Who doesn't want to know where the richest and famous people planets taking their free time to spend their "hard" earned money? Where else if not in the Principality of Monaco!
Geographical location of Monaco
Located in southwest Europe, Monaco is an autonomous city-state and the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. Geographical position Monaco, which sits on top of a narrow coastal zone bordered on three sides by France and the Mediterranean Sea on the south, makes the principality an ideal destination for tourists and nature lovers.
View of the Monte Carlo casino
- No taxes or gambling in Monaco
Monaco is known in Europe as a tax-free paradise. Every citizen of Monaco enjoys their life tax-free since 1870. For decades, Monaco lived exclusively from its casinos. Currently, much of the Monaco government's efforts are aimed at diversifying the economy, with tourism becoming the government's number one source of revenue, with casino profits capped at just five percent.
- Fun fact about Monaco:
Citizens of Monaco are prohibited from gambling and generally visiting casinos.
- No planes to Monaco
You can use the train, your private helicopter or yacht (if you have one) to travel here, but not by private jet. After all, there is no airport in Monaco! If you don't like traveling by train, then go by plane to the Airport Cote d'Azur (Cote d'Azur Airport) to Nice (France), which is just 30 minutes from the capital Monaco.
helipad in Monaco
- Fun fact about Monaco:
On weekdays, the flight interval per helicopter at the helicopter airfield is only 20 minutes. This once again proves how developed the economy is in.
- Multinational citizens of Monaco
There are at least 32,000 officially registered residents in Monaco. Only 6,000 are Monegasque national passport holders or natives, less than 19 percent of the principality's total population. The remainder of Monaco's population has French or Italian citizenship, or belongs to 125 other nationalities.
- Fun fact about Monaco:
Monaco has been ruled by the descendants of François, the Genoese leader of the Guelphs, for over 712 years. This explains why the majority of Monegasque residents are Roman Catholics.
- Year-round events in Monaco
Monaco is suitable to visit at any time of the year. Every month some significant event is held here. From enchanting balls (Princess of Hanover in March) to exclusive concerts of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra under open air(eg the Concert at the Prince's Palace in July) and sporting events such as the tennis series (in April), the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco (in May) and the international marathon (in November). In short, everyone will find something interesting for themselves here!
- Monaco - filming location for James Bond films
Elegant façade and dandy interiors of the casino
What makes Monaco unique? - you ask. And at least in the fact that Monaco is one of the smallest states on earth and at the same time the most densely populated in Europe. Second only to the Vatican, which is difficult to even consider a state. What else is remarkable about this country? We present to your attention the top 10 interesting facts about Monaco.
1. “Smile, you’re being filmed by a hidden camera,” locals joke. The Principality of Monaco is one of the most safe places in the world. You can easily walk around in gold or diamonds and be calm. CCTV cameras are installed throughout the city, even on the beaches. They say that there is no corner in Monaco that is not covered by cameras.
2. There is no nationality from Monaco. The country has a population of 32 thousand people. Of which the French are 47 percent, the Italians are 16 percent, and the British are 4 percent. In terms of population density, it ranks first in the world. Monaco is characterized by a high life expectancy of its population. 75 years for men and 83 years for women.
3. Exhibition of the latest cars near the casino every day. Monte Carlo, one of the four arrondissements of Monaco, truly represents a concentration of pomp, chic and wealth. Without a doubt, the Monte Carlo Casino is one of the first gaming houses in Europe and is still the most luxurious and respectable establishment on the planet. The accumulation of expensive car models around this establishment is overwhelming. You must have ID and be 21 years of age to enter. An elegant dress code is required.
4. For $1 million, investors can purchase only 15 sq.m. in Monaco. living space. The average price of one square meter in a house or apartment in Monaco is 66 thousand dollars.
5. Half the country is a marina for yachts. The Royal Yacht Club of Monaco has now become truly the main center of attraction for professionals and amateurs of the yachting business and yachting sports. The president of the Monaco Yacht Club is the prince, under whose wing there is a sailing school, international sailing courses, and races. sailing ships, as well as traditional yacht shows.
6. There is 1 policeman for every 60 residents. A lot of them. In Monaco, police officers, both in uniform and in regular attire, have the right to conduct on-the-spot searches of suspicious vehicles and objects, conduct face control, check telephone bills, hotel rooms and housing. The principality has one of the most extensive and powerful police surveillance systems in the world.
7. The quirks of the prince. Lexus has created a unique sedan, the Lexus LS 600h Landaulet, which differs from the regular model in its rare body with a removable glass roof. Such semi-glass bodies are a feature of very expensive cars. Of the modern models, only the Maybach 62 S has a transparent top. The open Lexus was created in a single copy for the royal wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock.
8. Ferrari is not luxury. There are a lot of Ferraris in Monaco. They are usually parked in private parking lots and underground garages. Apparently this is not a luxury, but a means of transportation.
9. Smart scales that recognize fruits."Smart" electronic scales allow customers in supermarkets (for example, Casino Petit) to spend less effort and time weighing products. They have a built-in camera. Self-service scales automatically recognize which vegetables or fruits the buyer is weighing, and the client only has to choose between varieties and varieties of the same product (for example, between several types of tomatoes) and click on the image of the item being weighed on the touch monitor.
10. If you don't want to stand in line, order through the robot. Most likely, McDonald's has started an experiment to replace salespeople with touch terminals. Instead of regular salespeople, visitors now make their own order using a special touch terminal and immediately pay for it with a bank card.
You probably know that Monaco is the smallest state in the world after the Vatican. Many also know the amazing story of the American actress Grace Kelly, who became the Princess of Monaco. The Principality is under the control of the ancient princely family of Grimaldi and has become famous as a haven for billionaires, a tax haven in Europe and a luxurious holiday destination... It would seem, what else can be said about Monaco? And yet we will try to surprise you!
The most police state in the world
They say that Monaco is the most safe state in the world. Do you think this is true? And we won't guess. Let's ask the statistics carefully collected and stored by Interpol. The population of Monaco is about 38,000 people, and the number of police officers in the country is 521. After some simple calculations, we conclude that for every police officer in Monaco there are approximately 74 residents. In addition, the exceptional security of the state is added by the fact that Monaco has one of the largest number of CCTV cameras per unit area in the world: 568 cameras to be precise, which allows you to view almost every corner of the small principality.
What then is the military power of the state? There is a curious fact here. Today the number of active army in Monaco is 82 people. Not bad, right? A double-digit number of military personnel guarding the borders of an entire state! But that's not all. Imagine: the military band of the State of Monaco has 85 performers. It turns out that Monaco is the only state in the world whose army fewer in number her orchestra! Although here the rulers of Monaco can be understood. They have learned the lessons of history. After all, throughout its many years of existence, the army of Monaco was alerted only once! And this happened in 1962, when the President of neighboring France, Charles de Gaulle, announced that he would cut off the electricity and water supplies in the principality if the government of Monaco did not introduce an income tax. But Monaco, being a peaceful state, did not want to start a war with the powerful France, armed to the teeth at that time, so the then ruling Prince Rainier III made concessions, and the war did not take place.
In general, Monaco takes security issues seriously. And further confirmation of this is that it was Prince Albert I of Monaco who, in 1914, initiated the creation of the organization that today we all know as Interpol. And the reason for this was the fact of the investigation into the theft of family jewelry from the Grimaldi house, to which the police of all European countries, which gave rise to the idea of creating this kind of structure.
In a week we will reveal a few more secrets about Monaco.
Monaco is one of a small number of city states existing in the world.
It arose in 1215 on the site of the former colony of Genoa. Official name countries Principality of Monaco.
From 1297 to the present day it is ruled by the Grimaldi dynasty. In the event of the termination of the family, government of the state would have to pass to the Republic of France.
Indigenous people Monaco makes up about 20% of the total. Every day the city is visited by tourists, whose number exceeds 5 times the number of citizens of the country.
Its main inhabitants are French, Italians and Monegasques.
The Principality is considered a state of wealthy people. The principality's low tax rates attract the attention of businesses. The indigenous population does not pay them at all.
The Principality is not an EU country, but the currency in circulation is the euro. Local banknotes differ from the currency of the European Union by the flag of Monaco printed on them. It differs from the Indonesian only in size.
The population is just over 37 thousand people. The actual area of the state is 2 sq. km. In terms of territory size, only the Vatican is smaller than Monaco. You can travel the length and breadth of the country in less than 1 hour.
On the territory of the principality there are only one higher education institution, which is the International University.
The country's railway runs through the rock, and the station is also located here. The cost per square meter of real estate starts from 20 thousand euros.
The government consists of only 4 ministers, which is headed by the Prime Minister.
Monte Carlo, which is one of the districts of Monaco, is home to the most famous casino in the world. It was built in 1865. Only tourists are allowed to play in it.
The ban on gambling for citizens of the state was adopted back in the 19th century.. It also applies to members of the ruling dynasty.
It is believed that about 7 million people are photographed in front of the Monte Carlo casino every year. Monte Carlo is famous not only for its casino, but also for its opera house.
It was built in just 6 months and has an attractive architectural appearance. It was here that Sergei Diaghilev created his famous Russian Ballet troupe.
The city-country has an amazing rose park. Its shape resembles a flower, but it can only be seen from a bird's eye view. The Rose Park was built in honor of the prince's tragically deceased wife, Grace Kelly.
It was built by the decision of Prince Rainier III on a site reclaimed from the sea. The area for the park was specially drained.
Interesting fact: conquering territory from the sea is the only way for Monaco to expand its territories.
Every year at least 5 festivals are held in the principality, attracting guests from all over the world.
One side of Monaco is the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Located on it a Japanese garden with an alley of football stars.
Every year on the last Sunday in May the Formula 1 Grand Prix race takes place here.
There are 300 sunny days a year here, but the weather here is extremely changeable. All streets here are under video surveillance. This helps prevent crime and makes the state one of the safest for life and tourism in the world.
The average life expectancy in the principality is 90 years.
Monegasque is the cuisine of the country
Culinary traditions are a mixture of Italian and French cuisines. Residents are big supporters of a healthy diet, so their diet contains a lot of vegetables, fruits and a large number of seafood.
Very often you can hear how The local cuisine is called "Monegasque" are the indigenous people of Monaco.
A traditional Monegasque dish is Bouillabaisse soup. It is prepared from three types of fish: scorpion fish, red mullet and trigla. They form the main taste of the dish, which is then saturated with shrimp, crab, tomato, spices and garlic.
The highlight of this soup is white wine or cognac, which are added to it at the very end of cooking. Serve this dish together with toasted bread spread with Rui sauce.
Influence French cuisine Monegasque cooking traditions can be felt in dishes such as "Gnocchi" or "Prochetta".
The first dish is potato balls covered in cheese, and the second is suckling pig stuffed with onions and aromatic herbs. Italian ravioli is prepared in a special way here. They are filled with meat, fish, spinach and even cheese and mushrooms.
Very popular here large bagna sandwiches and fried flatbreads.
Among the original recipes for local desserts you can find onion pies, orange pies or pumpkin flowers baked in dough.
Champagne is considered the national drink here. Residents love and anise liqueur.
Monegasques are a people
Monegasques are considered the indigenous people of Monaco., they make up approximately 40% of the total number of citizens.
Family traditions are respected in the country. It is not customary here to celebrate holidays outside the family. Even close relatives living in different parts of the world get together these days.
The color white, symbolizing purity and nobility, is especially revered by local residents. This is due to the fact that Saint Virgin is considered the patroness of the Monegasques..
Monegasques in Monaco have certain privileges. For example, they are given the right to choose parliament. It is impossible to become a Monegasque, they need to be born.
When divorcing a representative of this nationality, a person automatically loses all the privileges in the country that this nation has in Monaco.
The standard of living of local citizens is considered one of the highest. This affects the life expectancy of residents, which is the highest in the world.
Monaco has the lowest unemployment rate— it does not exceed 3%. More than 30 thousand people from France and Italy come here to work every day.
An interesting fact: in order to become a resident of Monaco, a Russian must have a family and 100 thousand euros in his account.
The residents are quite friendly and tolerant. Although Monaco is considered an expensive country to live in, education and medical care are much cheaper here than in other EU countries.
Tourists coming here who speak French, English or Italian language, you will always find someone to talk to here.
Traditions, habits and holidays
Preservation of customs and traditions is a task at the state level. Official holidays include:
- in January - New Year and the feast of the Holy Virgin;
- in April- Easter and Easter Monday;
- in May- Labor Day and Ascension Day;
- in June- Clean Monday and the Feast of Corpus Christi;
- In November- All Saints' Day and Prince Rainier III's birthday;
- December - Immaculate Conception and Christmas.
One of the most famous rituals involves the olive branch.. On this day, the whole family gathers at the festive table.
The oldest or youngest member of the family dips an olive branch into a glass of wine. After this, they read a prayer, cross the flame burning in the fireplace, and then begin the meal.
Every year, Monaco hosts many traditional festivals. In March it is the Magic Avardas festival of magicians.. At the same time, the opera season opens.
In April the Rose Ball takes place here., festivals of art "Monte Carlo", modern sculpture, as well as an open tennis tournament and a dog show.
The most significant event for the country is Grand Prix races- traditionally take place in Monaco in May.
An international fair opens there every year in October. Traditionally The prince annually grants citizenship to ten lucky people of your country.
It is extremely difficult to obtain. Only with the consent of the prince can real estate be sold in the state.
Unusual and interesting
Despite Monaco's external protection, France recognizes the independence of the Grimaldi dynasty, but not the country. This attracts attention to this French dynasty that has ruled for more than 700 years.
The most romantic family story is associated with Rainier III and Grace Kelly. Their marriage took place in 1956, after which the principality began to rapidly develop and prosper.
One connected with marriage interesting story. Grace Kelly donated her wedding shoes to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
His workers came up with the idea of taking an x-ray of them, in which they discovered an Irish penny in one of the shoes.
Being of Irish descent, Grace asked designer David Evins to sew this coin for good luck. The tragic death of Grace Kelly still remains one of the mysteries.
During the years of his reign, Rainier III managed to make his possession an island of luxury and wealth.
According to sanitary standards established in the state, per person there must be at least 125 square meters of living space. Purchasing real estate here does not guarantee foreigners obtaining citizenship.
The average salary here is 5.5 thousand euros. But this is not what attracts attention to life in the country.
The greatest interest in Monaco is the princely dynasty. Her life is filled with all sorts of scandals. The country is currently ruled by Rainier III's son Albert II.
The rich and the rich come here to relax or live for a while. famous people from all over the world. Some time in modern history this part of Europe was closed to obtaining residence permits for Russians.
The global financial crisis made its own adjustments to this process. Now about 8 families of Russian billionaires live here. In total, about 350 Russian citizens purchased property here.
The main income for the treasury comes from tourism and car production. Renault, Peugeot, Citroen and Mercedes are assembled in Monaco.
The castle of the ruling dynasty was built back in the 13th century. It is open to tourists in the absence of the prince. You can find out about his presence in the castle by the flag of the state raised on the flagpole.
