Is Monaco a Small Country?

View More ->

Dear Readers, today’s article will be like a history class.

I, unfortunately, forgot the name of my history teacher in high school.

It was such a long time ago.

But I enjoyed this subject very much thanks to the teacher.

She presented the material so excitingly that I began to read all possible books about History.

That’s why today I tried my best to make the article very interesting so you will also enjoy it.

There are already several articles available about the wealth

of Monaco

but now we are talking mostly about Monaco’s history…

Let’s get started!

Is Monaco a Small Country?

Yes, Monaco is a small country but also one of the most densely populated countries on the planet – almost 36 thousand people live in the principality.

About half of them are French, a quarter are the indigenous population of Monaco, Monegasques, and the rest of the inhabitants represent 125 different nationalities.

Monaco has unique demographic and social indicators – the average life expectancy here is 80 years, and the literacy of the population is 99%.

The number of

jobs in the country

exceeds the number of inhabitants.

There is also an army in Monaco, its number is 82 people.

This is the only country in the world that has a military band more than regular units – it has 85 people.

Is Monaco a Small Country?

Is Monaco a Small Country?

Why Monaco is So Small?

Ā Because it is a home of the Grimaldi dynasty with an area of only 0.

8 square miles.

The principality gained independence in 1297, since then the Grimaldi dynasty has ruled here, whose roots lie in

Genoa

.

Although the head of state is the Prince, he shares the government with the National Council.

Interestingly, the country has 5 times more visitors than natives.

Monaco

is a tiny state with an area of only 0.

8 square miles.

It is included in the unofficial list of

European dwarfs countries

along with

San Marino

, Andorra, Liechtenstein.

History of the Principality of Monaco

This calm harbor (what is Monaco now) was originally inhabited by Greeks in 6 BC.

Legend tells that Hercules once passed through Monaco and the temple of Monoikos was built in his honor.

Historically, this country was part of France, but in 1215 it became a colony of Genoa by decree of Emperor Henry VI.

The Grimaldi settled here in 1297, and the family’s ancestors have controlled the principality to this day.

In 1419, the Grimaldi family acquired Monaco from France.

Since then, the principality has been under the protection of

Spain

, Italy and Sardinia.

In 1793 French revolutionary troops captured Monaco and held it until 1814.

Today, the country has a constitutional monarchy, but the principality is under the protectorate of France.

Why Monaco Had a Fight With France?

You know that Monaco is the territory of Monaco, not

France.

Ā And in 1962,

Prince Rainier of Monaco

reminded

Charles de Gaulle

about this.

By that time, the President of France had a problem – French companies, or even just citizens of France, began to massively evade taxes.

For non-payment of income taxes to the government, people used the status of a small

Monaco, free from taxation.

According to the 1951 agreement, companies that were registered in the territory of Monaco principality were allowed to operate freely in

France

.

Knowing this, French enterprises, of course, wanted to register in Monaco.

Thereby they were exempted from paying taxes to the French authorities, but there was simply no need to pay taxes in Monaco.

De Gaulle insisted on the annulment of such an unfavorable treaty, but Prince Rainier, was not going to make concessions.

Ā Charles de Gaulle, thanks to his big connections, achieved the closure of the main radio station of Monaco, allegedly because its broadcast was clearly pro-American.

In response, Renier publicly fired his minister of the interior, who insisted on accepting the conditions of the French president.

De Gaulle took this as a “personal affront to all of

France”

and threatened to “cut Monaco’s oxygen” if his terms were not accepted.

And these were not empty promises, since the principality borders exclusively on

France

.

And, really, De Gaulle did it!

To begin with, he forbade the passage of letters from Monaco with stamps of the principality, ordering to refer to the fact that these stamps are no longer valid and international stamps must be put on letters.

Then de Gaulle put all gendarmes stationed in Nice on alert.

In one night on October 12, 1962, all roads leading from Monaco to

France

were blocked by roadblocks.

The borders were closed by

France

unilaterally, leaving Monaco in self-isolation.

Of course, the Prince protested, but in response to his protests, de Gaulle generally promised to disconnect Monaco from electricity and water supply.

That is, he literally put the Prince in a corner.

After that, the Prince of Monaco principality rebelled.

80 guardsmen and about two hundred policemen of Monaco were alerted for the first time in the history of the state.

Ā Monaco got calls from all over Europe.

It was mainly the powerful depositors of the banks of this principality who called.

They were afraid that De Gaulle would nationalize their property.

It all ended with the Prince calming down and entering into negotiations, which resulted in agreements that companies registered in Monaco and whose sales outside the principality exceed 25% of total income fall under the jurisdiction of the French tax code.

In fact, it was a complete victory for de Gaulle.

Prince Reiner managed to take revenge a little later, when the President of

France

decided to close the American military bases and withdraw from NATO.

Monaco, on the other hand, officially allowed American ships to enter the port of its Principality.

People say that the Prince himself ran to take pictures with American sailors and then sent the photographs to De Gaulle.

But they’re probably lying =).

Is Monaco The Smallest French Speaking Country?

Yes, Monaco is one of the smallest french speaking countries on the northern Mediterranean coast in southwestern Europe.

Monaco is a constitutional monarchy and principality, headed by Prince Albert II.

The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297, and the sovereignty of this state was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque treaty of 1861.

Is Monaco a Small Country?

Is Monaco a Small Country?

Despite the fact that the state is independent,

France

is responsible for the defense of Monaco.

Monaco is the most populous sovereign country in the world and at the same time the smallest French-speaking country.

The main religions practiced by the population of Monaco are Christianity, Judaism and Anglicanism.

All Roads Lead to Monte Carlo

If in

Italy

all roads lead to Rome, then in Monaco – to Monte Carlo.

The capital of the Principality is certainly the most attractive city for tourists (and not only for them).

There are literally legends about the wealth and beauty of Monte Carlo.

And this despite the fact that only a little more than three thousand inhabitants officially live here.

In order to understand how prestigious this city is, just look at its lagoon with numerous luxury yachts.

However, the main attraction of Monte Carlo is, of course, the famous casino, which was opened here at the end of the 19th century.

It is interesting that the main purpose of its appearance was to save the Principality from ruin.

Yes exactly!

As the future showed, it was just the same brilliant move by Prince Charles III.

A few years later, Monaco not only got out of the financial hole, but downright prospered, and all its subjects were exempted from taxes.

Actually, it is this ā€œfeatureā€ that makes

Monaco a very attractive territory for wealthy people of the planet to this day

.

By the way, if you decide to look into the Monte Carlo casino, it would be useful to observe the traditional ritual:

There are sculptures of Adam and Eve in the casino garden.

So, ā€œfor good luckā€ it is customary to hold on to Adam’s ( you understand what) before the game.

You have the opportunity to check if this ritual works for you =)

Ā 

 

ABOUT ME

Born & raised amidst the gators and orange groves of Florida, I’ve waded through the Everglades and braved the dizzying heights of Orlando’s roller coasters.

About Us Jeff from TravelMagma

But FL is just the beginning of my adventures.

I’ve journeyed far and wide. Yet, it was the serene beauty of Japan that truly captured my heart.

I even wrote my own little
Caribbean Guide.

But…

My 2nd book “Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to Japan” became a bestseller, a guide filled with wisdom:

TravelMagma is where I tell the tales of the road, capture the essence of each destination, and inspire you to make your own footprints around the globe.

Follow me on FB!

Jeff