Portal:Monaco

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The Monaco Portal
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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...)

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Selected location article

Inaugurated in the year 2000, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco - named after the Grimaldi family, the historical reigning family of Monaco - is a prominent international event venue. With its dual purpose as a congress center and a cultural hub, and a steady pace of 120 events and 250,000 visitors annually, it is a significant economic factor in the international prominence of the Principality of Monaco. (Full article...)

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

Selected pictures

Image 1Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 2Monaco's flag and its coat of arms (from Monaco)
Image 3Oceanographic Museum (from Monaco)
Image 4Wards of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 5Embassy of Monaco, Paris, France (from Monaco)
Image 6La Condamine (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 7Monte Carlo Casino (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 8Satellite view with border (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 9Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 10A view of the 2011 Monaco Porsche Supercup. Motor racing is very popular, with one course encompassing almost the whole country. (from Monaco)
Image 11The marriage of actress Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier III brought media attention to the principality. (from Monaco)
Image 12Monaco (as part of the Republic of Genoa) in 1494 (from Monaco)
Image 13Public art in Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 14Rainier I, victor of the naval battle at Zierikzee and first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 15Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (from Monaco)
Image 16Satellite view of Monaco, with the France–Monaco border shown in yellow (from Monaco)
Image 17Monte Carlo Casino (from Monaco)
Image 18Charles Leclerc (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 19The Mayor of Monaco announcing concessions, ending the absolute monarchy of Prince Albert I in 1910 (from Monaco)
Image 20Enlargeable, detailed map of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 21Albert II, Prince of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 22Prince's Palace of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 23
Panoramic view of La Condamine and Monte Carlo
(from Monaco)
Image 24
Panoramic view of Monaco from the Tête de Chien (Dog's Head) high rock promontory
(from Monaco)
Image 25Palace guards in Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 26Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Monaco)
Image 27Hôtel de Paris (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 28View of the Rock of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 29In 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 30Monaco-Ville (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 31Port Hercules (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 32Benjamin Balleret (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 33Stade Louis II, home of AS Monaco FC (from Monaco)
Image 34Logo of the princely government of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 35
Panoramic view of Monaco City and the port of Fontvieille
(from Monaco)
Image 36Photochrom of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 37Jacques I, Prince of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 38Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 39Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 40Prince Albert I of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 41The location of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 42A map of the County of Nice showing the area of the Italian kingdom of Sardinia annexed in 1860 to France (light brown). The area in red had already become part of France before 1860 (from Monaco)
Image 43View of Monaco in 2016 (from Monaco)
Image 441978 Monégasque franc coin with an effigy of Rainier III (from Monaco)
Image 45Fontvieille and its new harbour (from Monaco)
Image 46The Monaco harbour during the days of the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 47Sainte-Dévote Chapel (from Monaco)
Image 48The Rock of Monaco in 1890 (from Monaco)
Image 49
Land reclamation in Monaco since 1861
(from Monaco)
Image 50Fontvieille (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 51Monte Carlo (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 52Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (from Monaco)

Selected ward

A view of Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo (/ˌmɒnti ˈkɑːrloʊ/ MON-tee KAR-loh, Italian: [ˈmonte ˈkarlo]; French: Monte-Carlo [mɔ̃te kaʁlo], or colloquially Monte-Carl [mɔ̃te kaʁl]; Monégasque: Munte Carlu [ˈmuŋte ˈkaɾlu]; lit. 'Mount Charles') is officially an 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...)

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

Selected environment article

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...)

List of articles
Land reclamation in Monaco Mont Agel Port Hercules Tête de Chien

Selected arts article

The Eurovision Song Contest 1964 was the 9th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the country's victory at the 1963 contest with the song "Dansevise" by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR), the contest was held at Tivolis Koncertsal on 21 March 1964, and was hosted by Danish TV presenter Lotte Wæver.

Sixteen countries participated in the contest. Portugal made its debut this year, whereas Sweden decided not to enter. (Full article...)

Selected religion article

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 1990 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 May 1990 at Monaco. It was the fourth race of the 1990 Formula One World Championship and the 48th Monaco Grand Prix. The race was held over 78 laps of the 3.32-kilometre (2.06 mi) circuit for a race distance of 259 kilometres (161 mi).

The race was won by Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren-Honda. Senna started from pole position, led every lap and set the fastest race lap, en route to his second consecutive Monaco win and third in all. French driver Jean Alesi finished second in a Tyrrell-Ford, with Senna's Austrian teammate Gerhard Berger third. (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

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

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...)