|
|
|
COUNTRY HOPPING: Monaco
Official name: Principality of Monaco
Area: 1.95 sq km
Population: 33,000
Capital: Monaco-Ville
Currency: French franc
Official language: French
Major cities: Monte Carlo, La Condamine; heliport Fontvieille
Independence day: AD1419
Physical features
Monaco is a small sovereign state forming an enclave in southern France, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The country, almost entirely urban, is hilly, rugged, and rocky.
Climate
Monaco has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The country has a mild Mediterranean climate with annual temperatures averaging 16°C and with only about 60 days of rainfall. Monthly average temperatures range from 10°C in January to 24°C in August.
People
Monaco has one of the highest population densities in the world, at 15,321 persons per sq km. Only about 20 per cent of the residents were born in Monaco, about half are French, and the rest are a mixture of nationalities, mostly Italians. Roman catholic is the prevailing religion here with 95% of the nationals as its followers.
Language
The official language is French, although a number of people speak Monigasque, a language influenced by French and Italian. Italian and English are also spoken.
Government
Monaco is a hereditary principality, but an earlier concept of endowing the prince with a divine right to rule has been deleted. Legislative power is shared between the prince and a single-chamber national council, with 18 members elected for a five-year term. Executive power is formally vested in the prince but in practice is exercised by a four-member council of government.
France is closely involved in the government of Monaco. Agreements between France and Monaco state that Monaco will be incorporated into France if the reigning prince dies without a male heir.
Economy
The principal occupations in Monaco relate to tourism, which is the economic foundation of the state. The sale of postage stamps and tobacco, and banking and insurance are important sources of revenue. The manufacture of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronic equipment, cosmetics, paper and cards, clothing and textiles, and plastic goods is also of economic importance. A major source of income is the gambling casino at Monte Carlo.
Tourist attractions
Among its places of interest are a cathedral, a palace in the medieval and Renaissance styles, and an oceanographic museum, established in 1910 by Monaco’s Prince Albert I. The Monte Carlo Opera and Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra are located here, and the Monaco Grand Prix and Monte Carlo Rally are popular annual motor-racing events. Grand Casino, an elaborate Belle Epoque structure and many other beautiful buildings grace Monaco, one of the world’s great gambling capitals. The casino contains a theatre, a ballroom, and various gaming rooms. Tourists can enjoy its beautiful gardens from one of the many cafes lining the avenue outside.
History
1191: The Genoese took control of Monaco, which had formerly been part of the Holy Roman Empire.
1297: Came under the rule of the Grimaldi dynasty, the current ruling family, who initially allied themselves to the French.
1524-1641: Came under Spanish protection.
1793: Annexed by France during French Revolutionary Wars. One member of ruling family was guillotined; the rest imprisoned.
1815: Placed under protection of Sardinia.
1848: The towns of Menton and Roquebrune, which had formed the greater part of the principality, seceded and later became part of France.
1861: Franco-Monegasque treaty restored Monaco’s independence under French protection; first casino built.
1865: Customs union established with France.
1918: France given veto over succession to throne and established that if reigning prince dies without a male heir, Monaco is to be incorporated into France.
1941-45: Occupied successively by Italians and Germans during World War II.
1949: Prince Rainier III ascended the throne.
1956: Prince Rainier married US actress Grace Kelly.
1958: Birth of male heir, Prince Albert.
1959: Constitution of 1911 suspended and National Council dissolved.
1962: New, more liberal constitution adopted and National Council restored.
1982: Princess Grace died in car accident.
1993: Joined United Nations.
1998: Michel Leveque reappointed head of government.
|
|
|
|
