Monaco

This country’s the second smallest in the world. This country holds a casino acknowledged in the most remote regions of the globe. This country has an unemployment rate of 0%. This country has the highest population density in Europe with 16,403.6 people per square kilometer. This country is called Monaco.

Geography

Monaco is a narrow hilly wedge squeezed between Southern France and the Mediterranean sea to the south. The country is divided into 4 traditional quarters. Fontvieille (the newest), Monaco-Ville (the oldest), Monte Carlo (the world-famous), and La Condamine. It’s climate is Mediterranean so it has cold damp winters and hot dry summers.

Economy

Monaco’s economy is centrally run on tourism. Monaco’s beaches and world-famous casinos attract over 1.5 million tourists a year. If you want to talk money, the average income per person there is $65,500, one of the highest in the world and it’s monetary unit is the Euro. An interesting economic fact about Monaco is that 0% of its economy relies on agriculture.

History

Monaco was first discovered by Phoenicians and then ruled by the Greeks. Monaco was originally called Monoikos deriving from Hercules Monoikos, an ancient temple on the island worshipping Hercules. The name Monaco eventually started to be used in the Middle Ages when a fortress was built near today’s Monaco-Ville. Monaco-Ville was then seized by François Grimaldi in 1297 and has been ruled by the Grimaldi family ever since. In 1918, a treaty was signed with France stating that Monaco would continue to rule as an autonomous nation under the protection of France even if the Grimaldi Family died out. Today Monaco’s form of government is a constitutional monarchy.

People & Culture

Monaco is home to 30,508 people. Only 6,000 of those people are Monegasque citizens. The rest of the population is primarily French (47%) and Italian (16%). As a result, the main languages of Monaco are French, Italian, and Monegasque. 90% of the population is Roman Catholic because the Grimaldi Family who has ruled over Monaco since the 13th century, originally descended from Genoa, Italy and were devoted Catholics.

Fun Facts

1. Ironically, Monaco has one of the largest casinos in the world but its citizens are not allowed to gamble, nor even visit the casinos. Monaco’s casinos are only open to tourists over the age of 18.

2. There are no airports in Monaco. The nearest one is a 30-minutes drive away.

3. Monaco is known as “James Bond’s Playground.” The Monte-Carlo Casino has been the location of three James Bond Films.

A panoramic view of the country Monaco

The World-Famous Monte-Carlo
Casino

Monaco's location on a map
of Europe

Monaco's flag