For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation)

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque: Principatu de Múnegu; Italian: Principato di Monaco; Occitan: Principat de Mónegue) is a small sovereign city-state located in Western Europe. The territory lies on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and is completely enclosed by France. Monaco is often regarded as a tax haven, and many of its inhabitants are wealthy and from foreign countries, making up a majority of 84%.

Monaco is a Constitutional Monarchy and Principality with Prince Albert II as head of state. The Grimaldi family has ruled over Monaco since 1297 and the state's sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. Despite being independent, Monaco's defence is still the responsibility of France.

Monaco is the world's most densely populated sovereign country, and the world's smallest French-speaking country.

Administrative division

• Monaco (Monaco-Ville), the old city on a rocky promontory extending into the Mediterranean, known as the Rock of Monaco, or simply le Rocher (the Rock), where the palace is located
• Monte Carlo, the principal residential and resort area with the Monte Carlo Casino in the east and northeast
• La Condamine, the northwest section including the port area.

The three municipalities were merged into one in 1954 (after accusations that the government was acting according to the motto "divide and conquer"), and they had the status of wards (quartiers) thereafter.

• Fontvieille was added as fourth ward, a newly constructed area reclaimed from the sea (in the 1970s)
• Moneghetti became the fifth ward, created from a part of La Condamine
• Larvotto became the sixth ward, created from a part of Monte Carlo
• La Rousse/Saint Roman (including Le Ténao) became the seventh ward, also created from a part of Monte Carlo

Subsequently, three additional wards were created:

• Saint Michel, from a part of Monte Carlo
• La Colle, from a part of La Condamine
• Les Révoires, from a part of La Condamine

An additional ward is planned by new land reclamation, to be settled from 2014:

• Le Portier

Currently the principality is subdivided into 10 wards (with their official numbers - Le Portier, the planned ward, is anticipated as number 11):

For statistical purposes, the wards of Monaco are further subdivided into 173 city blocks (îlots), which are comparable to the census blocks in the United States.

History