Statistics

National name: Principaut� de Monaco

Ruler: Prince Rainier III (1949)

Minister of State: Patrick Leclercq (2000)

Area: 0.75 sq mi (465 acres) (1.95 sq km)

Population (2001 est.): 31,842 (average annual growth rate: �0.3%); birth rate 9.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.8/1000; density per sq mi: 42,293

Capital and largest city (1995 est.): Monaco, 30,400

Monetary unit: French franc

Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Mon�gasque

Ethnicity/race: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%

Religion: Roman Catholic 95%

Literacy rate: 99%

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (1999 est.): $870 million; $27,000 per capita. Real growth rate: n.a. Inflation: n.a. Unemployment: 3.1% (1998). Arable land: 0%. Agriculture: none. Labor force: 30,540 (Jan. 1994). Natural resources: none. Exports: n.a. Imports: n.a. Full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU.

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 31,027 (1995); mobile cellular: 2,560 (1994). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM n.a., shortwave 8 (1998). b 34,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 5 (1997). Televisions: 25,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (1999).

Transportation: Railways: total: 1.7 km. Highways: total: 50 km; paved: 50 km; unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.). Ports and harbors: Monaco. Airports: linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service.

International disputes: none.

Geography

Monaco is a tiny, hilly wedge driven into the French Mediterranean coast; it is nine miles east of Nice, France.

Constitutional monarchy.

The Phoenicians, and after them the Greeks, had a temple on the Monacan headland honoring Hercules. From Monoikos, the Greek surname for this mythological strong man, the principality took its name. After being independent for 800 years, Monaco was annexed to France in 1793 and was placed under Sardinia's protection in 1815. By the Franco-Monegasque treaty of 1861, Monaco went under French guardianship but continued to be independent. A treaty made with France in 1918 contained a clause providing that, in the event that the male Grimaldi dynasty should die out, Monaco would become an autonomous state under French protection.

Monaco has a tourist business that runs as high as 1.5 million visitors a year and is famous for its beaches and casinos. It had gaming tables as early as 1856. Five years later, a 50-year concession to operate the games was granted to Fran�ois Blanc, of Bad Homburg. This concession passed into the hands of a private company in 1898.

Prince Rainier III, born on May 31, 1923, succeeded his grandfather, Louis II, on the latter's death, May 9, 1949. Rainier was married, in 1956, to U.S. actress Grace Kelly and they subsequently had three children. Their son, Prince Albert Louis Pierre (b. 1958) is heir to the throne. Immensely popular, Princess Grace died on Sept. 14, 1982, of injuries received in a car accident near Monte Carlo. She was 52.

Monaco's practice of providing a tax shelter for French businessmen resulted in a 1962 dispute between the countries. A compromise was reached by which French citizens with less than five years residence in Monaco were taxed at French rates, and taxes were imposed on Monegasque companies doing more than 25% of their business outside the principality. In 1967, Rainier took control of the Soci�t� des Bains de Mer, operator of the famous Monte Carlo gambling casino, in a program to increase hotel and convention space. The country was admitted to the UN in May 1993, making it the smallest country represented there. The country celebrated the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi reign during 1997.

See Also: Monaco Online http://www.monaco.mc/

(Source: www.infoplease.com )

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