Monaco (2003) | Saint Martin (2008) | |
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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.) |
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Agriculture - products | none | - |
Airports | none; linked to airport in Nice, France, by helicopter service (2002) | 1 |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 |
Area | total: 1.95 sq km
land: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 54.4 sq km
land: 54.4 sq km water: NEGL |
Area - comparative | about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | more than one-third the size of 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. | Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. |
Birth rate | 9.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $518 million
expenditures: $531 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995) |
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Capital | Monaco | name: Marigot
geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour |
Climate | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers | temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season |
Coastline | 4.1 km | 58.9 km (for entire island) |
Constitution | 17 December 1962 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco local long form: Principaute de Monaco local short form: Monaco |
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
conventional short form: Saint Martin local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin local short form: Saint-Martin |
Currency | euro (EUR) | - |
Death rate | 12.82 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $NA | - |
Dependency status | - | overseas collectivity of France |
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 | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Monaco does not have an embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
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. | The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by France |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water |
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 |
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Ethnic groups | French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21% | creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian |
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) | euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
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)
head of government: Minister of State Patrick LECLERCQ (since 5 January 2000) cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch 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 |
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
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 | - |
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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $870 million (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $27,000 (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 43 44 N, 7 24 E | 18 05 N, 63 57 W |
Geography - note | second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban | the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten |
Heliports | 1 (shuttle service between the international airport at Nice, France, and Monaco's heliport at Fontvieille) (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 50 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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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 | - |
Imports - commodities | - | crude petroleum, food, manufactured items |
Imports - partners | - | US, Mexico (2006) |
Independence | 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products | tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
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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 | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
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) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | - | 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry |
Land boundaries | total: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km |
total: 15 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (1998 est.) |
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Languages | French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque | French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles) |
Legal system | based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
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)
elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held NA February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3 |
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.27 years
male: 75.37 years female: 83.37 years (2003 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% |
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Location | Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy | island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 NM | - |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848) |
Nationality | noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan |
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Natural hazards | NA | - |
Natural resources | none | salt |
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] | Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 32,130 (July 2003 est.) | 33,102 (October 2004 census) |
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) | FM 3 (2007) |
Railways | total: 1.7 km
standard gauge: 1.7 km 1.435-m gauge (2002) |
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Religions | Roman Catholic 90% | Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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 total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age, universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system |
general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 31,027 (1995) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | - |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (1998) | - |
Terrain | hilly, rugged, rocky | - |
Total fertility rate | 1.76 children born/woman (2003 est.) | - |
Transportation - note | - | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten |
Unemployment rate | 3.1% (1998) | - |
Waterways | none | - |