Monaco

The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling GRIMALDI family first seized control in 1297 but was not able to permanently secure its holding until 1419. 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, coastal Mediterranean scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world-famous as a tourist and recreation center.

43 44 N, 7 24 E

none

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

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

4.1 km

Total: 6 km

Border countries (1): France 6 km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 12 nm

none

second-smallest independent state in the world (after the Holy See); smallest country with a coastline; almost entirely urban

hilly, rugged, rocky

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

Europe

0 sq km (2022)

the second most densely populated country in the world (after Macau); its entire population living on 2 square km

Highest point: Chemin des Revoires on Mont Agel 162 m

Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Total : 2 sq km

Land: 2 sq km

Water: 0 sq km

Agricultural land: 1% (2018 est.)

Agricultural land: arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)

Agricultural land: permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

Forest: 0% (2018 est.)

Other: 99% (2018 est.)

0-14 years: 9.1% (male 1,485/female 1,408)

15-64 years: 53.8% (male 8,620/female 8,490)

65 years and over: 37.1% (2024 est.) (male 5,261/female 6,549)

At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)

Adjective: Monegasque or Monacan

Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Improved: Urban: 100% of population

Rural: NA

Total: 100% of population

Unimproved: Urban: 0% of population

Rural: NA

Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

39,000 MONACO (capital) (2018)

7.51 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

13.8 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Improved: Urban: 100% of population

Rural: NA

Total: 100% of population

Unimproved: Urban: 0% of population

Rural: NA

Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Monegasque 32.1%, French 19.9%, Italian 15.3%, British 5%, Belgian 2.3%, Swiss 2%, German 1.9%, Russian 1.8%, American 1.1%, Dutch 1.1%, Moroccan 1%, other 16.6% (2016 est.)

Note: Data represent population by country of birth

Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10%

French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

Major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

NA

3.7% of GDP (2021)

Total population: NA

Male: NA

Female: NA

Total dependency ratio: 95.2

Youth dependency ratio: 25

Elderly dependency ratio: 70.2

Potential support ratio: 1.4 (2021)

0.76 (2024 est.)

Total: 26.6% (2016 est.)

Male: 25.7%

Female: 27.9%

11.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Total: 56.9 years (2024 est.)

Male: 55 years

Female: 58.4 years

1.54 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Total: 31,813

Male: 15,366

Female: 16,447 (2024 est.)

Total: 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Male: 2 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 1.4 deaths/1,000 live births

11.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

6.5 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

NA

Total population: 89.8 years (2024 est.)

Male: 86 years

Female: 93.7 years

0.71% (2024 est.)

no serious issues; actively monitors pollution levels in air and water

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

Municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Industrial: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Agricultural: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 46,000 tons (2012 est.)

Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,484 tons (2012 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5.4% (2012 est.)

Embassy: US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France), under the authority of the US Ambassador to France, handles diplomatic and consular matters concerning Monaco; +(33)(1) 43-12-22-22, enter zero "0" after the automated greeting; US Embassy Paris, 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France

none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo; note - Moneghetti, a part of La Condamine, is sometimes called the 5th quarter of Monaco

Name: Monaco

Geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E

Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Etymology: Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., the name derives from two Greek words monos (single, alone) and oikos (house) to convey the sense of a people "living apart" or in a "single habitation"

History: Previous 1911 (suspended 1959); latest adopted 17 December 1962

Amendments: Proposed by joint agreement of the chief of state (the prince) and the National Council; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of National Council members; amended 2002

Chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)

Head of government: Acting Minister of State Isabelle BERRO-AMADEI (since 10 January 2025)

Cabinet: Council of Government under the authority of the monarch

Elections/appointments: The monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; the colors are those of the ruling House of Grimaldi and have been in use since 1339, making the flag one of the world's oldest national banners

Note: Similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red

1419 (beginning of permanent rule by the House of GRIMALDI)

Highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 5 permanent members and 2 substitutes)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court members appointed by the monarch upon the proposals of the National Council, State Council, Crown Council, Court of Appeal, and Trial Court

Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Civil Court of First Instance

civil law system influenced by French legal tradition

Legislature name: National Council (Conseil national)

Legislative structure: Unicameral

Number of seats: 24 (all directly elected)

Electoral system: Proportional representation

Scope of elections: Full renewal

Term in office: 5 years

Most recent election date: 2/5/2023

Parties elected and seats per party: Monegasque National Union - l’Union (24)

Percentage of women in chamber: 45.8%

Expected date of next election: February 2028

CD, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), 19 November (1857)

Monegasque National Union (includes Horizon Monaco, Primo!, Union Monegasque)
Horizon Monaco 
Priorite Monaco or Primo! 
Union Monegasque 

18 years of age; universal

constitutional monarchy

Conventional long form: Principality of Monaco

Conventional short form: Monaco

Local long form: Principauté de Monaco

Local short form: Monaco

Etymology: Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., the name derives from two Greek words "monos" (single, alone) and "oikos" (house) to convey the sense of a people "living apart" or in a "single habitation"

Chief of mission: Ambassador Maguy MACCARIO DOYLE (since 3 December 2013)

Chancery: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006

Telephone: [1] (202) 234-1530

FAX: [1] (202) 244-7656

Email address and website:
Info@monacodc.org

https://monacodc.org/index.html

Consulate(s) general: New York

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

red and white lozenges (diamond shapes); national colors: red, white

Citizenship by birth: No

Citizenship by descent only: The father must be a citizen of Monaco; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen and father unknown

Dual citizenship recognized: No

Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

none

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)

Note:  While not an EU member state, Monaco, due to its preexisting monetary and banking agreements with France, has a 1998 monetary agreement with the EU to produce limited euro coinage—but not banknotes—that began enforcement in January 2002 and superseded by a new EU agreement in 2012

banking, insurance, tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products

high-income European economy; non-EU euro user; considered a tax haven; tourism and banking are largest sectors; negatively impacted by COVID-19; major oceanographic museum; among most expensive real estate; major state-owned enterprises

$9.995 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, China  (2021)

jewelry, cars and vehicle parts, recreational boats, plastic products, artwork (2021)

Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Spain

(2021)

jewelry, perfumes, watches, packaged medicines, cars (2021)

Top five export commodities based on value in dollars

52,000 (2014 est.)

Note: Includes all foreign workers

$7.672 billion (2015 est.)

Note: Data are in 2015 dollars

$115,700 (2015 est.)
$109,200 (2014 est.)

$1.371 billion (2017 est.)

Note: Full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

$964.6 million (2017 est.)

Note: Full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France

5.04% (2023 est.)
11.05% (2022 est.)
21.87% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

-3.16% (2014 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industry: 11.5% (2023 est.)

Services: 88.5% (2023 est.)

Note: Figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

General assessment: Modern automatic telephone system: the country's sole fixed-line operator offers a full range of services to residential and business customers; competitive mobile telephony market; 4G LTE widely available (2020)

Domestic: Fixed-line a little over 117 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 99 per 100 persons (2021)

International: Country code - 377; landing points for the EIG and Italy-Monaco submarine cables connecting Monaco to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system (2019)

Percent of population: 98% (2022 est.)

.mc

TV Monte-Carlo operates a TV network; cable TV available; Radio Monte-Carlo has extensive radio networks in France and Italy with French-language broadcasts to France beginning in the 1960s and Italian-language broadcasts to Italy beginning in the 1970s; other radio stations include Riviera Radio and Radio Monaco

Total subscriptions: 41,000 (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2022 est.)

Total: 22,000 (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56 (2023 est.)

Total subscriptions: 43,000 (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111 (2023 est.)

3 (2024)

3A

Total: 1

Note: Monaco has a single railway station but does not operate its own train service;  the French operator SNCF operates rail services in Monaco

no regular military forces; Ministry of Interior: Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince’s Company of Carabiniers), Corps des Sapeurs-pompiers de Monaco (Fire and Emergency), Police Department (2024)

Note: The primary responsibility for the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince is guarding the palace; the Police maintain public order

by treaty, France is responsible for defending the independence and sovereignty of Monaco

the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince is staffed by French nationals (2024)

Name: "A Marcia de Muneghu" (The March of Monaco)

Lyrics/music: Louis NOTARI/Charles ALBRECHT

Note: Music adopted 1867, lyrics adopted 1931; although French is commonly spoken, only the Monegasque lyrics are official; the French version is known as "Hymne Monegasque" (Monegasque Anthem); the words are generally only sung on official occasions

Particulate matter emissions: 9.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions: 0.05 megatons (2020 est.)

Total ports: 1 (2024)

Large: 0

Medium: 0

Small: 0

Very small: 1

Ports with oil terminals: 0

Key ports: Monaco

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)