances: the right-wing Pact for San Marino, led by the San Marinese Christian Democratic Party; and the left-wing Reforms and Freedom, led by the Party of Socialists and Democrats, a merger of the Socialist Party of San Marino and the former communist Party of Democrats). The Sammarinese general election, 2008 was won by the Pact for San Marino with 35 seats in the Grand and General Council against Reforms and Freedom's 25.
On 1 October 2007, Mirko Tomassoni was elected as one of the heads of state, making him the first disabled person ever to have been elected as captain regent.[17]
San Marino is an associated state of Italy, which is responsible for its defense and which provides it an annual subsidy.
Administrative divisions[link]
Municipalities[link]
San Marino is divided into the following nine municipalities, known locally as castelli (meaning "castles").
- San Marino (City of San Marino, officially Città di San Marino) is the capital.
There are also eight minor municipalities:
The largest town of the Republic is Dogana, which is not an autonomous castello, but rather belongs to the Castello of Serravalle.
In a similar way to an Italian comune, each castello includes a main settlement, called capoluogo, which is the seat of the castello, and some even smaller localities known as frazioni.
Curacies[link]
The republic is made up of 43 parishes[18] named curacies (It: curazie):
Cà Berlone, Cà Chiavello, Cà Giannino, Cà Melone, Cà Ragni, Cà Rigo, Cailungo, Caladino, Calligaria, Canepa, Capanne, Casole, Castellaro, Cerbaiola, Cinque Vie, Confine, Corianino, Crociale, Dogana, Falciano, Fiorina, Galavotto, Gualdicciolo, La Serra, Lesignano, Molarini, Montalbo, Monte Pulito, Murata, Pianacci, Piandivello, Poggio Casalino, Poggio Chiesanuova, Ponte Mellini, Rovereta, San Giovanni sotto le Penne, Santa Mustiola, Spaccio Giannoni, Teglio, Torraccia, Valdragone, Valgiurata and Ventoso.
Military[link]
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Main article: Military of San Marino
San Marino has one of the smallest military forces in the world. National defence is, by arrangement, the responsibility of Italy's armed forces. Different branches have varied functions, including: performing ceremonial duties; patrolling borders; mounting guard at government buildings; and assisting police in major criminal cases. The police are not included in the Military of San Marino.
Crossbow Corps[link]
Although once at the heart of San Marino's army, the Crossbow Corps is now a ceremonial force of approximately eighty volunteers. Since 1295, the Crossbow Corps has provided demonstrations of crossbow shooting at festivals. Its uniform is medieval in design. Although it is a statutory military unit, the Crossbow Corps has no military function today.
Guard of the Rock[link]
File:Guard of the Rock.JPG
Three members of the Guard of the Rock
The Guard of the Rock is a front-line military unit in the San Marino armed forces, a state border patrol, with responsibility for patrolling borders and defending them. In their role as Fortress Guards they are responsible for guarding the Palazzo Pubblico in San Marino City, the seat of national Government.
In this role they are the forces most visible to tourists, and are known for their colourful ceremony of Changing the Guard. Under the 1987 statute the Guard of the Rock are all enrolled as 'Criminal Police Officers' (in addition to their military role) and assist the police in investigating major crime. The uniform of the Guard of the Rock is a distinctive red and green.
Guard of the Council Great and General[link]
The Guard of the Council Great and General commonly known as The Guard of the Council or locally as the 'Guard of Nobles', formed in 1740, is a volunteer unit with ceremonial duties. Due to its striking blue, white, and gold uniform, it is perhaps the best-known part of the Sammarinese military, and appears on countless postcard views of the republic. The functions of the Guard of the Council are to protect the Captains Regent, and to defend the Great and General Council during its formal sessions. They also provide a ceremonial bodyguard to government officials on festivals of both state and church.
The Company of Uniformed Militia[link]
In former times, all families with two or more adult male members were required to enroll half of them in the Company of Uniformed Militia. This unit remains the basic fighting force of the armed forces of San Marino, but is largely ceremonial. It is a matter of civic pride for many San-Marinese to belong to the force, and all citizens with at least six years residence in the republic are entitled to enroll.
The uniform is dark blue, with a kepi bearing a blue and white plume. The ceremonial form of the uniform includes a white cross-strap, and white and blue sash, white epaulets, and white decorated cuffs.
The Military Ensemble[link]
Formally this is part of the Army Militia, and is the ceremonial military band of San Marino. It consists of approximately fifty musicians. The uniform is similar to that of the Army Militia. Military Ensemble music accompanies most state occasions in the republic.
The Gendarmerie[link]
Established in 1842, the Gendarmerie of San Marino is a militarised law enforcement agency. Its members are full-time and have responsibility for the protection of citizens and property, and the preservation of law and order.
The entire military corps of San Marino depends upon the co-operation of full-time forces and their retained (volunteer) colleagues, known as the Corpi Militari Volontari, or Voluntary Military Force.
Economy[link]
Although San Marino is not a European Union member, it is allowed to use the euro as its currency by arrangement with the Council of the European Union; it is also granted the right to use its own designs on the national side of the euro coins. Before the euro, the Sammarinese lira was pegged to, and exchangeable with, the Italian lira. The small number of Sammarinese euro coins, as was the case with the lira before it, are primarily of interest to coin collectors.
Other key industries are banking, electronics, and ceramics. The main agricultural products are wine and cheese.
San Marino's postage stamps, which are valid for mail only within the country, are mostly sold to philatelists and are a source of income. San Marino is a member of the Small European Postal Administration Cooperation.
The per capita level of US$55,449 and standard of living are comparable to those of Denmark or Germany. San Marino imports goods such as food from Italy.
Taxation[link]
The corporate profits tax rate in San Marino is 19 percent. Capital gains are subject to a five percent tax; interest is subject to a 13 percent withholding tax.
In 1972, a value added taxation (VAT) system was introduced in Italy, and was applied in San Marino, in accordance with the 1939 friendship treaty. In addition, a tax on imported goods, to be levied by San Marino, was established. Such taxes, however, were not, and are not, applied to national products. Until 1996, goods manufactured and sold in San Marino were not subject to indirect taxation.
Under the European Union customs agreement, San Marino continues to levy taxes, the equivalent of an import duty, on imported goods. Also, a general VAT was introduced, in replacement of the Italian VAT.
Tourism[link]
Main article: Tourism in San Marino
The tourist sector contributes over 2.2% of San Marino's GDP, with approximately 2 million tourists visiting in 2009.[19][20]
Demographics[link]
Main article: Demographics of San Marino
San Marino has a population of approximately 33,000, with 4,800 foreign residents, most of whom are Italian citizens. Another 12,000 Sammarinese live abroad (5,700 in Italy, 3,000 in the USA, 1,600 in Argentina and 1,900 in France).[21]
The first census since 1976 was held in 2010. Results are expected within the end of 2011. However, 13 per cent of families did not return their forms.
The language spoken is Italian; Emiliano-Romagnolo is widely spoken too. Citizens of San Marino enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world.[2]
Religion[link]
Main article: Religion in San Marino
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San Marino is a predominantly Catholic state[2] — over 97% of the population profess the Catholic faith, but it is not the established religion. Approximately half of those who profess to be Catholic practise the faith.[22] There is no episcopal see in San Marino. Historically, the various parishes in San Marino were divided between two Italian dioceses, mostly in the Diocese of Montefeltro, and partly in the Diocese of Rimini. In 1977, the border between Montefeltro and Rimini was readjusted so that all of San Marino fell within the diocese of Montefeltro. The bishop of Montefeltro-San Marino resides in Pennabilli, in Italy.
However, there is a provision under the income tax rules that the tax payers have the right to request for allocation of 0.3 % of their income tax to the Catholic Church or to "other" charities. The churches include the two religious groups of the Waldensian Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic diocese of Montefeltro. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.[23] The current diocese includes all the parishes of San Marino. The earliest mention of Montefeltro, as Mona Feretri, is in the diplomas by which Charlemagne confirmed the donation of Pepin. The first known bishop of Montefeltro was Agatho (826), whose residence was at San Leo. Under Bishop Flaminios Dondi (1724) the see was again transferred to San Leo, but later it returned to Pennabilli. The historic diocese was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Urbino.[24]
There has been a Jewish presence in San Marino for at least 600 years.[25] The first mention of Jews in San Marino dates to the late 14th century, in official documents recording the business transactions of Jews. There are many documents throughout the 15th to 17th centuries describing Jewish dealings and verifying the presence of a Jewish community in San Marino. Jews were required to wear special badges and live by specific restrictions, but were also permitted official protection by the government.
During World War II, San Marino provided a harbor for more than 100,000 Italians (approximately ten times the Samarrinese population at the time) and Jews from Nazi persecution. Today, there are only small numbers of Jews in San Marino.[26]
Transport[link]
Main article: Transport in San Marino
There are 220 km of roads in the country, the main road being the San Marino Superhighway. Sammarinese authorities license private vehicles with distinctive licence plates which are white with blue figures and the coat of arms, usually a letter followed by up to four numbers. Many vehicles also carry the international vehicle identification code (in black on a white oval sticker), which is "RSM".
There are no public airports in San Marino, but there is a small private airstrip located in Torraccia and an international heliport located in Borgo Maggiore. Most tourists who arrive by air land at Federico Fellini International Airport close to the city of Rimini, then make the transfer by bus.
Two rivers flow through San Marino, but there is no major water transport, and no major port or harbour.
Public transport[link]
San Marino has limited public transport facilities. There is a regular bus service between Rimini and the city of San Marino, popular with both tourists and tourist industry workers commuting to San Marino from Italy. This service stops at approximately twenty locations in Rimini and within San Marino, with its two terminus stops at Rimini railway station and San Marino coach station.
A limited licensed taxi service operates nationwide. There are seven licensed taxi operating companies in the republic,[27] and Italian taxis regularly operate within San Marino when carrying passengers picked up in Italian territory.
There is a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) aerial tramway connecting the city of San Marino on top of Monte Titano with Borgo Maggiore, a major town in the republic, with the second largest population of any San Marinese settlement. For the visitor the aerial tramway gives the best views of Borgo Maggiore, as the cars sweep low over the rooftops of the main town square. From here a further connection is available to the nation's largest settlement, Dogana, via the local bus service.
Two aerial tramway cars (gondolas) operate in opposition on a cable, and service is provided at roughly fifteen minute intervals throughout the day. A third vehicle is available on the system, a service car for the use of engineers maintaining the tramway.
Railway[link]
Today, there is no railway in San Marino, but for a short period before World War II, it had a single narrow-gauge line, connecting the country with the Italian rail network at Rimini. Because of the difficulties in accessing the capital, San Marino City, with its mountain-top location, the terminus station was planned to be located in the village of Valdragone, but was extended to reach the capital through a steep and winding track comprising many tunnels. The railway was opened on 12 June 1932.[28] An advanced system for its time, it was an electric railway, powered from overhead cables. It was well built and had a high frequency of passengers, but was almost completely destroyed during World War II. Many facilities such as bridges, tunnels, and stations remain visible today, and some have been converted to parks, public footpaths, or traffic routes.
Culture[link]
The Three Towers of San Marino are located on the three peaks of Monte Titano in the capital. They are depicted on both the Flag of San Marino and its coat of arms. The three towers are: Guaita, the oldest of the three (it was constructed in the 11th century); the thirteenth-century Cesta, located on the highest of Monte Titano's summits; and the fourteenth-century Montale, on the smallest of Monte Titano's summits, still privately owned.
San Marino has a famous cake known as Torta Di Tre Monti ("Cake of the Three Towers"), a layered wafer cake covered in chocolate.
Love Orchestra, a Gian Luca "Luke" Mazza new age music project, comes from the Republic of San Marino. During concerts overseas, the San Marino flag is shown on the stage.
University[link]
The Università degli Studi della Repubblica di San Marino (University of the Republic of San Marino)[29] is the main university, which includes the Scuola Superiore di Studi Storici di San Marino (Advanced School of Historical Studies), a distinguished research and advanced international study center governed by an international Scientific Committee coordinated by professor Luciano Canfora. Other important institutes are the Istituto Musicale Sammarinese (Sammarinese Musical Institute)[30] and the Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj San Marino or Accademia Internazionale delle Scienze San Marino (International Academy of Sciences San Marino).[31] The latter is known for adopting Esperanto as the language for teaching and for scientific publications; further, it makes wide use of e-learning.
Italian author Umberto Eco has attempted to create a "university without physical structures" in San Marino.[32]
Sport[link]
Main article: Sport in San Marino
See also: San Marino at the Olympics and Football in San Marino
San Marino, along with Italy, enjoy sports and football (soccer) is its most popular sport. Basketball and volleyball are also popular. The three sports have their own federations, the San Marino Football Federation, the San Marino Basketball Federation and the San Marino Volleyball Federation.
The San Marino Championship, founded under the auspices of the FSGC (San Marino Football Federation), is the premier footballing competition in San Marino. The fifteen teams that take part in the competition are split into two groups of eight and seven teams. The top three from each section at the end of the regular season progress into a semi-knockout style Championship Playoff. Prior to 2007, the playoff champion earned a spot in the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Cup. In 2007, UEFA granted San Marino a spot in the 1st Qualifying Round of the Champions League. The domestic cup winner also gets a spot in the UEFA Cup qualifying stages. 2007 league champions S.S. Murata was the first team to represent San Marino in the Champions League when they participated in the 2007–08 competition, losing to Finnish team Tampere United. San Marino also has a representative in the Italian system, with San Marino Calcio playing in the fourth tier of Italian football, Serie C2/B. San Marino play their home matches in the Sanmarinese at the Stadio Olimpico of Serravalle.
The San Marino national football team played its first unofficial international match in 1986, in which it suffered a 0–1 defeat to the Canadian Olympic team. Its first competitive outing was on 14 November 1990, a 0–4 loss against Switzerland in the European Championship qualifier. These defeats set the tone for most of the following outings of the team, who are regarded as easy victories in the qualifying sections of the European Championship and the World Cup.
They had a brief moment of glory when they faced England in a World Cup qualifier on 17 November 1993 and took the lead through Davide Gualtieri after just 8.3 seconds—still the fastest goal in World Cup competition.[33] Until recently, San Marino's international record was one of almost total failure, with famous draws against Turkey and Latvia being the only partial successes in an international career that contains over seventy defeats. However, on the 29 April 2004, San Marino recorded their first ever win, with a 1–0 victory over Liechtenstein in an international friendly. Andy Selva scored the only goal in a close game that finally gave this tiny republic a footballing victory.
On 6 September 2006, San Marino suffered their biggest ever defeat, losing 13–0 to world giants Germany in the Stadio Olimpico. It was also the largest goal margin defeat in European Championship Qualifying history. In the same competition on 7 February 2007, they came within eight seconds of the best result in their history. They were level at 1–1 with the Republic of Ireland after ninety-four minutes when Stephen Ireland scored within eight seconds of the final whistle. The goal scored by San Marino was their European Qualifying first goal since losing 4–1 to Austria in 1998.
As of September 2011, San Marino is 203rd in the FIFA world rankings—jointly last with three other teams.[34]
A Formula One race, the San Marino Grand Prix, was named after the state, although it did not take place there. It was held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the Italian town of Imola, about 100 km northwest of San Marino, along the Via Emilia. The race was etched in infamy after two fatal accidents occurred at the 1994 Grand Prix, when Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed. The race was removed from the calendar in 2007.
The San Marino and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix was reinstated in the schedule in 2007 and takes place at the Misano World Circuit, as does San Marino's round of the World Superbike Championship.
Manuel Poggiali is one of San Marino's most successful sportsmen. He has won two motorcycle World Championships, in 2001 with 125 cc bikes and in 2003 with 250 cc bikes. Another successful San Marino motorcycle rider is Alex De Angelis, a race winner in the 250 cc class, who is currently racing in the Moto2 class, with the country of San Marino itself being his main sponsor.
San Marino has a professional baseball team, T & A San Marino, which plays in the top division of Italian professional baseball, the Serie A1. It has participated in the European Cup tournament for the top European professional baseball teams several times, hosting the event in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2007. It won the championship in 2006 and was a runner-up in 2010.[35]
The long climb up to the top of San Marino has become a mecca for thousands of recreational road cyclists who train in nearby Misano every spring and autumn.
San Marino has had little success at the Olympic Games, winning no medals. At the 2004 and 2008 games, three clay target shooters achieved the highest positions. In this sport, San Marino also hosted a competition in the 2009 ISSF World Cup.
Cuisine[link]
Main article: Cuisine of San Marino
The cuisine of San Marino is strongly similar to Italian, especially that of the adjoining Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions, but it has a number of its own unique dishes and products. Its best known is probably the Torta Tre Monti ("Cake of the Three Mountains" or "Cake of the Three Towers"), a wafer layered cake covered in chocolate depicting The Three Towers of San Marino. The country also has a small wine industry.
UNESCO[link]
The site “San Marino: Historic Centre and Mount Titano” has become part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. The decision was taken during the 32nd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee composed of 21 Countries convened in Québec, Canada.
Music[link]
Main articles: Music of San Marino and San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest
The country has a long and rich musical tradition, closely linked to that of Italy, but which is also highly independent in itself. In the 17th century, composers like the Sammarinese Francesco Maria Marini di Pesaro wrote some of the finest pieces of the era.
San Marino entered the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, in 2008, with the band, Miodio, singing "Complice". The group failed to make it to the final from the first semi-final and finished 19th out of a field of 19 with 5 points. They came behind Estonia's Kreisiraadio who came 18th with 8 points. San Marino gave its first ever highest (12) points to Greece. In 2011 San Marino decided to come back to the Eurovision Song Contest with Senit singing the song "Stand By". She finished 16th in a field of 19 in the semi-final, coming behind Croatia's Daria Kinzer with the song "Celebrate" and coming in front of Norway's Stella Mwangi, who sang "Haba Haba". In the final voting, San Marino gave their 12 points to Raphael Gualazzi and his song "Madness Of Love" from Italy.
Public holidays and festivals[link]
| Date | Name | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Festival marking the beginning of the new year. |
| 6 January | Epiphany | Commemorates the visit of the three Wise Men or magi to the infant Jesus. |
| 5 February | Feast of Saint Agatha | Commemoration of St. Agatha, Patroness of the Republic, as well as liberation from foreign rule. |
| variable * | Easter | Resurrection of Jesus. |
| variable ** | Easter Monday | Monday after Easter day. |
| 25 March | Anniversary of the Arengo | Anniversary of the Arengo and the Festa delle Milizie (Feast of the Militants). |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Celebration of workers and employees. |
| variable *** | Corpus Domini | Commemoration of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. |
| 28 July | Liberation from Fascism | Commemoration of the fall of the Sammarinese Fascist Party. |
| 15 August | Ferragosto (Assumption) | Commemoration of the Virgin Mary's direct assumption into heaven upon her death. |
| 3 September | The Feast of San Marino and the Republic | National feast of San Marino, celebrating the origin of the Republic in 301. |
| 1 November | All Saints' Day | Feast dedicated to all saints. |
| 2 November | Commemoration of all those who died at war | Remembrance of all those who gave their lives for San Marino in war. |
| 8 December | Immaculate Conception | Remembrance of the Virgin Mary's conception without original sin. |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve | Day before the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. |
| 25 December | Christmas | Birth of Jesus. |
| 26 December | St. Stephen's Day | Commemoration of the death of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve | Celebration which closes and marks the end of the year. |
| * Easter: the first Sunday after the full moon and the March equinox ** Easter Monday: the Monday after Easter day |
||
See also[link]
 |
Book: San Marino |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
- Outline of San Marino
- Index of San Marino-related articles
- Associazione Guide Esploratori Cattolici Sammarinesi
- City State
- Communications in San Marino
- Foreign relations of San Marino
- Most Serene Republic
- San Marino Grand Prix
- Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the circuit that hosted the San Marino Grand Prix
References[link]
- ^ http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/demografia.html
- ^ a b c d e f San Marino entry at The World Factbook
- ^ [1], Upeceds, Government of San Marino. Accessed on March 31, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Conto della Generazione dei Redditi Nazionali, Upeceds, Government of San Marino. Accessed on June 6, 2010.
- ^ a b c d World Development Indicators, World Bank. Note: "PPP conversion factor, GDP (LCU per international $)" for Italy was used.
- ^ "San Marino". UNECE Statistics Programme. UNECE. 2009. http://www.unece.org/stats/profiles2009/san_marino.pdf. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ a b "San Marino". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/521449/San-Marino. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ "San Marino Historical Origins and Legends". Sanmarinosite.com. http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/leggenda.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ Law Library of United States Congress. "Guide to Law Online: San Marino". http://www.loc.gov/law/help/guide/nations/sanmarino.html. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
- ^ "From 1500 to beginning 1800, Napoleon in San Marino". Sanmarinosite.com. http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/napoleone.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "San Marino". United States Diplomatic History. U. S. Department of State. http://history.state.gov/countries/san-marino. Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- ^ Irving Wallace, The Book of Lists 3
- ^ "San Marino e la Prima Guerra Mondiale". Educazione.sm. http://www.educazione.sm/scuola/servizi/CD_virtuali/lavori_scuole/sanmarino/prima_guerra_mondiale.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Guerre Mondiali e Fascismo nella storia di San Marino". Sanmarinosite.com. http://www.sanmarinosite.com/storia/guerremo.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles: Nauru". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_NR/en. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
- ^ Meteo San Marino – The National Center of Meteorology And Climatology of San Marino
- ^ "San Marino, primo capo di Stato disabile "Via tutte le barriere architettoniche" – esteri". Repubblica.it. 2007-10-01. http://www.repubblica.it/2007/10/sezioni/esteri/disabile-san-marino/disabile-san-marino/disabile-san-marino.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ (Italian) Article with the list of curacies on the official Sanmarinese electoral website
- ^ "Background Note: San Marino". U.S. State Department. February 2010. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5387.htm. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ "Turismo: San Marino fa i conti con la recessione economica, l'Italia guarda con fiducia al 2010" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. 11 January 2010. http://www.sanmarinortv.sm/economia/default.asp?id=33&id_n=39203. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ "San Marino: censimento per scovare residenze fittizie" (in Italian). San Marino Notizie. 5/08/10. http://www.sanmarinonotizie.com/?p=13707. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ World and Its Peoples. Marshall Cavendish. 2009. p. 856. ISBN 0-7614-7893-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=xcYVmUyHG2AC&pg=PA856.
- ^ Catholic Hierarchy page
- ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10528a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia article
- ^ jewishencyclopedia.com
- ^ jewishvirtuallibrary.org
- ^ Licensed taxi companies are listed on the Government tourism website.
- ^ Internacia Fervojisto (International Railways), 2005.6, p. 85. In Esperanto
- ^ "Università degli Studi di San Marino". Unirsm.sm. http://www.unirsm.sm/. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Istituto Musicale Sammarinese". Ims.sm. http://www.ims.sm/. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "Accademia Internazionale delle Scienze". Ais-sanmarino.org. http://www.ais-sanmarino.org/. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ Umberto Eco biography
- ^ "h2g2 – The Fastest Goal in the History of the World Cup". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A3952361. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.com. 2009-08-20. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/lastranking/gender=m/fullranking.html#confederation=0&rank=179&page=5. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ "2008 Mister-Baseball Final European Top 50 – fact, certain, about, 2008, European, baseball, season, club, dominated, This". Mister Baseball. 2007-11-06. http://www.mister-baseball.com/2008-misterbaseball-final-european-top-50/. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: San Marino |
- Chief of State and Cabinet Members
- Secretary of State for External Relations and Politics
- San Marino entry at The World Factbook
- San Marino from UCB Libraries GovPubs
- San Marino at the Open Directory Project
- Wikimedia Atlas of San Marino
- San Marino—San Marino Tourism Site
- Meteo San Marino National Center Of Meteorology and Climatology of San Marino, Local Forecast and Webcams
- Musei di Stato della Repubblica di San Marino
- History of San Marino: Primary Documents from EUdocs
- Renata Tebaldi International Voice Competition
- San Marino from allcountries.eu
Geographic data related to San Marino at OpenStreetMap- San Marino travel guide from Wikitravel
- Visit San Marino—Official San Marino Tourism Site Contrada Omagnano
- (Italian) General information of San Marino: Politics, Institutions and very other
- San Marino: excerpt from a 1769 Guidebook
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Coordinates: 43°56′N 12°28′E / 43.933°N 12.467°E / 43.933; 12.467
http://wn.com/San_Marino
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Randy Mamola | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Randy Mamola |
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| Nationality |  American |
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Randy Mamola born (1959-11-10) November 10, 1959 (age 52) in San Jose, California is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is considered one of the most talented riders never to have won a world championship.
Contents |
Career[link]
Mamola's first 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix race was in Sweden in 1979, riding a Yamaha. His first victory in the 500cc class was at Belgium in 1980. He went on to win a total of 13 Grands Prix, and finished second in the championship four times: in 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1987.[1] During his Grand Prix career he rode for Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Cagiva.
Mamola was also well known for being a real crowd pleaser. For example, at the Dutch TT he crashed his bike during warm-up, only to return to the pits to get his spare bike, wheelying and showing off to the crowd during the main race. Another memorable moment occurred at the 1986 French GP while trailing race leader Eddie Lawson, who was too far ahead to catch: Mamola had built up a healthy lead over third place rider, Christian Sarron, and decided to pull an endo on the run-off area at the beginning of the pit straight before rejoining the race. The stunt went unnoticed by track marshals who were mere feet away but it was captured on film by photographer Don Morley. The following weekend, Morely presented Mamola with the photograph, who was thrilled it was caught on film, but Yamaha team manager, Kenny Roberts, was not. Roberts fired Mamola on the spot but eventually relented and reinstated him.[2] After leaving the Roberts team, Mamola signed with Cagiva to help them develop their GP500 race bike. He stayed with the Italian team for three years, but lack of funds hampered the teams success. After sitting out the 1991 season, he returned in 1992 for one last year on a privately supported Yamaha. He has maintained his crowd pleasing manner, often wearing humorous wigs on camera during interviews with riders. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.
After retiring from racing Mamola did pit lane commentary work with British Eurosport before losing this role in 2009. He is also a mentor for Bradley Smith.[3]
Charity work[link]
Mamola began raising money for Save the Children in 1986. On visits to Africa, he noticed that motorcycles being used to transport medical supplies to remote areas were breaking down and being abandoned due to poor training and maintenance. In 1996, he became one of the founders of Riders for Health, a charity which provides motorcycles and training to projects which give the population of rural Africa health and medical support. His fund-raising activities include giving passenger rides on a two-seater Ducati MotoGP bike.[1]
[edit] Grand Prix career statistics [4]
Points system from 1969 to 1987:
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Points system from 1988 to 1992:
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Points | 20 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Team | Machine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | Rank | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 250cc | Zago-Yamaha | TZ250 | VEN 5 |
GER 2 |
NAT 2 |
ESP 8 |
YUG 10 |
NED 7 |
BEL - |
SWE - |
FIN - |
GBR 2 |
CZE 5 |
FRA 4 |
64 | 4th | 0 | |||
| 500cc | Zago-Suzuki | RG500 | VEN - |
AUT - |
GER - |
NAT - |
ESP - |
YUG - |
NED 13 |
BEL DNS |
SWE 6 |
FIN 2 |
GBR - |
FRA 2 |
29 | 8th | 0 | ||||
| 1980 | 500cc | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | NAT NC |
ESP 3 |
FRA 2 |
NED 5 |
BEL 1 |
FIN 4 |
GBR 1 |
GER 5 |
72 | 2nd | 2 | |||||||
| 1981 | 500cc | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | AUT 1 |
GER 2 |
NAT NC |
FRA 2 |
YUG 1 |
NED NC |
BEL 3 |
RSM 4 |
GBR 3 |
FIN 2 |
SWE 13 |
94 | 2nd | 2 | ||||
| 1982 | 500cc | HB-Suzuki | RG500 | ARG NC |
AUT 7 |
FRA - |
ESP - |
NAT - |
NED 5 |
BEL 5 |
YUG 7 |
GBR 5 |
SWE 5 |
RSM 2 |
GER 1 |
65 | 6th | 1 | |||
| 1983 | 500cc | HB-Suzuki | RG500 | RSA 5 |
FRA NC |
NAT 2 |
GER 8 |
ESP 4 |
AUT 3 |
YUG 2 |
NED 4 |
BEL 3 |
GBR 3 |
SWE 7 |
RSM 5 |
89 | 3rd | 0 | |||
| 1984 | 500cc | HRC-Honda | NS500 | RSA - |
NAT - |
ESP 2 |
AUT 3 |
GER 3 |
FRA 3 |
YUG 2 |
NED 1 |
BEL 2 |
GBR 1 |
SWE NC |
RSM 1 |
111 | 2nd | 3 | |||
| 1985 | 500cc | Rothmans-Honda | NSR500 | RSA 5 |
ESP NC |
GER 8 |
NAT 4 |
AUT 4 |
YUG NC |
NED 1 |
BEL NC |
FRA 3 |
GBR 5 |
SWE 5 |
RSM 3 |
72 | 6th | 1 | |||
| 1986 | 500cc | Lucky Strike-Yamaha | YZR500 | ESP 4 |
NAT 2 |
GER 6 |
AUT 3 |
YUG 2 |
NED 2 |
BEL 1 |
FRA 2 |
GBR 5 |
SWE 8 |
RSM 3 |
105 | 3rd | 1 | ||||
| 1987 | 500cc | Lucky Strike-Yamaha | YZR500 | JPN 1 |
ESP 6 |
GER 2 |
NAT NC |
AUT 2 |
YUG 2 |
NED 3 |
FRA 1 |
GBR 3 |
SWE 3 |
CZE 4 |
RSM 1 |
POR 2 |
BRA 3 |
ARG 2 |
158 | 2nd | 3 |
| 1988 | 500cc | Cagiva | GP500 | JPN NC |
USA - |
ESP - |
EXP - |
NAT 7 |
GER NC |
AUT NC |
NED NC |
BEL 3 |
YUG 4 |
FRA 6 |
GBR 11 |
SWE 10 |
CZE NC |
BRA NC |
58 | 12th | 0 |
| 1989 | 500cc | Cagiva | GP500 | JPN 16 |
AUS NC |
USA NC |
ESP NC |
NAT DNS |
GER 12 |
AUT NC |
YUG 7 |
NED 11 |
BEL 23 |
FRA 11 |
GBR - |
SWE - |
CZE 11 |
BRA 11 |
33 | 18th | 0 |
| 1990 | 500cc | Cagiva | GP500 | JPN NC |
USA 7 |
ESP - |
NAT 7 |
GER 9 |
AUT 10 |
YUG NC |
NED 18 |
BEL NC |
FRA 7 |
GBR 6 |
SWE NC |
CZE 11 |
HUN NC |
AUS - |
55 | 14th | 0 |
| 1992 | 500cc | Budweiser-Yamaha | YZR500 | JPN 5 |
AUS 8 |
MAL 7 |
ESP 8 |
ITA 10 |
EUR 9 |
GER NC |
NED 5 |
HUN 3 |
FRA 8 |
GBR NC |
BRA 10 |
RSA NC |
45 | 10th | 0 |
References[link]
- ^ a b Randy Mamola at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- ^ "Mamola Pops Mid-race Stoppie". Motocourse. http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/1316/1891/1600/mamola.jpg. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
- ^ http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2009/february/23-128/feb2709-randy-mamola-disappointed/
- ^ "Rider Statistics - Randy Mamola". MotoGP.com. http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Randy+Mamola. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
External links[link]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Randy Mamola |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mamola, Randy |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 1959-11-10 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Mamola
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| File:Villeneuve Monza 1981.jpg | |
| Born | (1950-01-18)18 January 1950 |
|---|---|
| Died | 8 May 1982(1982-05-08) (aged 32) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Canadian |
| Active years | 1977–1982 |
| Teams | McLaren, Ferrari |
| Races | 68 (67 starts)[1] |
| Championships | 0 (2nd in 1979) |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 13 |
| Career points | 101 (107)[2] |
| Pole positions | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| First race | 1977 British Grand Prix |
| First win | 1978 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1981 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1982 Belgian Grand Prix |
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve (French pronunciation: [ʒil vilnœv]; January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982), was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec. He moved into single seaters, winning the US and Canadian Formula Atlantic championships in 1976, before being offered a drive in Formula One with the McLaren team at the 1977 British Grand Prix. He was taken on by reigning world champions Ferrari for the end of the season and from 1978 to his death in 1982 drove for the Italian team. He won six Grand Prix races in a short career at the highest level. In 1979, he finished second by four points in the championship to team-mate Jody Scheckter.
Villeneuve died in a 140 mph (225 km/h) crash caused by a collision with the March of Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. The accident came less than two weeks after an intense argument with his team-mate, Didier Pironi, over Pironi's move to pass Villeneuve at the preceding San Marino Grand Prix. At the time of his death, Villeneuve was extremely popular with fans and has since become an iconic figure in the history of the sport. His son, Jacques Villeneuve, became Formula One world champion in 1997 and, to date, the only Canadian to win the Formula One World Championship.
Contents |
Personal and early life[link]
Villeneuve was born in Richelieu, a small town in the largely French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada and grew up in Berthierville.[3] He married Joann Barthe in 1970, with whom he had two children, Jacques and Melanie.[4] During his early career Villeneuve took his family on the road with him in a motorhome during the racing season, a habit which he continued to some extent during his Formula One career.[5] He often claimed to have been born in 1952. By the time he got his break in Formula One, he was already 27 years old and took two years off his age to avoid being considered too old to make it at the highest level of motorsports.[6]
Niki Lauda said of him, "He was the craziest devil I ever came across in Formula 1... The fact that, for all this, he was a sensitive and lovable character rather than an out-and-out hell-raiser made him such a unique human being".[7]
His younger brother Jacques also had a successful racing career in Formula Atlantic, Can Am and CART.[8] Gilles' son, also named Jacques, won the Indianapolis 500 and CART championships in 1995 and became Formula One World Champion in 1997.[9]
Early career[link]
Villeneuve started competitive driving in local drag-racing events, entering his road car, a modified 1967 Ford Mustang. He was soon bored by this[10] and entered the Jim Russell Racing School at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant to gain a racing licence. He then had a very successful season in Quebec regional Formula Ford, running his own two-year-old car and winning seven of the ten races he entered.[11] The next year he progressed to Formula Atlantic, competing there for four years, running his own car again for one of those seasons. He won his first Atlantic race in 1975 at Gimli Motosport Park in heavy rain. In 1976, teamed with Chris Harrison's Ecurie Canada and factory March race engineer Ray Wardell, he dominated the season by winning all but one of the races and taking the US and Canadian titles. He won the Canadian championship again in 1977.
Money was very tight in Villeneuve's early career. He was a professional racing driver from his late teens, with no other income. In the first few years the bulk of his income actually came from snowmobile racing, where he was extremely successful. He could demand appearance money as well as race money, especially after winning the 1974 World Championship Snowmobile Derby. His second season in Formula Atlantic was part-sponsored by his snowmobile manufacturer, Skiroule.[12] He credited some of his success to his snowmobiling days: "Every winter, you would reckon on three or four big spills — and I'm talking about being thrown on to the ice at 100 miles per hour. Those things used to slide a lot, which taught me a great deal about control. And the visibility was terrible! Unless you were leading, you could see nothing, with all the snow blowing about. Good for the reactions — and it stopped me having any worries about racing in the rain."[13]
Formula One career[link]
After Villeneuve impressed James Hunt by beating him and several other Grand Prix stars in a non-championship Formula Atlantic race at Trois-Rivières in 1976, Hunt's McLaren team offered Villeneuve a Formula One deal for up to five races in a third car during the 1977 season.[14] Villeneuve made his debut at the 1977 British Grand Prix, where he qualified 9th in McLaren's old M23, splitting the regular drivers Hunt and Jochen Mass who were driving newer M26s. In the race he set fifth fastest lap and finished 11th after being delayed for two laps by a faulty temperature gauge. The British press coverage of Villeneuve's performance was generally complimentary, including John Blunsden's comment in The Times that "Anyone seeking a future World Champion need look no further than this quietly assured young man."[15]
Despite this, shortly after the British race McLaren's experienced team manager Teddy Mayer decided not to continue with Villeneuve for the following year. His explanation was that Villeneuve "was looking as though he might be a bit expensive" and that Patrick Tambay, the team's eventual choice for 1978, was showing similar promise.[16] Villeneuve was left with no solid options for 1978, although Canadian Walter Wolf, for whom Villeneuve had driven in Can-Am racing, considered giving him a drive at Wolf Racing and also recommended him to the Ferrari team's founder, Enzo Ferrari. Rumours circulated that Villeneuve was one of several drivers in whom the Italian team was interested, and in August 1977 he flew to Italy to meet Ferrari, who was immediately reminded of the pre-war European champion Tazio Nuvolari: "When they presented me with this 'piccolo canadese', this minuscule bundle of nerves, I immediately recognised in him the physique of Nuvolari and said to myself, let's give him a try."[17] Ferrari was satisfied with Villeneuve's promise after a session at Ferrari's Fiorano test track, despite the Canadian making many mistakes and setting relatively slow times, and Villeneuve signed to drive for Ferrari in the last two races of the 1977 season and the 1978 season.[18] Villeneuve later remarked that: "If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari..."[13]
Villeneuve's arrival was one factor that prompted Ferrari driver Niki Lauda to quit the team at the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport having already clinched his second championship with the Italian team.[19] Villeneuve retired from the race after sliding off the track on another competitor's oil. He also raced in the Japanese Grand Prix, but retired on lap five when he tried to outbrake the Tyrrell P34 of Ronnie Peterson. The pair banged wheels causing Villeneuve's Ferrari to became airborne. It landed on a group of spectators watching the race from a prohibited area, killing one spectator and a race marshal and injuring ten people. After an investigation into the incident no blame was apportioned and, although he was "terribly sad" at the deaths, Villeneuve did not feel responsible for them.[20]
The 1978 season saw a succession of retirements for Villeneuve, often after problems with the new Michelin radial tyres. Early in the season, he started on the front row at the United States Grand Prix West, but crashed out of the lead on lap 39. Despite calls in the Italian press for him to be replaced, Ferrari persisted with him. Towards the end of the season, Villeneuve's results improved. He finished second on the road at the Italian Grand Prix, although he was penalised a minute for jumping the start, and ran second at the United States Grand Prix before his engine failed. Finally at the season-ending Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Île Notre-Dame (a circuit that was eventually named after him) Villeneuve scored his first Grand Prix win after Jean-Pierre Jarier's Lotus stopped with engine trouble.[21] As of 2011, he is the only Canadian to win his home race.
File:GillesVilleneuve ReneArnoux Dijion1979.jpg
In the 1979 French Grand Prix Villeneuve and René Arnoux had a memorable duel for second place.
Villeneuve was joined by Jody Scheckter in 1979 after Carlos Reutemann moved to Lotus. Villeneuve won three races during the year. The 1979 French Grand Prix is remembered for Villeneuve's wheel-banging duel with René Arnoux in the last laps of the race.[22] Arnoux passed Villeneuve for second place with three laps to go, but Villeneuve re-passed him on the next lap. On the final lap Arnoux attempted to pass Villeneuve again, and the pair ran side-by-side through the first few corners of the lap, making contact several times. Arnoux took the position but Villeneuve attempted an outside pass one corner later. The cars bumped hard, Villeneuve slid wide but then passed Arnoux on the inside at a hairpin turn and held him off for the last half of the lap to secure second place. Villeneuve commented afterwards, "I tell you, that was really fun! I thought for sure we were going to get on our heads, you know, because when you start interlocking wheels it's very easy for one car to climb over another."[23] At the Dutch Grand Prix a slow puncture collapsed Villeneuve's left rear tyre and put him off the track. He returned to the circuit and limped back to the pits on three wheels, losing the damaged wheel on the way. On his return to the pits Villeneuve insisted that the team replace the missing wheel, and had to be persuaded that the car was beyond repair.[24] Villeneuve could have won the World Championship by beating Scheckter at the Italian Grand Prix, but chose to follow team orders and finish behind him, ending his own championship challenge. The pair finished first and second in the championship, with Scheckter beating Villeneuve by just four points. During the extremely wet Friday practice session for the season-ending United States Grand Prix, Villeneuve set a time variously reported to be either 9 or 11 seconds faster than any other driver. His team-mate Jody Scheckter, who was second fastest, recalled that "I scared myself rigid that day. I thought I had to be quickest. Then I saw Gilles's time and — I still don't really understand how it was possible. Eleven seconds!"[25]
The 1980 season was a complete disaster for Ferrari. Villeneuve had been considered favourite for the drivers championship by UK bookmakers,[26] but only scored six points in the whole campaign in the 312T5 which had only partial ground effects. Scheckter scored only two points and retired at the end of the season.
For the 1981 season, Ferrari introduced their first turbo engined F1 car, the 126C, which produced tremendous power but was let down by its poor handling. Villeneuve was partnered with Didier Pironi who noted that Villeneuve "had a little family [at Ferrari] but he made me welcome and made me feel at home overnight ... [He] treated me as an equal in every way."[27] Villeneuve won two races during the season. At the Spanish Grand Prix Villeneuve kept five quicker cars behind him for most of the race using the superior straight-line speed of his car. After an hour and 46 minutes of racing Villeneuve led second-placed Jacques Laffite by only 0.22 seconds. Fifth-placed Elio de Angelis was only just over a second further back.[28] Harvey Postlethwaite, who was hired by Ferrari to design the follow-on and much more successful 126C2 that won the Constructors' Championship in 1982, later commented "That car...had literally one quarter of the downforce that, say Williams or Brabham had. It had a power advantage over the Cosworths for sure, but it also had massive throttle lag at that time. In terms of sheer ability I think Gilles was on a different plane to the other drivers. To win those races, the 1981 GPs at Monaco and Jarama — on tight circuits — was quite out of this world. I know how bad that car was."[29] At the 1981 Canadian Grand Prix Villeneuve damaged the front wing of his Ferrari and drove for most of the race in heavy rain with the wing obscuring his view ahead. There was a risk of being black flagged but eventually the wing became detached and Villeneuve drove on to finish third with the nose section of his car missing.
The first few races of the 1982 season were promising. Villeneuve led in Brazil in the new 126/C2, before spinning into retirement, and finished third at the United States Grand Prix West although he was later disqualified for a technical infringement. The Ferraris were handed an unexpected advantage at the San Marino Grand Prix as an escalation of the FISA-FOCA war saw the FOCA teams boycott the race, effectively leaving Renault as Ferrari's only serious opposition. With Renault driver Prost retiring from fourth place on lap 7 followed by his team-mate Arnoux on the 44th lap Ferrari seemed to have the win guaranteed. In order to conserve fuel and ensure the cars finished the Ferrari team ordered both drivers to slow down. Villeneuve believed that the order also meant that the drivers were to maintain position but Pironi passed Villeneuve. A few laps later Villeneuve re-passed Pironi and slowed down again, believing that Pironi was simply trying to entertain the Italian crowd. On the last lap Pironi passed and aggressively chopped across the front of Villeneuve and took the win. Villeneuve was irate as he believed that Pironi had disobeyed the order to hold position. Meanwhile Pironi claimed that he had done nothing wrong as the team had only ordered the cars to slow down, not maintain position. Villeneuve stated after the race "I think it is well known that if I want someone to stay behind me and I am faster, then he stays behind me."[30] Feeling betrayed and angry Villeneuve vowed never to speak to Pironi again.[31]
In 2007, former Marlboro marketer John Hogan disputed the claim that Pironi had gone back on a prior arrangement with Villeneuve. He said: "Neither of them would ever have agreed to what effectively was throwing a race. I think Gilles was stunned somebody had out-driven him and that it just caught him so much by surprise." Hogan's company sponsored Pironi while he was at Ferrari. A comparison of the lap times of the two drivers showed that Villeneuve lapped far slower when he was in the lead, suggesting that he had indeed been trying to save fuel.[32]
Death[link]
On May 8, 1982, Villeneuve died after an accident during the final qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. At the time of the crash, Pironi had set a time 0.1s faster than Villeneuve for sixth place. Villeneuve was using his final set of qualifying tyres, which were probably already past their best, and many writers say that he was attempting to improve his time on his final lap. Some suggest that he was specifically aiming to beat Pironi.[33] However, Villeneuve's biographer Gerald Donaldson quotes Ferrari race engineer Mauro Forghieri as saying that the Canadian, although pressing on in his usual fashion, was returning to the pits when the accident occurred.[34] If so, he would not have set a time on that lap.
With eight minutes of the session left, Villeneuve came over the rise after the first chicane and caught Jochen Mass travelling much more slowly through the left-handed bend before the Terlamenbocht corner. Mass saw Villeneuve approaching at high speed and moved to the right to let him through on the racing line. At the same instant Villeneuve also moved right to pass the slower car. The Ferrari hit the back of Mass' car and was launched into the air at a speed estimated at 200–225 km/h (120–140 mph). It was airborne for more than 100 m before nosediving into the ground and disintegrating as it somersaulted along the edge of the track. Villeneuve, still strapped to his seat, but without his helmet, was thrown a further 50 m from the wreckage into the catch fencing on the outside edge of the Terlamenbocht corner.[34][35]
Several drivers stopped and rushed to the scene. John Watson and Derek Warwick pulled Villeneuve, his face blue, from the catch fence.[36] The first doctor arrived within 35 seconds to find that Villeneuve was not breathing, although his pulse continued; he was intubated and ventilated before being transferred to the circuit medical centre and then by helicopter to University St Raphael Hospital where a fatal fracture of the neck was diagnosed.[37] Villeneuve was kept alive on life support while his wife travelled to the hospital and the doctors consulted with specialists worldwide. He died at 9:12 that evening.[34]
Legacy[link]
At the funeral in Berthierville former team-mate Jody Scheckter delivered a simple eulogy: "I will miss Gilles for two reasons. First, he was the fastest driver in the history of motor racing. Second, he was the most genuine man I have ever known. But he has not gone. The memory of what he has done, what he achieved, will always be there."[38]
Villeneuve is still remembered at Grand Prix races, especially those in Italy. At the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the venue of the San Marino Grand Prix, a corner was named after him and a Canadian flag is painted on the third slot on the starting grid, from which he started his last race. There is also a bronze bust of him at the entrance to the Ferrari test track at Fiorano.[39] At Zolder the corner where Villeneuve died has been turned into a chicane and named after him.[40]
The racetrack on Île Notre-Dame, Montreal, host to the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix and NASCAR Nationwide Series, was named Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his honour at the Canadian Grand Prix of 1982. His homeland has continued to honour him: In Berthierville a museum was opened in 1992 and a lifelike statue stands in a nearby park which was also named in his honour.[39] Villeneuve was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame at their inaugural induction ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario on August 19, 1993. In June 1997 Canada also issued a postage stamp in his honour.
There is still a huge demand for Villeneuve memorabilia at the race-track shops and several books have been written about him. The number 27, the number of his Ferrari in 1981 and 1982, is still closely associated with him by fans. Jean Alesi, whose aggression and speed in the wet were compared to Villeneuve's,[41] also used the number at Ferrari. Villeneuve's son, Jacques, drove the #27 during his IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 winning season with Barry Green and has also used the number for occasional drives in NASCAR and the Speedcar Series. Canadian driver and 2011 IndyCar Rookie of the Year James Hinchcliffe adopted the number 27 for the 2012 season.
A film based on the biography by Gerald Donaldson was announced in 2005, intended for release in 2007, but as of 2012 has not emerged.[42]
In popular culture[link]
The popular Belgian comics series Michel Vaillant by Jean Graton is set in the world of motor racing and, although largely fictional, often includes real-life figures including drivers, officials and journalists. Villeneuve appears in a number of stories, and in Steve Warson contre Michel Vaillant (fr: "Steve Warson versus Michel Vaillant") becomes the 1980 World Champion (though in the 1981 season, covered in Rififi en F1 ("F1 in Chaos"), Graton acknowledges Alan Jones as the real Champion)[43] and Quebec prog-rock/pop group The Box based their 1984 song "Live on TV" inspired by Villeneuve's televised death.
Helmet[link]
Villeneuve's helmet carried a stylised 'V' in red on either side — an effect he devised with his wife Joann. The base colour was black.[44] His son, Jacques, uses the same basic design, but like his contemporary, Christian Fittipaldi, he has changed the colours. British driver Perry McCarthy also used this design and color scheme on his helmet, but with the design in reverse.
Complete Formula One World Championship results[link]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Pts.[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Marlboro Team McLaren | McLaren M23 | Cosworth V8 | ARG |
BRA |
RSA |
USW |
ESP |
MON |
BEL |
SWE |
FRA |
GBR 11 |
GER |
AUT |
NED |
ITA |
USA |
NC | 0 | ||
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 312T2 | Ferrari Flat-12 | CAN 12 |
JPN Ret |
||||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 312T2 | Ferrari Flat-12 | ARG 8 |
BRA Ret |
9th | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Ferrari 312T3 | Ferrari Flat-12 | RSA Ret |
USW Ret |
MON Ret |
BEL 4 |
ESP 10 |
SWE 9 |
FRA 12 |
GBR Ret |
GER 8 |
AUT 3 |
NED 6 |
ITA 7 |
USA Ret |
CAN 1 |
|||||||
| 1979 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 312T3 | Ferrari Flat-12 | ARG Ret |
BRA 5 |
2nd | 47 (53) | |||||||||||||||
| Ferrari 312T4 | Ferrari Flat-12 | RSA 1 |
USW 1 |
ESP 7 |
BEL 7 |
MON Ret |
FRA 2 |
GBR 14 |
GER 8 |
AUT 2 |
NED Ret |
ITA 2 |
CAN 2 |
USA 1 |
||||||||
| 1980 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 312T5 | Ferrari Flat-12 | ARG Ret |
BRA 16 |
RSA Ret |
USW Ret |
BEL 6 |
MON 5 |
FRA 8 |
GBR Ret |
GER 6 |
AUT 8 |
NED 7 |
ITA Ret |
CAN 5 |
USA Ret |
12th | 6 | |||
| 1981 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 126CK | Ferrari V6 | USW Ret |
BRA Ret |
ARG Ret |
SMR 7 |
BEL 4 |
MON 1 |
ESP 1 |
FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 10 |
AUT Ret |
NED Ret |
ITA Ret |
CAN 3 |
CPL DSQ |
7th | 25 | ||
| 1982 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 126C2 | Ferrari V6 | RSA Ret |
BRA Ret |
USW DSQ |
SMR 2 |
BEL DNS |
MON | DET | CAN | NED | GBR | FRA | GER | AUT | SUI | ITA | CPL | 15th | 6 |
References[link]
- ^ "Gilles entered 68 races but only started 67". [1]. 2006-06-09. Archived from the original on 2 July 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070702170436/http://www.gpracing.net192.com/drivers/careers/600.cfm. Retrieved 9 July 2006.
- ^ a b Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.11–13
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.27–29
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.50–51, 114
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.11
- ^ "Legends claimed by the track". BBC. 2001-02-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1178492.stm.
- ^ "Jacques Villeneuve (Senior) injured". Inside F1, Inc. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19993.html. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Donaldson, Gerald. "Hall of Fame: Jacques Villeneuve". Formula One Administration Ltd.. http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/5/. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.21
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.30–31
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.41
- ^ a b Roebuck (1986) p.211
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.63–67
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.88. Denis Jenkinson noted "the smooth, confident way that he had driven" and Nigel Roebuck said the he had "demonstrated enormous natural talent."
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.90–91
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.107–108
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.95–104
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.111
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.120–122
- ^ Fearnley (August 2006)
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.184–187
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.187
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.194–196
- ^ Roebuck (1986) p.208 gives the gap as 11 seconds. Walker (January 1980) reports the gap to be 9 seconds. Autosport (11th October 1979 p. 17) reports Villeneuve's lap to be 2:01.437 and second placed Scheckter's 2:11.089, a gap being 9.652 sec
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.223
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.240
- ^ Donaldson (2003) pp.253–256
- ^ Roebuck (1986) p.214
- ^ Roebuck (1999) p.182
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.289
- ^ "Doubt over facts of Villeneuve-Pironi row". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2007. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/07/24/doubt-over-facts-of-villeneuve-pironi-row/. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ Bamsey (1983) p.50, Lang (1992) pp.96–97, Watkins (1997) p.98 and Fearnley (May, 2007) all write that Villeneuve was attempting to beat Pironi. Jenkinson (June 1982) writes only that he "was in the middle of a last desperate bid to improve his grid position."
- ^ a b c Donaldson (2003) pp.296–298
- ^ Lang (1992) p.97
- ^ Fearnley (May, 2007)
- ^ Watkins (1997) pp.96–98
- ^ Donaldson (2003) p.304
- ^ a b Donaldson (2003) pp.305–306
- ^ "Zolder". Inside F1, inc. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cir-076.html. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
- ^ Andrews, Mark (1999). "Jean Alesi: The Wrong Time and the Wrong Place". atlasf1.autosport.com. http://atlasf1.autosport.com/99/fra/andrews.html. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
- ^ "Villeneuve (archived version)". IMDB.com, inc. Archived from the original on 2006-04-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20060419154348/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449114/. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
- ^ Dossiers Michel Vaillant 'Gilles Villeneuve' - review of a book on Villeneuve, published under the Michel Vaillant banner
- ^ Donaldson, Gerald (1989, 2003) Gilles Villeneuve p.95 Virgin Books ISBN 0-7535-0747-1
Books[link]
- Donaldson, Gerald (2003). Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Racing Driver. London: Virgin. ISBN 0-7535-0747-1.
- Bamsey, Ian (1983). Automobile Sport 82-83. City: Haynes Manuals. ISBN 0-946321-01-9.
- Lang, Mike (1992). Grand Prix! vol.4. Sparkford: Foulis. ISBN 0-85429-733-2.
- Roebuck, Nigel (1986). Grand Prix Greats. Cambridge: P. Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-792-7.
- Roebuck, Nigel (1999). Chasing the Title. City: Haynes Publications. ISBN 1-85960-604-0.
- Watkins, Sid (1997). Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One. City: Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-35139-7.
Magazines[link]
- Fearnley, Paul (August 2006). "Profile: Ferrari 312T3". Motor Sport (Haymarket): pp. 52–61.
- Fearnley, Paul (May 2007). "It's war. Absolutely war.". Motor Sport (Haymarket): pp. 52–61.
- Jenkinson, Denis (June 1982). "Grote Prijs van Belgie". Motor Sport (Motor Sport Magazine Ltd.): pp. 708–712.
- Walker, Rob (January 1980). "US GP Report". Road & Track: pp. 104–107.
All Formula One race and championship results are taken from:
- Official Formula 1 website. Archive: Results for 1977 — 1982 seasons www.formula1.com Retrieved 6 February 2009
All Pre-Formula One race and championship results are taken from:
- Donaldson (2003) pp. 310–315
Further reading[link]
- de la Plante, Allan; Lecours, Pierre (1982). Villeneuve. Macmillan. ISBN 0-7715-9851-3.
- Henry, Alan. Villeneuve (Kimberley's Racing Driver Profile No. 3). London: Kimberley's. ISBN 0-946132-22-4.
- Roebuck, Nigel (1990). Gilles Villeneuve. Richmond: Hazleton. ISBN 0-905138-70-8.
External links[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gilles Villeneuve |
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gilles Villeneuve |
- Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
- http://www.museegillesvilleneuve.com
- CBC Digital Archives — Gilles Villeneuve: Racing at the speed of light
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bill Brack |
Canadian Formula Atlantic Champion 1976–1977 |
Succeeded by Howdy Holmes (1978 North American Champion) |
| None | American Formula Atlantic Champion 1976 |
|
| Preceded by James Hunt |
Brands Hatch Race of Champions winner 1979 |
Succeeded by Keke Rosberg |
| Preceded by Patrick Depailler |
Formula One fatal accidents May 8, 1982 |
Succeeded by Riccardo Paletti |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Villeneuve, Gilles |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Canadian racing driver |
| Date of birth | 1950-01-18 |
| Place of birth | Richelieu, Quebec, Canada |
| Date of death | 1982-05-08 |
| Place of death | Zolder, Belgium |
http://wn.com/Gilles_Villeneuve
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://cs.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://id.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://es.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://ru.wn.com/Вильнёв, Жиль
http://nl.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://pt.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://pl.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://fr.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
http://de.wn.com/Gilles Villeneuve
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Didier Joseph Louis Pironi (26 March 1952 – 23 August 1987) was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell (1978–79), Ligier (1980) and Ferrari (1981–1982). He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 driving a Renault Alpine A442B.
Contents |
Professional driving career (1972-1982)[link]
Pironi was born in Villecresnes, Val-de-Marne.
Initially Pironi began studying as an engineer and earned a degree in science, but entering the family construction business fell by the wayside following his enrollment at the Paul Ricard driving school.
He was awarded the Pilot Elf sponsorship bursary in 1972, with the French national oil company funding his early career, mostly in Renault-powered vehicles. Benefiting from this same Elf sponsorship, to promote young French motorsport talent, that bequeathed the likes of Patrick Tambay and Alain Prost to Formula One, Didier Pironi made his top-flight debut on 15 January 1978. This was with Ken Tyrrell's team which, despite being British, had a strong working relationship with Elf, dating back to the late 1960s. In the same year, Pironi was part of the massive Renault squad tasked with winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Partnering Jean-Pierre Jaussaud in the team's second car, the unusual "bubble roof" A442B, he won the race by four laps from the rival Porsche 936s.
Two seasons with the underfinanced Tyrrell team demonstrated enough promise for Guy Ligier to sign Pironi to his rather erratic eponymous French team in 1980, a season in which Didier recorded his first victory, in the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, as well as several podium finishes. Indeed, such were Pironi's performances that as early as the second race of the season, Enzo Ferrari expressed an interest in the Frenchman's services, which he secured for 1981.
Mr. Ferrari later recalled, "As soon as Pironi arrived at Maranello, he won everyone's admiration and affection, not only for his gifts as an athlete, but also for his way of doing things - he was reserved while at the same time outgoing." [1]
Teamed and compared with Gilles Villeneuve, Pironi was slower in qualifying but steadier in races during his first season with Ferrari, though Villeneuve welcomed the Frenchman and treated him as an equal. For someone so preoccupied with becoming the first French driver to win the Formula One title, the events of this year may have played a role in the turbulent and unhappy 1982 campaign. Establishing a fine rapport with the senior members of the team, Pironi arguably exploited this good relationship in the aftermath of the controversial San Marino race where he is widely thought to have duped Villeneuve into conceding victory by giving the impression that he would follow his Canadian team-mate through the final lap, only to unexpectedly power past him into the Tosa hairpin. Villeneuve was furious with Pironi and vowed never to say another word to him. The Canadian was killed in qualifying at the following Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder trying to better Pironi's lap time, and Villeneuve's furious state of mind is often considered a contributory cause to his accident.
Harvey Postlethwaite (the designer of the 126C2) believed that the "drama" following Imola was blown out of proportion by the press, "Villeneuve was really upset because he felt he should have been handed the race on a plate....They were competitive and either of them could win."[2]
He also mentioned a technical note as to why the two Ferraris were swapping places so often during the San Marino race. "The (Ferrari 126C) turbo pressure was very, very difficult to control. Most of the reason that they were able to pass one another so evenly was that one would go through a sticky patch and sort of only be giving 4-bar of boost or 4.2, and the other would be getting a burst of 4.5, so it would have the legs of the other guy. It wasn't quite as spectacular as it appeared at the time."[3]
In 2007, former Marlboro marketing executive John Hogan (whose company sponsored Pironi in his time as a Ferrari driver) disputed the claim that Pironi had gone back on a prior arrangement with Villeneuve. He said: "I think Gilles was stunned somebody had out-driven him and that it just caught him so much by surprise."[4]
With a fast, reliable car, Pironi appeared to be on course for being 1982 World Champion, but the Frenchman's own state of mind underwent severe stress due to several factors. Widespread antipathy by many in the F1 fraternity was directed toward him in the wake of the Zolder tragedy, since Pironi was quickly judged to be the main catalyst behind Villeneuve's agitated mental state that led to his fatal crash. There was also the rapid breakdown of his marriage to longtime girlfriend Catherine Beynie within weeks of the ceremony taking place. He observed first hand the death of Riccardo Paletti in the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix, the young Italian ploughing into Pironi's stalled Ferrari on the starting grid. These tragic events may have resulted in Pironi being in a dour, gloomy mood that was misinterpreted at the time as over-confidence and arrogance.
Ferrari team members are reported to have observed changes in Pironi's behaviour throughout that summer. (Pironi remarked before the 1982 British Grand Prix, "I feel I am beginning to touch the World Championship.")
1982 German Grand Prix[link]
After winning pole position for the German Grand Prix, Pironi was also busy testing a new-composition Goodyear rain tire (under the guidance of Mauro Forghieri) in untimed practice. The "new-spec" Goodyears rain tires proved to be very successful, with Pironi lapping up to 2.5 seconds over newly recruited teammate Patrick Tambay driving the sister Ferrari. (Pironi: 2 min 10.9 sec, Tambay: 2 min 13.4 sec)
Racing journalists at the circuit were quick to say Pironi was driving "like a mad man." In defense of Pironi, Forghieri said the substantial differences in the lap times between the two sets of Goodyears were no surprise to the team.[5] The weather conditions at Hockenheim that weekend were highly uncertain: quickly alternating back and forth between wet and dry.
In the rain, one of the many problems caused by "ground-effect" F1 cars was that the spray was forced out from under the side pods as a fine mist and created virtually a fog. To those behind, this made cars in front close to invisible. [6]
When Pironi tried passing Derek Daly's Williams, the Ferrari 126C2 smashed into the back of Alain Prost's unsighted Renault, triggering a violent accident which bore some similarity to that suffered by Villeneuve. Pironi survived, but injuries to both his legs meant he never raced again in Formula 1. Pironi's crash was so bad that FIA doctor Sid Watkins had considered amputating Pironi's legs to remove him from the wrecked Ferrari. At this point, he was leading with 39 points in the championship, ahead of Watson (30) and Rosberg (27), but Pironi was relegated to runner-up as Rosberg passed him to become World Champion with 44 points.
In his Formula One career Didier Pironi won 3 races, achieved 13 podiums, and scored a total of 101 championship points. He also secured 4 pole positions.
Death[link]
In 1986 it looked as if Pironi would make a comeback when he tested for the French AGS team at Circuit Paul Ricard and subsequently, the Ligier JS27 at Dijon-Prenois. He proved that he was still fast enough to be competitive, but coming back to F1 was not truly practical.
His insurance policy had paid out a lot of money based on the fact that that Pironi's legs were injured so badly that he could never return to F1. Had he returned, he would have been legally obliged to pay all the money back.[7]
Pironi decided to turn to offshore powerboat racing instead. On 23 August 1987, Pironi was killed in an accident in the Needles Trophy Race near the Isle of Wight, that also took the life of his two crew members: journalist Bernard Giroux and his old friend Jean-Claude Guenard. Their boat, "Colibri 4," rode over a rough wave caused by an oil tanker, causing the boat to flip over.
A few weeks after Pironi's death, his girlfriend Catherine Goux gave birth to twins. She named them Didier and Gilles, in honour of Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve, who died at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix four years earlier.[8]
Biographies[link]
- Lettre a Didier - Catherine Goux
- Didier: Dreams and Nightmares - Lorie Coffey, Jan Moller
- Didier Pironi: La flèche brisée (The Broken Arrow) - Martine Camus
Complete Formula One World Championship results[link]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Elf Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell 008 | Cosworth V8 | ARG 14 |
BRA 6 |
RSA 6 |
USW Ret |
MON 5 |
BEL 6 |
ESP 12 |
SWE Ret |
FRA 10 |
GBR Ret |
GER 5 |
AUT Ret |
NED Ret |
ITA Ret |
USA 10 |
CAN 7 |
15th | 7 |
| 1979 | Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell 009 | Cosworth V8 | ARG Ret |
BRA 4 |
RSA Ret |
USW DSQ |
ESP 6 |
10th | 14 | |||||||||||
| Candy Tyrrell Team | BEL 3 |
MON Ret |
FRA Ret |
GBR 10 |
GER 9 |
AUT 7 |
NED Ret |
ITA 10 |
CAN 5 |
USA 3 |
|||||||||||
| 1980 | Equipe Ligier Gitanes | Ligier JS11/15 | Cosworth V8 | ARG Ret |
BRA 4 |
RSA 3 |
USW 6 |
BEL 1 |
MON Ret |
FRA 2 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
AUT Ret |
NED Ret |
ITA 6 |
CAN 3 |
USA 3 |
5th | 32 | ||
| 1981 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 126CK | Ferrari V6 | USW Ret |
BRA Ret |
ARG Ret |
SMR 5 |
BEL 8 |
MON 4 |
ESP 15 |
FRA 5 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
AUT 9 |
NED Ret |
ITA 5 |
CAN Ret |
CPL 9 |
13th | 9 | |
| 1982 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 126C2 | Ferrari V6 | RSA 18 |
BRA 6 |
USW Ret |
SMR 1 |
BEL DNS |
MON 2 |
DET 3 |
CAN 9 |
NED 1 |
GBR 2 |
FRA 3 |
GER DNS |
AUT |
SUI |
ITA |
CPL |
2nd | 39 |
References[link]
- ^ Pirelli Album of Motor Racing Heroes(1992) p. 130
- ^ Echoes of Imola(1996) p.78
- ^ Echoes of Imola(1996) p.77
- ^ "Doubt over facts of Villeneuve-Pironi row". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2007. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/07/24/doubt-over-facts-of-villeneuve-pironi-row/.
- ^ Didier: Dreams and Nightmares(2004) p.172
- ^ Ferrari Turbos: The Grand Prix Cars, 1981-88 p.37
- ^ Didier: Dreams and Nightmares(2004) p.185
- ^ "Great Rivalries: Didier Pironi vs. Gilles Villeneuve". Automobile Magazine. http://www.automobilemag.com/features/racing/0909_didier_pironi_vs_gilles_villeneuve_great_rivalries/index.html. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- Surtees, John (1992). Pirelli Album of Motor Racing Heroes. Wisconsin, USA: Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers. ISBN 0-87938-671-1.
- Tremayne, David (1996). Echoes of Imola. Croydon, England, UK: MRP Limited. ISBN 1-899870-05-9.
- Lorie Coffey, Jan Moller (2004). Didier: Dreams and Nightmares. Balsall Common, West Midlands, England, UK: Mercian Manuals Ltd.. ISBN 1-903088-16-X.
- Pritchard, Anthony (1989). Ferrari Turbos: The Grand Prix Cars, 1981-1988. UK: Aston Publications. ISBN 0-946627-50-9.
External links[link]
|
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Didier Pironi |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bruno Giacomelli |
Monaco Formula Three Race Winner 1977 |
Succeeded by Elio de Angelis |
| Preceded by Jacky Ickx Hurley Haywood Jürgen Barth |
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1978 with: Jean-Pierre Jaussaud |
Succeeded by Klaus Ludwig Bill Whittington Don Whittington |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pironi, Didier |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | French racing driver |
| Date of birth | 26 March 1952 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | 23 August 1987 |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Didier_Pironi
Related pages:
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
 Mika Häkkinen in 2007 |
|
| Born | (1968-09-28) 28 September 1968 (age 43) |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Finnish |
| Active years | 1991–2001 |
| Teams | Lotus, McLaren |
| Races | 165 (161 starts) |
| Championships | 2 (1998, 1999) |
| Wins | 20 |
| Podiums | 51 |
| Career points | 420 |
| Pole positions | 26 |
| Fastest laps | 25 |
| First race | 1991 United States Grand Prix |
| First win | 1997 European Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2001 United States Grand Prix |
| Last race | 2001 Japanese Grand Prix |
Mika Pauli Häkkinen ( pronunciation (help·info)) (born 28 September 1968 in Vantaa in the Helsinki metropolitan area) is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. Seven-time world champion and rival Michael Schumacher said Häkkinen is the man he respected the most during his Formula One career.[1]
Contents |
Personal and early life[link]
Mika Häkkinen was born in Helsingin maalaiskunta (now Vantaa), Finland on September 28, 1968 to Harri, a shortwave radio operator and part-time taxi driver, and Aila Häkkinen, who worked as a secretary. Häkkinen grew up with one sister, Nina, who ran a fan site for her brother until its closure in 1998.
Since 1991, Häkkinen has resided in Monte Carlo although he also has houses in France and Finland. On 18 May 2008, his newly completed mansion in France burned down after a light in one of his trophy cabinets short circuited. Nobody was injured in the conflagration, but his pet tortoise perished in the fire[2] along with his collection of F1 trophies.[3]
Häkkinen married Erja Honkanen in 1998. The couple have one son, Hugo Ronan (born 11 December 2000) and one daughter, Aina Julia (born 12 May 2005). The couple applied for divorce in 2008.[4] Häkkinen's third child, daughter Ella, was born on 30 November 2010 to his girlfriend Marketa Remesova.[5]
Racing career[link]
Pre-Formula One (until 1990)[link]
When Häkkinen was five years old, his parents hired a go-kart for him to take to a track near their home. On his first lap, Häkkinen was involved in an accident, escaping unhurt. Despite this crash, Häkkinen wished to continue racing and after persistently annoying his parents, the young Finn got his wish. His father bought Häkkinen his first go-kart, one that Henri Toivonen had previously competed with.[6]
By 1986, Häkkinen had won five karting championships. 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg helped Häkkinen by arranging him sponsorship that aided the Finn through the junior categories of open wheel racing. The "New Flying Finn" won three Scandinavian championships, then in 1988 the Opel Lotus Euroseries championship before winning the 1990 British Formula Three championship. During the late 1980s he was living in England and sharing a house with West Surrey Racing team mate Allan McNish.[7] Häkkinen was close to winning the 1990 Macau Grand Prix but missed out due to a controversial accident with Michael Schumacher, which resulted in his promotion to Formula One with Team Lotus.
Formula One (1991–2001)[link]
Lotus (1991–1992)[link]
Main article: Team Lotus
- 1991
Häkkinen joined Lotus in 1991. He qualified 13th for his Grand Prix debut in Phoenix, and would also have finished the race in the same position but his car experienced an engine failure on lap 60. Häkkinen scored his first Grand Prix points two rounds later in Imola, where he finished fifth from 25th on the grid, three laps behind the race winner, Ayrton Senna. Häkkinen finished the season in equal 15th alongside Satoru Nakajima and Martin Brundle.
- 1992
Johnny Herbert joined Häkkinen for 1992. The Finn continued his form from 1991, with points scoring finishes in six Grands Prix, his best finishes being fourth places in France and Hungary. Häkkinen finished the season in eighth place in the Drivers' Championship, with almost six times as many points as during the previous season.
McLaren (1993–2001)[link]
Main article: McLaren
1993[link]
In 1993, Häkkinen joined McLaren as test driver with a view to be promoted into the race team later on.[citation needed] In Monaco he returned to racing with a guest drive in the Porsche Supercup race, an event he dominated. His hopes of stepping up to the race team were realised after Monza, when Michael Andretti left F1 after disappointing results. Häkkinen's McLaren race debut at Estoril was impressive. In his first outing for the team, he outqualified their star driver Ayrton Senna. Unfortunately, when pushing too hard through the final corner of the track during the race, he ran wide onto the dirty side of the kerb, launching the car towards the pit wall. At the time he was running in a point-scoring position. He went on to score a podium finish fifteen seconds behind his triple world champion team-mate during the next weekend at Suzuka, his first career podium.
1994[link]
With Senna departing to Williams for 1994, Häkkinen became the leading driver for McLaren with Martin Brundle as his teammate. McLaren had also switched from Ford engines to Peugeot. During the season, Häkkinen took six more podium finishes to add to his sole podium of 1993, including a second place in Belgium. The Finn finished the year fourth in the Drivers' Championship with a tally of 26 points.
1995[link]
1995 would be the start of a long relationship between Häkkinen's McLaren team and the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. A further two second places in Italy and Japan put the Finn's tally of podiums up to nine. Häkkinen missed the Pacific Grand Prix at Aida due to an appendix operation. But then, at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide, he suffered a tyre failure at the early part of the first qualifying session, which resulted in him crashing heavily into the wall. He was critically injured in the crash (sustaining a skull fracture, internal bleeding and swallowing his tongue, of which the latter blocked his airway) and was saved only due to an emergency tracheotomy that was performed by the side of the track.[8] This incident forged a strong bond between Häkkinen and team principal Ron Dennis, and also sent forth a new movement for extra safety in the sport. Luckily, Häkkinen recovered fully and was fit to race again in 1996, thus missing only one race.
1996[link]
The 1996 season saw McLaren improve; Mercedes-Benz were in their second season of supplying engines to the team and Häkkinen managed to return to the podium, although his first win still eluded him. That season saw David Coulthard join the team from Williams. At the Spa circuit he nearly registered his first win while using a one stop race strategy, until Jos Verstappen's accident allowed all other cars to pit under the safety car. Based on timing, Häkkinen would have won the race by over 10 seconds without this event. Häkkinen finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship, scoring a total of 31 points.
1997[link]
McLaren were confident of success in 1997. With the distinctive red and white colours of Marlboro replaced by the silver and black colours of West, the team returned to their winning ways. Coulthard took the first win for McLaren in over three seasons at the Australian Grand Prix. Through the year the McLarens began to regularly challenge the frontrunners, but it was Coulthard who finished higher in the championship. Häkkinen came close to an elusive breakthrough victory a number of times in 1997, not least at Silverstone, A1-Ring and Nürburgring. At Jerez he finally crossed the line first, although after teammate Coulthard had been asked to move over for him and title contender Jacques Villeneuve, nursing a damaged car, was asked by his team to consider letting him through.[citation needed]
1998[link]
A winner at last, Häkkinen was confident of further success in 1998. With Adrian Newey, the renowned former Williams-Renault designer, on board at McLaren, Häkkinen found himself in the fastest car for early 1998 season.[citation needed] He did not waste the opportunity, and opened up a significant lead in the Drivers' Championship. However, a combination of car problems, bad luck, and a resurgent Michael Schumacher saw the two drivers level on points with just two races to go. Häkkinen held his nerve, beating Schumacher in a straight fight at the Luxembourg Grand Prix and going on to win his 8th Grand Prix of the season in Japan, clinching the title whilst Schumacher stalled on the grid, and later retired with a punctured tyre.
1999[link]
His title defence in 1999 was tougher. With the McLaren not as reliable as the previous year, he lost out on a number of points early in the season, but by the time of Schumacher's leg-breaking crash at Silverstone, he had overtaken the German in the standings. Eddie Irvine now took on the mantle of Ferrari team leader and through reliability problems with the McLaren, and mistakes from Häkkinen, took the title battle down to the last race, again in Japan. Häkkinen had made several major errors at Imola and Monza, both times crashing out whilst in a strong lead, and some questioned whether he could handle the pressure of a title decider once more. In fact, the normally cool and composed Finn was overwhelmed by his error at Monza and broke down crying in front of the cameras after running away from his car to hide during the race.[9] Come Japan however, he was back on top form and romped to a victory that secured him a second world championship, almost an entire lap ahead of title rival Irvine with Schumacher a close second.
2000[link]
As a double World Champion, he had joined an elite group of drivers. For the 2000 season, he was eager to score a hat-trick of crowns, but after a season-long contest, finished 19 points behind Ferrari's Schumacher. At Spa however, he took a memorable victory, with a breathtaking simultaneous pass on Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta in the Kemmel straight. At the next Grand Prix Schumacher took over the Championship lead, and went on to confirm his third world championship at the Japanese Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season. Schumacher has described his championship fight with Häkkinen as the most satisfying of his career.
2001[link]
In 2001, he took part in what would prove to be his last season of Formula One, before he was replaced by his young compatriot and protégé Kimi Räikkönen. The MP4-16 was not as competitive and it was Coulthard who carried the threat to Schumacher for much of the season. Furthermore, Häkkinen suffered a sizeable crash due to a front suspension failure at the opening race in Australia at Melbourne, while running second. The accident seemed to have hindered his motivation considerably. There were days however when Häkkinen reminded people of his skills. In Spain he was in the lead on the last lap to record his fourth straight Spanish Grand Prix victory but he had a clutch failure and was forced to retire, just five corners away from victory. Häkkinen, stranded, was later fetched by Coulthard in the other McLaren, with Häkkinen sitting at the side of the car, back to the pit. It was a sad but memorable moment, reminding fans of the strong bonds between Coulthard and Häkkinen. At Silverstone he dominated the race to take his first victory of the year, whilst at Indianapolis he put in a stirring drive to take his last Grand Prix win. At the end of the season he left racing, initially for a sabbatical, but by mid-2002 this had become full-time retirement.[10]
DTM (2005–2007)[link]
Main article: Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
During 2004 Häkkinen announced plans for a Grand Prix comeback and held talks with Williams for 2005. A deal was not reached and he instead made a race comeback in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), with Mercedes-Benz. It was a successful season, including one win at Spa.
For 2006 he again competed in the DTM championships with Mercedes, although it was a more difficult season, with a couple of second places his best results. Autosport magazine has speculated that Häkkinen's style of driving is not especially suited to a DTM car.[citation needed]
At the 2006 Goodwood Festival Of Speed, Häkkinen drove the 2005 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20. Many said that it was great once again to see Häkkinen in a McLaren, as he was the last driver (at that time) to win the World Championship in a McLaren.[11]
Häkkinen would stay on at Mercedes for a third season in the series and, although this was tainted by some bad luck in places, 2007 was to be his most competitive. Regularly qualifying on the front row, he took two wins at Lausitz and Mugello on his way to 8th in the championship.
Possible return to F1 in 2004[link]
After Häkkinen's sabbatical year and subsequent retirement, rumours of his return were reported on several occasions. Häkkinen was linked to Williams during the 2004 season, because of Montoya going to McLaren-Mercedes following year.[12]
At the end of the 2006 season there were further rumours regarding Häkkinen returning to the wheel of a McLaren-Mercedes for the 2007 season. Autosport magazine reported that Häkkinen had tested a McLaren simulator twice during November and discussed a possible comeback with the team. On November 24 McLaren announced that Lewis Hamilton would take the team's second seat in 2007,[13] ending the speculation of a possible return to a Formula One drivers seat. However, it was reported that Häkkinen may still have participated in an advisory role, with Ron Dennis stating that "Mika can evaluate some of the things we are developing and bringing to the car."[14] On Thursday, November 30, Häkkinen tested the 2006 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-21 for a full day at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Barcelona, Spain. He completed 79 laps of the circuit, but his fastest lap was three seconds off the pace of regular race drivers. McLaren said they were using his expertise to see how Formula One had evolved over the years since his retirement from Formula One at the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix, for possible developments which may have come out of this testing.
Häkkinen has also been named as the Responsible Drinking Ambassador for McLaren sponsor Johnnie Walker.[15]
Häkkinen has a street named after him in the Australian city of Adelaide in which he suffered a near fatal accident.
2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup[link]
Team AMG China has entered a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup - 6 Hours of Zhuhai race, which will see Häkkinen make his ILMC debut in the GT3-based machine.[16][dated info]
Retirement[link]
Häkkinen announced his retirement from competitive motorsport on Sunday, 4 November 2007.[17] He was quoted as saying that the decision "was not an easy one," but added that "racing is still in my blood and this decision does not mean that this will prevent me from racing for pleasure."[18]
In November 2008, Häkkinen announced that he will begin a new career in driver management.[19]
Helmet[link]
Mika Hakkinen's helmet is white with a Dark Blue stripe, a Royal blue stripe and a Sky blue stripe in the middle, a blue circle on the top and his name written in the chin area of his helmet.
Racing record[link]
Career summary[link]
| Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Poles | Wins | Points | Final Placing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–1986 | Karting | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 5 times Finnish Champion |
| 1987 | Nordic Formula Ford | Reynard | 15 | ? | 9 | 40 | 1st |
| 1988 | GM Vauxhall-Lotus Challenge | Dragon | 10 | 4 | 3 | 127 | 2nd |
| Opel-Lotus Euroseries | Dragon | 10 | 2 | 4 | 126 | 1st | |
| 1989 | British F3 | Dragon | 17 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 7th |
| Cellnet F3 SuperPrix | WSR | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 1st | |
| Macau Grand Prix | Dragon | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | R | |
| 1990 | British F3 | WSR | 17 | 11 | 10 | 121 | 1st |
| Italian F3 | WSR | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ? | |
| German F3 | WSR | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ? | |
| Macau Grand Prix | WSR | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | R | |
| Fuji F3 Race | WSR | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNQ | |
| 1991 | Formula One | Lotus | 15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16th |
| 1992 | Formula One | Lotus | 15 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8th |
| 1993 | Formula One | McLaren | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15th |
| Porsche Supercup | ? | 2 | 2 | 2 | ? | ? | |
| 1994 | Formula One | McLaren | 15 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 4th |
| 1995 | Formula One | McLaren | 15 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7th |
| 1996 | Formula One | McLaren | 16 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 5th |
| 1997 | Formula One | McLaren | 16 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 6th |
| 1998 | Formula One | McLaren | 16 | 9 | 8 | 100 | 1st |
| 1999 | Formula One | McLaren | 16 | 11 | 5 | 76 | 1st |
| 2000 | Formula One | McLaren | 17 | 5 | 4 | 89 | 2nd |
| 2001 | Formula One | McLaren | 17 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 5th |
| 2005 | DTM | AMG-Mercedes | 11 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 5th |
| 2006 | DTM | HWA-Mercedes | 10 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 6th |
| 2007 | DTM | HWA-Mercedes | 10 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 8th |
Complete Formula One results[link]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Team Lotus | Lotus 102B | Judd EV 3.5 V8 | USA 13 |
BRA 9 |
SMR 5 |
MON Ret |
CAN Ret |
MEX 9 |
FRA DNQ |
GBR 12 |
GER Ret |
HUN 14 |
BEL Ret |
ITA 14 |
POR 14 |
ESP Ret |
JPN Ret |
AUS 19 |
16th | 2 | |
| 1992 | Team Lotus | Lotus 102D | Ford HB 3.5 V8 | RSA 9 |
MEX 6 |
BRA 10 |
ESP Ret |
SMR DNQ |
8th | 11 | ||||||||||||
| Lotus 107 | MON Ret |
CAN Ret |
FRA 4 |
GBR 6 |
GER Ret |
HUN 4 |
BEL 6 |
ITA Ret |
POR 5 |
JPN Ret |
AUS 7 |
|||||||||||
| 1993 | Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/8 | Ford HBE7 3.5 V8 | RSA | BRA | EUR | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR Ret |
JPN 3 |
AUS Ret |
15th | 4 | |
| 1994 | Marlboro McLaren Peugeot | McLaren MP4/9 | Peugeot A6 3.5 V10 | BRA Ret |
PAC Ret |
SMR 3 |
MON Ret |
ESP Ret |
CAN Ret |
FRA Ret |
GBR 3 |
GER Ret |
HUN |
BEL 2 |
ITA 3 |
POR 3 |
EUR 3 |
JPN 7 |
AUS 12 |
4th | 26 | |
| 1995 | Marlboro McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/10 | Mercedes FO 110 3.0 V10 | BRA 4 |
ARG Ret |
SMR 5 |
ESP Ret |
MON Ret |
CAN Ret |
7th | 17 | |||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/10B | FRA 7 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
HUN Ret |
BEL Ret |
ITA 2 |
PAC |
JPN 2 |
AUS DNS |
|||||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/10C | POR Ret |
EUR 8 |
||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Marlboro McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/11 | Mercedes FO 110/3 3.0 V10 | AUS 5 |
BRA 4 |
ARG Ret |
EUR 8 |
SMR 8 |
MON 6 |
ESP 5 |
CAN 5 |
FRA 5 |
5th | 31 | ||||||||
| McLaren MP4/11B | GBR 3 |
GER Ret |
HUN 4 |
BEL 3 |
ITA 3 |
POR Ret |
JPN 3 |
|||||||||||||||
| 1997 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/12 | Mercedes FO 110E 3.0 V10 | AUS 3 |
BRA 4 |
ARG 5 |
SMR 6 |
MON Ret |
ESP 7 |
CAN Ret |
6th | 27 | ||||||||||
| Mercedes FO 110F 3.0 V10 | FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 3 |
HUN Ret |
BEL DSQ |
ITA 9 |
AUT Ret |
LUX Ret |
JPN 4 |
EUR 1 |
||||||||||||
| 1998 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/13 | Mercedes FO 110G 3.0 V10 | AUS 1 |
BRA 1 |
ARG 2 |
SMR Ret |
ESP 1 |
MON 1 |
CAN Ret |
FRA 3 |
GBR 2 |
AUT 1 |
GER 1 |
HUN 6 |
BEL Ret |
ITA 4 |
LUX 1 |
JPN 1 |
1st | 100 | |
| 1999 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/14 | Mercedes FO 110H 3.0 V10 | AUS Ret |
BRA 1 |
SMR Ret |
MON 3 |
ESP 1 |
CAN 1 |
FRA 2 |
GBR Ret |
AUT 3 |
GER Ret |
HUN 1 |
BEL 2 |
ITA Ret |
EUR 5 |
MAL 3 |
JPN 1 |
1st | 76 | |
| 2000 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/15 | Mercedes FO 110J 3.0 V10 | AUS Ret |
BRA Ret |
SMR 2 |
GBR 2 |
ESP 1 |
EUR 2 |
MON 6 |
CAN 4 |
FRA 2 |
AUT 1 |
GER 2 |
HUN 1 |
BEL 1 |
ITA 2 |
USA Ret |
JPN 2 |
MAL 4 |
2nd | 89 |
| 2001 | West McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4-16 | Mercedes FO 110K 3.0 V10 | AUS Ret |
MAL 6 |
BRA Ret |
SMR 4 |
ESP 9 |
AUT Ret |
MON Ret |
CAN 3 |
EUR 6 |
FRA DNS |
GBR 1 |
GER Ret |
HUN 5 |
BEL 4 |
ITA Ret |
USA 1 |
JPN 4 |
5th | 37 |
Complete DTM results[link]
(key)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Mercedes | HOC 8 |
LAU1 3 |
SPA 1 |
BRN 13 |
OSC Ret |
NOR Ret |
NÜR 4 |
ZAN 12 |
LAU2 12 |
IST 2 |
HOC 15 |
5th | 30 |
| 2006 | Mercedes | HOC 4 |
LAU 3 |
OSC 9 |
BRH 11 |
NOR 3 |
NÜR 12 |
ZAN 11 |
CAT 11 |
BUG 2 |
HOC Ret |
6th | 25 | |
| 2007 | Mercedes | HOC 10 |
OSC 17 |
LAU* 1 |
BRH 4 |
NOR 9 |
MUG 1 |
ZAN 7 |
NÜR 10 |
CAT DSQ |
HOC 17 |
8th | 22 |
* Half points were awarded in the race due to several errors made by the race officials.
Other interests[link]
Häkkinen can ride a unicycle and has performed on stage riding one.[20]
In February 2010, Häkkinen offered driving lessons at Mercedes-Benz World to raise money for children's charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital.[21] The event was sponsored by myHermes, for which Häkkinen is the brand ambassador.
Häkkinen also featured on BBC Two's TopGear, teaching presenter James May how to drive fast in preparation for his first supercar test with the Pagani Zonda.
References[link]
- ^ "Hall of Fame - World Champions: Mika Hakkinen". The Official Formula 1 Website. 2007. http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/40/. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- ^ "Hakkinen loses his house". grandprix.com. 2008-05-18. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20365.html. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
- ^ "Heartbreak for Hakkinen". en.f1-live.com. 2008-05-29. http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/080529113554.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ^ F1-Live.com. "Hakkinen and wife Erja to divorce". CAPSIS International. http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/080209044240.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ "Tässä on Mika Häkkisen ja Marketan Ella-vauva" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 10 January 2011. http://www.iltasanomat.fi/viihde/Tässä%20on%20Mika%20Häkkisen%20ja%20Marketan%20Ella-vauva/art-1288361366443.html. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ Gagnon, Marie-Julie. "Le fil de Mika" (in French). Radio Canada. http://www.radio-canada.ca/Branche/v4/93/F1.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-14.
- ^ Allan McNish interview[dead link]
- ^ Tremayne, David; Mark Hughes (2001). The Concise Encyclopedia of Formula One. Parragon. ISBN 0-7525-6557-5.
- ^ "Hall of Shame". F1 Rejects. 2007. http://www.f1rejects.com/hall/whoops/index.html#3. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
- ^ "Hakkinen announces retirement". BBC Sport. 26 July 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/2152164.stm. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
- ^ "BBC Report on Final GP of 1999 Season". BBC News. 1999-11-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/formula_1/500415.stm. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ "Häkkinen return dismissed". BBC Sport. 2004-05-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3764289.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- ^ "Who's Who: Lewis Hamilton". F1Fanatic.co.uk. 2006. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/whos-who/whos-who-h/lewis-hamilton/. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
- ^ "Mika set for McLaren return". Planet-f1.com. http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Page/0,15909,3210_3213_1715214,00.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ "Hakkinen Lands Drink-Drive Role". Grandprix.com. 2006-11-23. http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17797.html. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ LE MANS: 29 Entries For Zhuhai SpeedTV.com. John Dagys. Posted October 18, 2011. San Francisco, CA
- ^ "F1 | ITV Sport". Itv-f1.com. http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=41235. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ "Au revoir Mika". Top Gear. http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/2394/. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ "Hakkinen moves into driver management". autosport.com. 2008-11-11. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72070. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ "image". http://www.unicyclist.org/pics/MikaHakkinen.jpg. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
- ^ Ken Gibson (2010-02-12). "Go for a spin with Hakkinen". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/motors/2851351/Go-for-a-spin-with-Hakkinen.html. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
External links[link]
- www.hakkinen.com
- FlyingFinn.de, Unofficial Fanwebsite (German)
- Mika Häkkinen Statistics
- Mika Häkkinen career details
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mika Häkkinen |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Brabham |
British Formula Three Champion 1990 |
Succeeded by Rubens Barrichello |
| Preceded by Jacques Villeneuve |
Formula One World Champion 1998 – 1999 |
Succeeded by Michael Schumacher |
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Häkkinen, Mika Pauli |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One champion |
| Date of birth | 28 September 1968 |
| Place of birth | Vantaa, Finland |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Mika_Häkkinen
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
http://cs.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
http://id.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
http://es.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
http://ru.wn.com/Хаккинен, Мика
http://nl.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
http://pl.wn.com/Mika Häkkinen
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
