Introduction

 
Background: Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center.

 

Geography

 

Location: Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy

 

Geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 24 E

 

Map references: Europe

 

Area: total: 1.95 sq km; land: 1.95 sq km; water: 0 sq km

 

Area - comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

 

Land boundaries: total: 4.4 km; border countries: France 4.4 km

 

Coastline: 4.1 km

 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

 

Climate: Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

 

Terrain: hilly, rugged, rocky

E

levation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m; highest point: Mont Agel 140 m

 

Natural resources: none

 

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; other: 100% (urban area) (2001)

 

Irrigated land: NA sq km

 

Natural hazards: NA

 

Environment - current issues: NA

 

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

 

Geography - note: second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban

 

People

 

Population: 32,409 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 2,563/female 2,445); 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,909/female 10,217); 65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,972/female 4,303) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 45.25 years; male: 43.27 years; female: 47.19 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 0.43% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 9.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 12.71 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 7.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female; total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 6.29 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 4.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.57 years; male: 75.7 years; female: 83.63 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

 

Nationality: noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s); adjective: Monegasque or Monacan

 

Ethnic groups: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%

 

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%

 

Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

 

Literacy: definition: NA; total population: 99%; male: NA%; female: NA%

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: Principality of Monaco; conventional short form: Monaco; local long form: Principaute de Monaco; local short form: Monaco

 

Government type: constitutional monarchy

 

Capital: Monaco

 

Administrative divisions: none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo

 

Independence: 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi)

 

National holiday: National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November

 

Constitution: 17 December 1962

 

Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

 

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch: chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005); head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June 2005); cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch; elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government

 

Legislative branch: unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms); elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008); election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3

 

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council)

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major construction project extended the pier used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas. Monaco does not publish national income figures; the estimates below are extremely rough.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $870 million (2000 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2000 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,000 (2000 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17%; industry: NA%; services: NA% (2001 est.)

 

Labor force: 30,540 (January 1994)

 

Unemployment rate: 22% (1999)

 

Population below poverty line: NA%

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%; highest 10%: NA%

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (2000)

 

Budget: revenues: $518 million; expenditures: $531 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1995)

 

Agriculture - products: none

 

Industries: tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products

 

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

 

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

 

Electricity - imports: NA kWh; note: electricity supplied by France

 

Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

 

Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

 

Debt - external: $18 billion (2000 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: NA

 

Currency (code): euro (EUR)

 

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 33,700 (2002)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 19,300 (2002)

 

elephone system: general assessment: modern automatic telephone system; domestic: NA; international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998)

 

Television broadcast stations: 5 (1998)

 

Internet country code: .mc

 

Internet hosts: 533 (2004)

 

Internet users: 16,000 (2002)

 

Transportation

 

Highways: total: 50 km; paved: 50 km; unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)

 

Ports and harbors: Monaco

 

Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 54 (2005)

 

Airports: none; linked to the airport at Nice, France by helicopter service (2004 est.)

 

Heliports: 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none.