Last updated on October 19th, 2022
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state , country, and microstate on the French Riviera in Western Europe. It has an area of 2 square km. Monaco (city-state) is its capital and Monte Carlo is its largest Quartier. French is the official language of Monaco. Euro (€) (EUR) is its official currency. Monaco is surrounded by France on three sides and the remaining part of the country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea.
Interesting facts about Monaco
1. Monaco has a total population upward of 31,400 (2022 est.) and a total land area of 2.02 sq. km. This makes it the most densely populated and second smallest country in the world. Wondering which is the world’s smallest country? It’s Vatican City.
2. Almost 30% of the population of Monaco was a millionaire in 2014, similar to Zurich or Geneva.
3. Monaco does not have its own major defense force. The country’s defense; however, is France’ responsibility.
4. Monaco Grand Prix is one of the main events that the country hosts every year. If you are curious about the winner of the event, note that “Ayrton Senna” has won the Grand Prix 6 times, more than any other race car driver.
Flag of Monaco
5. Monaco is one of the few countries in the world with Human Development Index of zero, which means it is unrated. The other such countries include Somalia, San Marino, Nauru, North Korea, and Tuvalu.
6. In 2016, Monaco has indicated an interest in becoming a shareholder in Nice Airport, the nearest to its territory.
7. Three of James Bond Films have been shot here in Monte-Carlo Casino. Why not? The casino is so classy that even the best of the James Bond films need to shoot a scene or two here.
About tourism and economy of Monaco
8. For the rich and famous people from across the world, Monaco is a premier tourist destination and recreation center.
9. Casino de Monte-Carlo was opened in Monaco 153 years ago, in 1863.
10. Do not be surprised to learn that the native of Monaco are not allowed to gamble here and visit the casino. The rule is imposed by the country’s government, which does not want its citizens to gamble away their money. The casino is a source of income for the country and provides employment to its residents.
11. Princess Caroline is accredited with establishing gambling casinos in Monaco to support the House of Grimaldi (the ruling family of Monaco at the time) from bankruptcy.
12. The country had gambling tables as early as 1856.
13. Monaco is a tax haven. The country survives solely on the revenue generated by its tourism and casinos.
14. Monaco does not have airports though it has heliports. One can also say that Monaco is not large enough to have airports. During the busy season, the heliports receive helicopters at an interval of every 20 minutes.
15. Fishes are the only natural resource the country has. However, the country has the world’s third-highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) nominal per capita at $115,700 (2015 est.) behind Liechtenstein and Qatar.
16. It’s a surprising fact about Monaco that the country’s population more than doubles when it sees more than 50,000 workers that arrive daily from France and Italy. No wonder, how many people are there in this tiny country during the peak tourist season.
17. Societe des Bains de Mer (SBM) is the country’s biggest employer. It runs the majority of Monaco’s tourism related activities.
18. Now consider the cost of real estate in the country. With so much demand and minimal availability of land, the real estate in Monaco can be considered as the most expensive throughout the world. We do not have the exact stats, however.
19. The Oceanographic Museum, built in 1910, is one of Monaco’s most famous tourist attractions. You can sight deep-sea predators and tropical fish in the museum.
20. The crime rate in Monaco is very low. This could mainly be because Monaco has more policemen per person than any other country.
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