[14] Monaco's total area is 2.05 km2 (0.79 sq mi),[13] with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.[15][16][17][18] Monaco is a principality governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state.[19] However, even though Prince Albert II is a constitutional monarch, he still has immense political power.[20] The House of Grimaldi have ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297.[21] The official language is French, but Monégasque, Italian, and English are widely spoken and understood.[note 1] The state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full UN voting member in 1993, after much political debate.[9] Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France.[22] However, Monaco does maintain two small military units, totaling 255 officers and men, the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Monaco, and the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince.[23][24] Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad line to France, and the opening of the first casino, Monte Carlo Casino.[25] Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world-famous as a tourist and recreation center for the rich and famous.[11][26] However, in more recent years Monaco has become a major banking center holding over €100 billion worth of funds,[27] and has successfully sought to diversify its economy into the services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries.[28] The state has no income tax and low business taxes, and is well known for being a tax haven.[29] Monaco boasts the world's highest GDP nominal per capita at $172,676 and GDP PPP per capita at $186,175.[30][31] Monaco also has the world's highest life expectancy at almost 90 years,[32] and the lowest unemployment rate at 0%,[33] with over 48,000 workers who commute from France and Italy each day.[13][34] For the third year in a row, Monaco in 2011 had the world's most expensive real estate market, at $56,300 per square metre.[35][36] According to the CIA World Factbook, Monaco has the world's lowest poverty rate,[28] and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world.[37][38] Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 20th century 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Governance 3.1 Administrative divisions 3.1.1 Overview 3.1.2 Traditional quarters and modern geographic areas 3.1.3 Wards 3.2 Security 4 Economy 4.1 Gambling industry 4.2 Tax haven 5 Numismatics 6 Sport and entertainment 6.1 Formula One 6.2 Monte Carlo Rally 6.3 Football 6.4 Rugby 6.5 Other sports 7 Education 7.1 Primary and secondary schools 7.2 Colleges and universities 8 Demographics 8.1 Language 8.2 Religion 8.2.1 Roman Catholic 8.2.2 Anglican 8.2.3 Jewish 9 Flag 10 Transport 11 Notes 12 See also 13 References 14 External links History Main article: History of Monaco Early history The Palace and a tower The Cathedral of Monaco The Place d'Armes with modern buildings Statue of François Grimaldi, "il Malizia" ("the Cunning"), disguised as a monk with a sword under the cloak of his habit in front of the Prince's Palace of Monaco. Monaco's name comes from the 6th century BC nearby Phocaean Greek colony. Referred to the Ligurians as Monoikos, from the Greek "µ???????", "single house", from "µ????" (monos) "alone, single"[39] + "?????" (oikos) "house",[40] which bears the sense of a people either settled in a "single habitation" or of "living apart" from others. According to an ancient myth, Hercules passed through the Monaco area and turned away the previous gods.[41] As a result, a temple was constructed there, the temple of Hercules Monoikos. Because the only temple of this area was the "House" of Hercules, the city was called Monoikos.[42][43] Following a land grant from Emperor Henry VI in 1191, Monaco was refounded in 1215 as a colony of Genoa.[44][45] Monaco was first ruled by a member of the House of Grimaldi in 1297, when Francesco Grimaldi, known as "Il Malizia" (translated from Italian either as "The Malicious One" or "The Cunning One"), and his men captured the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco while dressed as a Franciscan monk – a Monaco in Italian, although this is a coincidence as the area was already known by this name.[46] Francesco, however, was evicted only a few years afterwards by the Genovese forces, and the struggle over "the Rock" continued for another century.[47][48] In 1419, the Grimaldis purchased Monaco from the crown of Aragon and became the official and undisputed rulers of "the Rock of Monaco", and in 1612 Honore II began to style himself "Prince" of Monaco.[49] In the 1630s, Honore II sought French protection against the Spanish forces and was eventually, in 1642, received at the court of Louis XIII as "Duc et Pair Etranger".[50] The princes of Monaco thus became vassals of the French kings while at the same time remaining sovereign princes.[51] As successive princes and their families spent most of their lives in Paris, and through marriages with French nobilities, the House of Grimaldi, though Italian in origin, became thoroughly French in character.[52] The principality continued its existence as a protectorate of France until the French Revolution.[53] In 1793, Revolutionary forces captured Monaco and it remained under direct French control until 1814, when the Grimaldis returned to the throne.[50] The principality was reestablished that year, only to be designated a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Congress of Vienna in 1815.[54] Monaco remained in this position until 1860 when, by the Treaty of Turin, the Sardinian forces pulled out of the principality and the surrounding county of Nice (as well as Savoy) was ceded to France.[55] Monaco became a French protectorate once again. Prior to this time there was unrest in Menton and Roquebrune where the townspeople had become weary of heavy taxation by the Grimaldis. They declared their independence, hoping for annexation by Sardinia, France protested. The unrest continued until Charles III gave up his claim to the two mainland towns, (some 95% of the principality at the time) which had been ruled by the Grimaldis for over 500 years.[56] These were ceded to France in return for 4,100,000 francs.[57] The transfer and Monaco's sovereignty was recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. In 1869, the principality stopped collecting income tax from its residents—an indulgence the Grimaldis could afford to entertain thanks solely to the extraordinary success of the casino.[58] This made Monaco not only a playground for the rich, but a favored place for them to live.[59] 20th century Albert II, the Prince of Monaco Until the Monegasque Revolution of 1910 forced the adoption of the 1911 constitution, the princes of Monaco were absolute rulers.[60] The new constitution, however, barely reduced the autocratic rule of the Grimaldis and in any case Albert I soon suspended it. In July 1918, the Franco-Monegasque Treaty was signed, providing for limited French protection over Monaco. The treaty, endorsed in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles, established that Monegasque international policy would be aligned with French political, military, and economic interests, and resolved the Monaco Succession Crisis.[61] In 1943, the Italian army invaded and occupied Monaco, setting up a Fascist administration.[52] Shortly thereafter, following the collapse of Mussolini, the German Wehrmacht occupied Monaco and the Nazi deportation of the Jewish population began. René Blum (Paris, 13 March 1878 – Auschwitz, 30 April 1943), the prominent French Jew who founded the Ballet de l'Opera in Monte Carlo, was arrested in his Paris home and held in the Drancy deportation camp outside Paris, hence he was then transported to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was killed.[62] Blum's colleague Raoul Gunsbourg, the director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, helped by the French Resistance, escaped arrest and fled to Switzerland.[63] Rainier III, who ruled until 2005, succeeded to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Prince Louis II, in 1949. On 19 April 1956, Prince Rainier married the American actress Grace Kelly; the event was widely televised and covered in the popular press, focusing the world's attention on the tiny principality.[64] A 1962 amendment to the constitution abolished capital punishment, provided for women's suffrage, and established a Supreme Court of Monaco to guarantee fundamental liberties. In 1993, the Principality of Monaco became a member of the United Nations, with full voting rights.[65] In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco specified that, should there be no heirs to carry on the Grimaldi dynasty, the principality would still remain an independent nation rather than revert to France. Monaco's military defense, however, is still the responsibility of France.[66] On 31 March 2005, Prince Rainier III, too ill to exercise his duties, relinquished them to his only son and heir, Prince Albert II.[67] Prince Rainier died on 6 April 2005, after a reign of 56 years, his son Prince Albert II succeeded him, and was thereafter titled Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.[68] Following a period of official mourning, Prince Albert II formally assumed the princely crown on 12 July 2005,[69] in a celebration that began with a solemn Mass at Saint Nicholas Cathedral, where his father had been buried three months earlier. His accession to the Monegasque throne was a two-step event, with a further ceremony, drawing heads of state for an elaborate levée, held on 19 November 2005 at the historic Prince's Palace in Monaco-Ville.[70] Geography Astronaut View of Monaco Main article: Geography of Monaco Monaco is a sovereign city state, with 5 Quartiers, 10 Wards,[71] located on the French Riviera in Western Europe.[72] 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) south east of Nice, France.[9] Its area is 1.98 km2 (0.76 sq mi) or 198 ha (490 acres), with a population of 35,986, making Monaco the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world, as of 2012.[73] Having a land border of only 4.4 km (2.7 mi), a coastline of 4.1 km (2.5 mi), a maritime claim that extends 22.2 kilometres (13.8 mi), and a width that varies between 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and 349 meters (382 yards), Monaco is unique.[10][11] 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, it is 161 meters (528 feet) above sea level.[12] Monaco's most populated Quartier is Monte Carlo, and the most populated Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins.[13] After a recent expansion of Port Hercules,[14] Monaco's total area is 2.05 km2 (0.79 sq mi) or 205 ha (506 acres),[13] with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.[15][16] There are two ports in Monaco, Hercules and Fontvieille, as well the neighboring French port of Cap d'Ail.[74] Monaco's only natural resource is fishing,[75] with almost the entirely country being an urban area, Monaco lacks any sort of commercial agriculture industry.[76] Climate See also: Climate of Monaco Monaco has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), which is influenced by the oceanic climate and the humid subtropical climate. As a result, it has warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Cool and rainy interludes can interrupt the dry summer season, the average length of which is also shorter. Summer afternoons are infrequently hot (indeed, temperatures > 30 °C /86 °F are rare) as the atmosphere is tempered by constant sea breezes. On the other hand, the nights are very mild, this being due to the fairly high temperature of the sea in summer. Generally, temperatures do not drop below 20 °C in this season. In winter, frosts and snowfalls are extremely rare, generally occurring once or twice every ten years. Climate data for Monaco Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C (°F) 12.3 (54.1) 12.5 (54.5) 14.0 (57.2) 16.1 (61.0) 19.4 (66.9) 23.0 (73.4) 25.8 (78.4) 25.9 (78.6) 23.8 (74.8) 19.9 (67.8) 16.1 (61.0) 13.4 (56.1) 18.5 (65.3) Daily mean °C (°F) 10.2 (50.4) 10.4 (50.7) 11.8 (53.2) 13.9 (57.0) 17.1 (62.8) 20.8 (69.4) 23.5 (74.3) 23.7 (74.7) 21.6 (70.9) 17.8 (64.0) 14.0 (57.2) 11.4 (52.5) 16.4 (61.5) Average low °C (°F) 8.1 (46.6) 8.2 (46.8) 9.6 (49.3) 11.6 (52.9) 14.8 (58.6) 18.5 (65.3) 21.2 (70.2) 21.5 (70.7) 19.3 (66.7) 15.6 (60.1) 11.9 (53.4) 9.3 (48.7) 14.1 (57.4) Precipitation mm (inches) 82.7 (3.256) 76.4 (3.008) 70.5 (2.776) 62.2 (2.449) 48.6 (1.913) 36.9 (1.453) 15.6 (0.614) 31.3 (1.232) 54.4 (2.142) 108.2 (4.26) 104.2 (4.102) 77.5 (3.051) 768.5 (30.256) Avg. precipitation days 6.8 6.4 6.1 6.3 5.2 4.1 1.9 3.1 4.0 5.8 7.0 6.0 62.7 Mean monthly sunshine hours 148.8 152.6 201.5 228.0 269.7 297.0 341.0 306.9 240.0 204.6 156.0 142.6 2,668.7 Source: Monaco website[77] Governance Main article: Politics of Monaco Monaco has been governed under a constitutional monarchy since 1911, with the Sovereign Prince of Monaco as monarch. The executive branch consists of a Minister of State (the head of government), who presides over a five-member Council of Government.[78] Until 2002, the Minister of State was a French citizen appointed by the prince from among candidates proposed by the French government; since a constitutional amendment in 2002, the Minister of State can be French or Monegasque.[79] However, Prince Albert II appointed, on March 3, 2010, the Frenchman Michel Roger as Minister of State.[80] Under the 1962 constitution, the prince shares his power with the unicameral National Council (parliament).[81] The 24 member National Council are elected for five-year terms; 16 are chosen through a majority electoral system and 8 by proportional representation.[82] All legislation requires the approval of the National Council, which is currently dominated by the central-right Union of Monaco (UPM), who hold twenty-one seats.[83] The only other party represented in the National Council is the right-wing Rally and Issues for Monaco (REM), which holds just three seats.[84] The principality's city affairs are directed by the Communal Council, which consists of fourteen elected members and is presided over by the mayor. As with the National Council UPM holds the majority with ten seats, while REM holds two seats, and the rest are independent.[85] Administrative divisions Main article: Administrative divisions of Monaco Overview Wards of Monaco Monaco is the second smallest country (by size) in the world; only Vatican City is smaller.[86][87] Monaco is also the world's second smallest monarchy,[88] and is the most densely populated country in the world.[89] The state consists of only one municipality (commune).[90] There is no geographical distinction between the State and City of Monaco, although responsibilities of the government (state-level) and of the municipality (city-level) are different.[91] According to the constitution of 1911, the principality was subdivided into three municipalities:[92] Monaco (Monaco-Ville), the old city on a rocky promontory extending into the Mediterranean, known as the Rock of Monaco, or simply Le Rocher (the Rock), where the palace is located; Monte Carlo, the principal residential and resort area with the Monte Carlo Casino in the east and northeast; La Condamine, the southwestern section including the port area, Port Hercule. The municipalities were merged into one in 1917, after accusations that the government was acting according to the motto "divide and conquer," and they were accorded the status of Wards or Quartiers thereafter.[93] Fontvieille was added as fourth ward, a newly constructed area reclaimed from the sea (in the 1970s) also a new district inside of Fontvieille is planned; Moneghetti became the fifth ward, created from a part of La Condamine; Larvotto became the sixth ward, created from a part of Monte Carlo; La Rousse/Saint Roman (including Le Ténao) became the seventh ward, also created from a part of Monte Carlo. Directly ahead is La Condamine, to the right with the smaller harbour is Fontvieille, with the "Rock of Monaco" (the old town, fortress, and Palace) jutting out between the two harbours; to the left with the high-rise buildings is Monte Carlo Subsequently, three additional wards were created: Saint Michel, from a part of Monte Carlo; La Colle, from a part of La Condamine; Les Révoires, from a part of La Condamine. An additional ward was planned by new land reclamation to be settled beginning in 2014;[94] but Prince Albert II announced in his 2009 New Year Speech that he had ended plans due to the current economic climate.[95] However, Prince Albert II in mid 2010 firmly restarted the program.[96][97] Traditional quarters and modern geographic areas The four traditional Quartiers of Monaco are: Monaco-Ville, La Condamine, Monte Carlo and Fontvieille.[98][99] However, the suburb of Moneghetti, the high-level part of La Condamine, is generally seen today as an effective fifth Quartier of the Monaco, having a very distinct atmosphere and topography when compared with low-level La Condamine.[100] Wards Currently Monaco is subdivided into ten Wards, with their official numbers; either Fontvieille II or Le Portier, would become the affective eleventh ward, if built:[97][101] No. Ward Area (km²) Population (Census of 2008) Density (km²) City Blocks (îlots) Remarks Former municipality of Monaco 05 Monaco-Ville 0.19 1,034 5597 19 Old City Former municipality of Monte Carlo 01 Monte Carlo/Spélugues (Bd. Des Moulins-Av. de la Madone) 0.30 3,834 10779 20 Casino and resort area 02 La Rousse/Saint Roman (Annonciade-Château Périgord) 0.13 3,223 30633 17 Northeast area, includes Le Ténao 03 Larvotto/Bas Moulins (Larvotto-Bd Psse Grace) 0.34 5,443 16570 17 Eastern beach area 10 Saint Michel (Psse Charlotte-Park Palace) 0.16 3,907 26768 24 Central residential area Former municipality of La Condamine 04 La Condamine 0.28 3,947 16213 28 Northwest port area 07 La Colle (Plati-Pasteur-Bd Charles III) 0.11 2,829 15005 15 On the western border with Cap d'Ail 08 Les Révoires (Hector Otto-Honoré Labande) 0.09 2,545 33203 11 Contains the Jardin Exotique de Monaco 09 Moneghetti/ Bd de Belgique (Bd Rainier III-Bd de Belgique) 0.10 3,003 28051 17 Central-north residential area New land reclaimed from the sea 06 Fontvieille 0.35 3,901 10156 10 Started 1981 11(1) Fontvieille II 0.05(2) – - 4(3) Proposed by Prince Albert II after Le Portier was shelved 11(1) Le Portier 0.12(2) – - 6(3) Plans put on hold by Prince Albert II in 2009 10 Monaco[102] 2.05 35,352 16217 178   (1) Number not included in the total, as it is only proposed (2) Area not included in the total, as it is only proposed (3) City blocks (îlots) not included in the total, as it is only proposed Note: for statistical purposes, the Wards of Monaco are further subdivided into 178 city blocks (îlots), which are comparable to the census blocks in the United States.[13] Security See also: Law enforcement in Monaco and Military of Monaco Palace guard in Monaco, just before the Changing of the Guard. The wider defence of the nation is provided by France. Monaco has no navy or air force, but on both a per-capita and per-area basis, Monaco has the largest police force (515 police officers for 35,000 people) and police presence in the world. Its police