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, trailing only Macau. 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

A late 19th-century view of Fort Antoine and Monte-Carlo.

The Fort Antoine Theatre is a small amphitheatre on the Avenue de la Quarantaine in the Monaco-Ville ward of Monaco. The fort hosts open air plays in the summer months.

The theatre was originally constructed as a fortress in the early 18th-century before its destruction in 1944. Prince Rainier III had the fortress rebuilt as a theatre in 1953. The parapet of the fort is provided by pittosporum hedges. The militaristic nature of its architecture has been retained with a bartizan and a pyramid of cannonballs at the centre of the theatre. (Full article...)

Selected pictures

Selected ward

Lamarck Square, Les Moneghetti; this square contains, a garden, a post office, and a police station; the parish church (Sacred Heart) is 46 metres (50 yd) away.
Les Moneghetti (Monégasque: Muneghëti [muneˈɡeti]) is the north-central ward in the Principality of Monaco, bordering neighboring France. Moneghetti was incorporated in La Condamine. (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 2005 with the song "Tout de moi" written by Philippe Bosco and Didier Fabre. The song was performed by Lise Darly, who was internally selected by the Monégasque broadcaster Télé Monte-Carlo (TMC) to represent Monaco in the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. The selection of Lise Darly and "Tout de moi" as the Monégasque entry was announced on 12 January 2005, while the song was presented on 18 March 2005.

Monaco competed in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 19 May 2005. Performing during the show in position 6, "Tout de moi" 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 twenty-fourth out of the 25 participating countries in the semi-final with 22 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 2004 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2004) was a Formula One motor race held on 23 May 2004, at the Circuit de Monaco, contested over 77 laps. It was Race 6 of 18 in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race was won by the Renault driver Jarno Trulli; this was his only victory in Formula One. BAR driver, Jenson Button finished in second position, one second behind Trulli. Rubens Barrichello took the third and final podium spot for Ferrari.

In fine conditions Trulli beat Button to the first corner off the grid, and the fast starting Takuma Sato beat Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher to fourth place before retiring at the end of the second lap. On lap three the safety car was deployed due to a collision between David Coulthard and Giancarlo Fisichella, with the race resuming on lap seven. The two Renault drivers, Trulli and Fernando Alonso remained close together at the front of the race until the pit stops which briefly saw Michael Schumacher lead the race. Alonso retired after crashing trying to lap Ralf Schumacher, and a second safety car period ensued. After briefly leading, Michael Schumacher retired behind the safety car following a collision with Juan Pablo Montoya, who subsequently finished fourth. Schumacher's retirement elevated Button to second, and Trulli to the lead. Button subsequently reduced Trulli's lead, and the pair raced closely until the finish. (Full article...)

Selected education article

The American College of Monaco was a tertiary institution located in Monte Carlo, Monaco, that operated from 1968 until 1970. The college offered a four-year degree program and was reportedly established by the Principality at the request of Princess Grace.

The college held classes in the Hotel Hermitage behind the Hotel de Paris, and the famous Monte Carlo Casino during its first academic year. After that, the school relocated to the Hotel Splendid, on the border of Beausoleil. Prince Rainier III was the Chancellor of the School, and the famous oceanographer, Jacques Yves Cousteau, was a member of its Board of Academic Overseers. (Full article...)

Selected transportation article

Port Hercules

Port Hercules (French: Port Hercule [pɔʁ ɛʁkyl]) is the only deep-water port in Monaco. The port has been in use since ancient times. The modern port was completed in 1926, and underwent substantial improvements in the 1970s. It covers almost 40 acres (160,000 m2), enough to provide anchorage for up to 700 vessels. The port is located in the La Condamine district. Harbour pilots are required for all vessels longer than 30 metres. The depth of water in the harbour ranges from seven metres for standard berths and up to 40 metres for the outer piers and cruise ship docks. (Full article...)

Selected biography

Maurice Revelli (born 4 September 1964) is a Monegasque former professional footballer who played as a defender. (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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