Portal:Monaco

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The Monaco Portal
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Monaco (/ˈmɒnəkoʊ/ (listen); French pronunciation: [mɔnako]), officially the Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: Prinçipatu de Múnegu; Occitan: Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is widely recognised as one of the most expensive and wealthiest places in the world. The official language of the principality is French. In addition, Monégasque (a dialect of Ligurian), Italian and English are spoken and understood by many residents.

With an area of 2.1 km² (0.81 sq mi), it is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its 19,009 inhabitants /km² (49,230/sq mi) make it the most densely-populated sovereign state in the world. Monaco has a land border of 5.47 km (3.40 mi) and the world's shortest coastline of approximately 3.83 km (2.38 mi); it has a width that varies between 1,700 and 349 m (5,577 and 1,145 ft). The highest point in the state is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires ward, which is 161 m (528 ft) above sea level. The principality is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the border with Italy. Its most populous ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins with a population of 5,443 as of 2008. Through land reclamation, Monaco's land mass has expanded by 20 percent. In 2005, it had an area of only 1.974 km² (0.762 sq mi).

The principality is governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who wields immense political power despite his constitutional status. The prime minister, who is the head of government, can be either a Monégasque or a French citizen; the monarch consults with the Government of France before an appointment. Key members of the judiciary in Monaco are detached French magistrates. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297. The state's sovereignty was officially recognised by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full United Nations voting member in 1993. Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France. However, Monaco does maintain two small military units. (Full article...)

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Selected location article

Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology

The Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology is located within the Jardin Exotique de Monaco. It was opened in 1902 and contains a collection of fossils and other excavated artifacts relating to the prehistory of Monaco and areas nearby. (Full article...)

List of articles
Casino Gardens and Terraces Avenue Princesse Grace Columbus Hotel Monaco Fort Antoine Theatre Grimaldi Forum Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo Japanese Garden, Monaco Jardin Exotique de Monaco New National Museum of Monaco Oceanographic Museum Odeon Tower St Martin Gardens Zoological Garden of Monaco

Selected pictures

Image 1
Land reclamation in Monaco since 1861
(from Monaco)
Image 2Benjamin Balleret (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 3The Mayor of Monaco announcing concessions, ending the absolute monarchy of Prince Albert I in 1910 (from Monaco)
Image 4Prince's Palace of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 5Fontvieille and its new harbour (from Monaco)
Image 6Charles Leclerc (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 7Monaco's flag and its coat of arms (from Monaco)
Image 8The Monaco harbour during the days of the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 9Monaco (as part of the Republic of Genoa) in 1494 (from Monaco)
Image 10Logo of the princely government of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 11A view of the 2011 Monaco Porsche Supercup. Motor racing is very popular, with one course encompassing almost the whole country. (from Monaco)
Image 12Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 13Map of the French annexation in 1860 (from Monaco)
Image 14Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Monaco)
Image 151978 Monégasque franc coin with an effigy of Rainier III (from Monaco)
Image 16The Rock of Monaco in 1890 (from Monaco)
Image 17Monte Carlo Casino (from Monaco)
Image 18The marriage of actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier III brought media attention to the principality. (from Monaco)
Image 19La Condamine (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 20Public art in Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 21Rainier I, victor of the naval battle at Zierikzee and first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 22Wards of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 23Albert II, Prince of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 24Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (from Monaco)
Image 25Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (from Monaco)
Image 26
Panoramic view of La Condamine and Monte Carlo
(from Monaco)
Image 27Oceanographic Museum (from Monaco)
Image 28Monte Carlo Casino (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 29
Panoramic view of Monaco from the Tête de Chien (Dog's Head) high rock promontory
(from Monaco)
Image 30Palace guards in Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 31Satellite view with border (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 32Satellite view of Monaco, with the France–Monaco border shown in yellow (from Monaco)
Image 33Stade Louis II, home of AS Monaco FC (from Monaco)
Image 34Enlargeable, detailed map of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 35Prince Albert I of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 36View of the Rock of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 37The location of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 38Sainte-Dévote Chapel (from Monaco)
Image 39Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 40Port Hercules (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 41In the centre is La Condamine. At the right with the smaller harbour is Fontvieille, with The Rock (the old town, fortress, and Palace) jutting out between the two harbours. At the left are the high-rise buildings of La Rousse/Saint Roman. (from Monaco)
Image 42
Panoramic view of Monaco City and the port of Fontvieille
(from Monaco)
Image 43Hotel de Paris (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 44Monaco-Ville (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 45Fontvieille (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 46Embassy of Monaco, Paris, France (from Monaco)
Image 47View of Monaco in 2016 (from Monaco)
Image 48Temperature change in Monaco since 1901 in the context of global warming (from Monaco)
Image 49Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 50Monte Carlo (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 51Jacques I, Prince of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 52Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Outline of Monaco)

Selected ward

Fontvieille (French pronunciation: [fɔ̃vjɛj]; Ligurian: Funtanaveya [fuŋtanaˈvɛja]) is the southernmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It was developed by an Italian architect, Manfredi Nicoletti, between the 1970s and the 1990s. (Full article...)

List of articles
La Condamine Larvotto Jardin exotique Monaco-Ville Les Moneghetti Monte-Carlo Ravin de Sainte-Dévote La Rousse

Selected environment article

Fontvieille ward, Monaco

Land reclamation is done in Monaco because land is very scarce, as the country is comparatively tiny, at 2.02 km² (0.78 sq mi). To solve this problem and to continue economic development, for years the country has been adding to its total land area by reclaiming land from the sea. (Full article...)

List of articles
Mont Agel Port Hercules Rock of Monaco Tête de Chien

Selected arts article

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo (The Monte Carlo Ballet) is a classical ballet company established in 1985 by the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of her mother, Princess Grace of Monaco. It is the official national company of the Principality of Monaco. (Full article...)

Selected religion article

Chapel of the Penitents, Monaco

The Catholic Church in Monaco is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

The country forms a single archdiocese: the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco, which is part of the Catholic Church in France since the beginning of its history. Per the Constitution of Monaco (Art. 9) Catholicism is the official church of Monaco, and is the majority religion. Religious freedom is also guaranteed by the constitution. (Full article...)

Selected sports article

Søren Thomas Busk (born 10 April 1953) is a Danish former footballer who played as a defender. He usually played either right-back or in central defence. He played professionally for a number of European clubs, and helped Gent win the Belgian Cup. He gained 61 caps and scored two goals for the Denmark national football team and represented Denmark at the Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup, and Euro 1988 tournaments. (Full article...)

Selected education article

The International School of Monaco (ISM) is an independent, co-educational, not-for-profit day school located on Port Hercule in Monaco. Founded in 1994 and composed of the Early Years School, Primary School, and Secondary School, ISM has over 700 students aged 3 to 18 years old, drawn from over 50 nationalities.

ISM offers a bilingual education in English and French for students in the Early Years and Primary Schools (Kindergarten to Year 6). From Year 7 onwards, the Secondary School offers a programme taught in English, leading to internationally-recognised academic qualifications. The University of Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations are offered at the end of Year 11, following a two-year course of study. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) examinations are offered at the end of Year 13, following a two-year course of study. The school offers both the IBDP and, since September 2020, the IBCP (International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme). (Full article...)

Selected transportation article

Line 2 at a bus stop

Transport in Monaco is facilitated with road, air (helicopter), rail, and water networks. Rail transport is operated by SNCF with only Monaco Monte Carlo station seeing passenger service and the total length of the line inside the Principality is 1.7 km (1.1 mi). Monaco has five bus routes operated by Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco. There are also two other bus routes which connect Monaco with neighboring regions such as Nice and Menton. (Full article...)

Selected biography

Olivier Beretta (born 23 November 1969) is a professional racing driver from Monaco who raced in Formula One in 1994 for the Larrousse team, partnering Érik Comas. He participated in 10 Grands Prix, debuting on 27 March 1994. He scored no championship points, and was replaced when his sponsorship money ran out. During 2003 and 2004, he tested for the Williams team. (Full article...)

Did you know...

... that the 2022 EuroLeague Playoffs marked the first appearance in the event for AS Monaco?
... that Monaco GP was the most popular arcade driving game in the United States in 1981?