Monaco Tourism - Travel to Monaco

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Quick Facts
Capital	Monaco
Government	constitutional monarchy
Currency	euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Area	total: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 1.95 sq km
Population	31,987 (July 2002 est.)
Language	French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque
Religion	Roman Catholic 90%

The principality of Monaco lies on the southern Mediterranean Sea coast of France, near the border with Italy, in Western Europe. It is the second smallest independent state in the world (after the Vatican) and is almost entirely urban. With no natural resources to exploit, other than its location and climate, the principality has become a resort for tourists and a tax haven for businesses.

Regions in Monaco

Map of Monaco

There are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier);

Cities in Monaco

Monaco - Capital

Other destinations - Travel to Monaco

Understand Monaco Tourism

Climate in Monaco

Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain

Hilly, rugged, rocky

Highest point: Mont Agel 140 m

History of Monaco

Government type: constitutional monarchy
Independence: 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi)

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.

National holiday: National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November
Constitution: 17 December 1962

Get into Monaco

Travel to Monaco By Plane

Airports: none; linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service (2001)
Heliports: 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2002). Entering Monaco by helicopter is especially nice, and will doubtless impress your significant other. After collecting your luggage at the Nice airport, you go to the helicopter service waiting area. The helicopter ground crew takes you and your luggage from the Nice airport to the Nice heliport, on the other side of the airport, by van. The flight along the coast is beautiful, and you land right at the water's edge at the Monaco heliport, where a car service takes you directly to your hotel. Other than arriving by yacht, this is the best way for the international traveler to enter Monaco.

Travel to Monaco By Train

Travel to Monaco By car

Monaco may be entered by car, along the coast road; it's a pretty drive, and taxi trips to and from Nice are affordable.

Travel to Monaco By Bus

Travel to Monaco By Boat

If you can afford to travel to Monaco by boat, especially a private yacht, you probably don't need to use a free travel guide like aTRAVELdirectory. However, it's the way to visit Monaco if you can do so. The creme de la creme berth at the Port de Monaco; the primary alternative is the Port de Fontvieille.

Get around in Monaco

Walking is by far the best way to get around Monaco; however, there are some areas, such as the Exotic Gardens, that require a large change in elevation and therefore make for rather strenuous hikes. For these, there is the efficient bus system, if you don't mind feeling like a member of the working class in Monaco's bourgeois opulence, or a taxi. Private cars are singularly useless for getting around Monaco, as you'll spend more time trying to park than if you walked or took a taxi instead. Most hotels will provide courtesy drivers to points of interest, such as the Palace and casino. Note that there is an elevator at the Place du Canton that connects the sidewalk to the palace grounds above, saving an uphill hike on the Avenue de la Porte Nueve.

Monaco Talk

Languages: French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque

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Eat - Travel to Monaco

How to go wrong? Food in Monaco is universally excellent. There are many fine restaurants, beginning with the Cafe de Paris across the street from the casino, to the waterfront restaurants along the Port de Fontvieille.

Drink

Sleep - Monaco Tourism

Learn

The Jardin Exotique (Exotic Gardens) is a fascinating experience. Many rare plants from around the world are presented in a walking tour that is quite memorable for the views as well as the flora. Due to the rise in altitude, the microclimate of the area is mostly desert, so there are many examples of desert plants, including unusual cacti, to see. There is also a grotto (cave) that has scheduled, guided tours.

The oceanographic museum is one of the finest in the world.

Work

Stay safe - Monaco Tourism

Stay Healthy While You Travel to Monaco

Respect

Contact

External Links for Monaco Tourism

The rest of this article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and integrate it into the article above.

Geography in Monaco

Geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 24 E
Area: total: 1.95 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1.95 sq km
Area - comparative: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Coastline: 4.1 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM
Land use: arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) (1998 est.)
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

People in Monaco

Population: 31,987 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 2,545; female 2,418)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,762; female 10,093)
65 years and over: 22.4% (male 2,922; female 4,247) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.45% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 7.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.12 years
female: 83.25 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.21 years
Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Nationality: noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan
Ethnic groups: French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21%
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government in Monaco

Country name: conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco

Legal system: based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: 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
cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch
head of government: Minister of State Patrick LECLERCQ (since 5 January 2000)
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)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council)
Political parties and leaders: Campora List [Anne-Maria CAMPORA]; Medecin List [Jean-Louis MEDECIN]; National and Democratic Union or UND [Jean-Louis CAMPORA]; National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM [leader NA]; Rally for the Monegasque Family or RFM [leader NA]
International organization participation: ACCT, ECE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Monaco does not have an embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York

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

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 in Monaco

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.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.)
Labor force: 30,540 (January 1994)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% (1998)
Budget: revenues: $518 million
expenditures: $531 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)
Industries: tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products
Electricity - imports: NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France (1999)
Agriculture - products: none
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
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
Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Currency code: EUR; FRF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,027 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998)
Radios: 34,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1998)
Televisions: 25,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .mc
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: NA

Transportation in Monaco

Railways: total: 1.7 km
standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Highways: total: 50 km
paved: 50 km
unpaved: 0 km (2001)
Ports and harbors: Monaco
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Military

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Monaco Tourism - Travel to Monaco

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