2003 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.5% (male 2,551; female 2,445) 15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,814; female 10,130) 65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,937; female 4,253) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

none

Airports

none; linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service (2002)

Area

land

1.95 sq km

total

1.95 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

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 Monaco

Birth rate

9.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$531 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

revenues

$518 million

Capital

Monaco

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Coastline

4.1 km

Constitution

17 December 1962

Country name

conventional long form

Principality of Monaco

conventional short form

Monaco

local long form

Principaute de Monaco

local short form

Monaco

Currency

euro (EUR)

Currency code

EUR

Death rate

12.82 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) is accredited to Monaco

Diplomatic representation in the US

Monaco does not have an embassy in the US

consulate(s) general

New York

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

Monaco, situated on the French Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major new construction project will extend 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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

Electricity - imports

NA kWh

note

electricity supplied by France

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Agel 140 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

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

Ethnic groups

French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch

chief of state

Prince RAINIER III (since 9 May 1949); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT Alexandre Louis Pierre, son of the monarch (born 14 March 1958)

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

head of government

Minister of State Patrick LECLERCQ (since 5 January 2000)

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

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Monaco

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red Economy Monaco

GDP

purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

43 44 N, 7 24 E

Geography - note

second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban People Monaco

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Heliports

1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2002) Military Monaco

Highways

paved

50 km

total

50 km

unpaved

0 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

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

Independence

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

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products

Infant mortality rate

female

4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

6.52 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.63 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

International organization participation

ACCT, ECE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNITAR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Internet country code

.mc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

NA Transportation Monaco

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

30,540 (January 1994)

Land boundaries

border countries

France 4.4 km

total

4.4 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (urban area) (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

Legal system

based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3

elections

last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held NA February 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.37 years (2003 est.)

male

75.37 years

total population

79.27 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA% Government Monaco

male

NA%

total population

99%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

47 years (2002)

male

43 years

total

45 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues Monaco

National holiday

National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November

Nationality

adjective

Monegasque or Monacan

noun

Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

none

Net migration rate

7.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Political parties and leaders

National and Democratic Union or UND [Jean-Louis CAMPORA]; Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

32,130 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.44% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Monaco

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998)

Radios

34,000 (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

1.7 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)

total

1.7 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

modern automatic telephone system

international

no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system

Telephones - main lines in use

31,027 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

5 (1998)

Televisions

25,000 (1997)

Terrain

hilly, rugged, rocky

Total fertility rate

1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.1% (1998)

Waterways

none