Portal:Monaco

The Monaco Portal
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Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate in Western Europe. Situated on the French Riviera, it is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east, and west, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south; the Italian region of Liguria is about 15 km (9.3 mi) east. With a population of 38,423 living in an area of 2.08 km² (0.80 sq mi), Monaco is the second smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City, as well as the most densely populated. It also has the world's shortest national coastline of any non-landlocked nation, at 3.83 km (2.38 mi). Fewer than 10,000 of its residents are Monégasque nationals. Although French is the official language of Monaco, Italian and Monégasque are also widely spoken and understood.

Monaco is governed under a form of semi-constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who holds substantial political powers. 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, notwithstanding two small military units.

Monaco is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. Its economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with the opening of the state's first casino, the Monte Carlo Casino, and a rail connection to Paris. The country's mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities contributed to its status as a tourist destination and recreation centre for the wealthy. Monaco has become a major banking centre and sought to diversify into the services sector and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is a tax haven; it has no personal income tax (except for French citizens) and low business taxes. Over 30% of residents are millionaires, with real estate prices reaching €100,000 ($116,374) per square metre in 2018. Monaco is a global hub of money laundering, and in June 2024 the Financial Action Task Force placed Monaco under increased monitoring to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. (Full article...)

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Selected location article

The Avenue Princesse Grace is an avenue in the Larvotto ward of Monaco. It is named after Grace Kelly, Princess consort of Monaco. It is the most expensive street in the world according to Engel & Völkers. Property along the street is on average worth $17,750 per square foot or £73,000 per square metre. (Full article...)

List of articles

Selected pictures

Image 1Lamarck intersection, Les Moneghetti (from Monaco)
Image 2Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 3Charles Leclerc (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 4Oceanographic Museum (from Monaco)
Image 5Satellite view with border (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 6Palace guards in Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 7Monte Carlo Casino (from Monaco)
Image 8Logo of the princely government of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 9Prince Albert I of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 10Wards of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 11The location of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 12Atrium in Monte Carlo Casino (from Monaco)
Image 13Genovese coin from 1655 (from Monaco)
Image 14La Condamine (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 15Embassy of Monaco, Paris, France (from Monaco)
Image 16Fontvieille and its harbour (from Monaco)
Image 17Espresso at Café de Paris, Monte Carlo (from Monaco)
Image 18Boulevard des Moulins meets Avenue Saint-Michel. (from Monaco)
Image 19In 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 20Formation lap of the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (from Monaco)
Image 21Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Monaco)
Image 22Hotel de Paris lobby ceiling: Monaco draws tourists with its late 19th- and early-20th-century buildings and glamour. (from Monaco)
Image 23Walkway in the jardin exotique de Monaco (Exotic Gardens) (from Monaco)
Image 24Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate (from Monaco)
Image 25Pedestrian crossing on Avenue de la Costa (from Monaco)
Image 26Monaco (as part of the Republic of Genoa) in 1494 (from Monaco)
Image 27Monaco's flag and its coat of arms (from Monaco)
Image 28A 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 29View of the Rock of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 30Port Hercules (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 31Photochrom of Monaco circa 1900 (from Monaco)
Image 32Enlargeable, detailed map of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 33
Land reclamation in Monaco since 1861
(from Monaco)
Image 34Albert II
Prince of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 35Lycée Albert Premier of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 36The Rock of Monaco in 1890 (from Monaco)
Image 37Saint Martin Gardens (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 38Ville ruelle in Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 39Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. (from Monaco)
Image 40Japanese Gardens (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 41Rainier I, victor of the naval battle at Zierikzee and first sovereign Grimaldi ruler of Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 42Monaco-Ville (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 43Fontvieille (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 44Monaco's Japanese Gardens (from Monaco)
Image 45Public art in Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 46The Monaco harbour during the days of the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 47Tall buildings in Monaco (from Monaco)
Image 48Jacques I, Prince of Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 49Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco (from Outline of Monaco)
Image 50Seaside façade of the Salle Garnier, home of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (from Outline of Monaco)

Selected ward

Coastline

Larvotto (French: Le Larvotto [lə laʁvɔto]; Monégasque: Larvotu [laɾˈvɔtu]), also known as Larvotto/Bas Moulins, is the easternmost ward in the Principality of Monaco. It is part of the quarter of Monte Carlo. With the addition of Le Portier, a neighbourhood reclaimed from the sea and opened in 2024, the surface area increased from 21.8 to 27.5 hectares. In 2008, it had a population of 5.443, making it the most populated ward in Monaco. (Full article...)

List of articles

Selected environment article

View of Monaco with Mont Agel in the background

Mont Agel is a mountain in the Maritime Alps on the border between France and Monaco. The summit of this mount, at 1,148 metres (3,766 ft) above sea level, is on the French side, but the highpoint of Monaco, lying on a pathway named Chemin des Révoires, is on its slopes, at an altitude of 161 metres (528 feet). (Full article...)

List of articles

Selected arts article

The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 6 April 1974 at the Brighton Dome in Brighton, United Kingdom, and presented by Katie Boyle. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), who staged the event after Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT), which had won the 1973 contest for Luxembourg, declined hosting responsibilities as it had staged the competition in 1973. The BBC took over as host after Televisión Española (TVE), which had finished second for Spain in 1973, declined the offer when approached, with the EBU ultimately choosing the BBC over bids from the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and the BBC's commercial rival ITV. This was the fourth time that the BBC had staged the contest after another broadcaster declined – following the 1960, 1963 and 1972 contests – and the fifth time overall including 1968.

Entries representing eighteen countries were submitted for the contest, with Greece making its first appearance. However, France ultimately did not participate as the contest coincided with the death of French president Georges Pompidou, and with a national day of mourning scheduled for the date of the contest the French broadcaster, Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF), deemed participating in the event to be inappropriate. The voting system used between 1971 and 1973 was scrapped, and was replaced by the system last used in 1970, with ten people in each country awarding one vote to their favourite song. (Full article...)

Selected religion article

The Roman Catholic Church in Monaco is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

The country forms a single archdiocese: the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monaco, which is part of the Roman Catholic Church in France since the beginning of its history. Per the Constitution of Monaco (Art. 9) Roman Catholicism is the official church of Monaco, and is the majority religion; religious freedom is also guaranteed by the constitution. In 2023, the country was scored 4 out of 4 for religious freedom. (Full article...)

Selected sports article

Lamouchi in 2022

Sabri Lamouchi (born 9 November 1971) is a French professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the head coach of the Tunisia national football team.

During his playing career as a midfielder, Lamouchi played for clubs in France, Italy, and Qatar. He appeared 12 times for the France national team, scoring once. (Full article...)

Selected education article

The Lycée Albert Premier (Monegasque: Liçe̍ Albertu I^mu) of Monaco (or the Albert 1st of Monaco High School) is a public secondary school founded in 1910 in the Principality of Monaco. The school offers courses according to the curriculum prescribed by the French Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports. It is located in Monaco-Ville on the Rock, site of the Visitation. (Full article...)

Selected transportation article

Location on a map of Monaco

Monaco Heliport (French: Héliport de Monaco, ICAO: LNMC), also known as Monte Carlo Heliport, is a heliport situated in the district of Fontvieille in the Principality of Monaco. The heliport is the only aviation facility within Monaco. It was opened with the support of Prince Rainier III in 1976, with only one helipad, later expanded. The only scheduled destination is Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in Nice, France. Both arrivals and departures are routed over the water, to minimize noise. (Full article...)

Selected biography

Elena in 2012.

Daniel Elena (born 26 October 1972) also known as "Danos" is a Monégasque rally co-driver working most notably with Sébastien Loeb. Between them the pair have won the World Rally Championship (WRC) nine times with Citroën, later competing with Hyundai. Their 79 wins together make him the co-driver with the most victories in the history of the WRC. (Full article...)