Portal:Monaco

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Microstate of Monaco.

Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, 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 a semi-enclave 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 recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. The official language is French; Monégasque, English and Italian are spoken and understood by many residents.

With an area of 2.08 km2 (0.80 sq mi), Monaco is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its population of 38,367 in 2023 makes it the most densely populated sovereign state. Monaco has the world's shortest coastline: 3.83 km (2.38 mi). The principality is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the border with Italy and consists of nine administrative wards, the largest of which is Monte Carlo.

The principality is governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who wields political power despite his constitutional status. The prime minister, who is the head of government, can be either a Monégasque or French citizen; the monarch consults with the Government of France before an appointment. Key members of the judiciary 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, besides maintenance of two small military units. (Full article...)

Selected location article

The Casino Gardens and Terraces are public gardens that surround the Monte Carlo Casino in the Monte Carlo district of Monaco. The gardens contain lawns and fountains and a "Little Africa" garden. At the bottom of the terraces is Victor Vasarely's artwork Hexa Grace, made of multi coloured tiles. The gardens were founded in the late 19th century and formed the largest public space in Monaco in the 1950s. The gardens are frequently used to display large public artworks. The gardens were designed by the architect Edouard André. The original designs for the garden incorporated waterfalls stretching down a slope to terminate in a pond amidst sunken gardens. The trees washingtonia robusta and brachychiton populneus are prominent in the gardens.

A 1959 report on the gardens noted a long avenue of palm trees, in addition to flower beds, bottle trees, and cacti thriving in the frost free subtropic environment. (Full article...)

Selected pictures

Selected ward

A view of Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo (/ˌmɒnti ˈkɑːrl/ MON-tee KAR-loh, Italian: [ˈmonte ˈkarlo]; French: Monte-Carlo, French: [mɔ̃te kaʁlo]; or colloquially Monte-Carl, French: [mɔ̃te kaʁl]; Monégasque: Munte Carlu, Ligurian: [ˈmuŋte ˈkaɾlu]; lit.'Mount Charles') is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter (corresponding to the former municipality of Monte Carlo), which besides Monte Carlo/Spélugues also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo is situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps along the French Riviera. Near the quarter's western end is the "world-famous Place du Casino, the gambling center ... that has made Monte Carlo an international byword for the extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth". It is also the location of the Hôtel de Paris, Café de Paris and Salle Garnier (the casino theatre which is the home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo). The quarter's eastern part includes the community of Larvotto with Monaco's only public beach, as well as its new convention center (the Grimaldi Forum), and the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. At the quarter's eastern border, one crosses into the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur), and 8 kilometres (5 mi) to its east is the western border of Italy. (Full article...)

Selected environment article

View of the Rock from Tête de Chien
The Rock of Monaco (French: Rocher de Monaco; Monégasque: Roca de Mùnegu) is a 62-metre (203 ft) tall monolith on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and the Port Hercules. (Full article...)

Selected arts article

Monaco participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Notre planète" written by Philippe Bosco and Patrick Sassier. The song was performed by Maryon, who was internally selected by the Monégasque broadcaster Télé Monte-Carlo (TMC), which returned to the Eurovision Song Contest after a twenty-five-year absence, to represent Monaco in the 2004 contest in Istanbul, Turkey. The selection of Maryon and "Notre planète" as the Monégasque entry was announced on 22 February 2004.

Monaco competed in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 12 May 2004. Performing during the show in position 9, "Notre planète" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Monaco placed nineteenth out of the 22 participating countries in the semi-final with 10 points. (Full article...)

Selected religion article

The location of Monaco (dark green, in circle) in Europe

The history of the Jews in Monaco goes back at least a century, most notably to the time of the Holocaust. Monaco had a very small Jewish presence before World War II, numbering approximately 300 people. During the war, the principality's government issued false identity papers to its Jewish residents to protect them from Nazi deportation. Prince Louis II refused to dismiss Jewish civil servants and protected Édouard de Rothschild from deportation. However, Monaco's police arrested and turned over 42 Central European Jewish refugees to the Nazis. Sixty Jews were arrested 27–28 August 1942, and ninety in total, according to The Algemeiner.

In 1948, the Association Cultuelle Israelite de Monaco was founded as the official organization of Monaco's Jewish community, and it provides the community with a synagogue, Hebrew school and kosher food store. Today's Jewish community in Monaco consists primarily of retirees from France and the United Kingdom, and there is also a small population of North African and Turkish Jews. (Full article...)

Selected sports article

The 1976 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the XXXIV Grand Prix de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco on 30 May 1976. It was the sixth round of the 1976 Formula One season and the 34th Monaco Grand Prix. The race was contested over 78 laps of the 3.3 km circuit for a race distance of 257 kilometres.

The race was won by Ferrari driver Niki Lauda, who had also taken pole position in his Ferrari 312T2. (Full article...)

Selected education article

Founded in 1986, the International University of Monaco (IUM) (French: Université internationale de Monaco) is located in the Principality of Monaco. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in business specialized in finance, marketing, sport business management and international management, taught in English. Bachelor program at this university consists of 3 academic years. Masters program consists of 1 academic year. Prior to 2002, it was known as the University of Southern Europe. (Full article...)

Selected transportation article

Monacair is a Monegasque helicopter company based at Monaco Heliport, Monaco. The airline provides various services, including regular helicopter transfers between Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and Monaco, private flights and luxury experiences, helicopter tours, as well as helicopter maintenance, management, and handling services.

By appointment of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, the company has also provides transport for the Princely Family of Monaco, the Government of Monaco, and several Heads of State visiting the Principality. (Full article...)

Selected biography

Laetitia Aida Mikail (born mid-1980s) is a Monégasque lawyer and Director at the Junior Chamber of Economics of Monaco where she is responsible for business network events. As a result of her success, in the autumn of 2017, she was appointed to serve for the next three years on Monaco's Conseil Strategique pour l’Attractivité (Strategic Council for Attractiveness) which is involved in planning the country's future economic development. (Full article...)

Did you know...

  • ... that Ron Monaco, described as the "longest of long shots", became a starter in the NFL having been just a backup in college?

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