
Independent State, situated at
the foot of the southern alps and bordering the Mediterranean,
the principality of Monaco sharing its borders with many French
communities of the "Alpes-Martimes" region: Cap-d'Ail, La Turbie,
Beausoleil and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. From the height of
antiquity on, the rock of Monaco served as a refuge to the
primitive population. However, Monaco's history didn't actually
start at the beginning of the 13th century.
June 10th 1215 marking the birth of the future principality, on
this day, the Genoan Gibelin family put down the first stone of
the fortress, which is today the Princier Palace. To attract
inhabitants, the first "master" of the rock granted the new
arrivals precious advantages such as the concession of land or
the exemption of paying income taxes. Monaco's history has been
associated with that of the Grimaldi family since 700 years.
The official spoken language is
French. Italian and English are also frequently and fluently
spoken. The traditional Monegasque language "le monegù"
was used amongst the "older" inhabitants and taught in schools
of the principality. The population of the principality: 29.972
inhabitants (official number in 1990), which include 5.070
Monegasque, 12.047 French, and 5.000 Italians. More than 100
nationalities are represented.

Today, the principality of Monaco
is spread across 195 acres, of which 40 had been won over the
last 20 years. It borders the sea the length of 4.100
meters with its highest point being at 163 meters. The
principality doesn't only form one single community, Monaco, but
there are 5 districts within the principality of Monaco:
Monaco-Ville: Upon the Rock, the old fortified town with the
Prince's Palace, the ramparts, the gardens, the Cathedral and
the Oceanographic Museum.
La Condamine: The district in which the port is situated (Port
Hercule) - the harbour area
Monte-Carlo: founded in 1866, in the reign of Prince Charles III
giving it its name. Le Larvotto: this district is made up of its
internationally renowned Casino, it's great hotels and leisure
facilities, some created recently (Larvotto beach, the
Monte-Carlo Sporting Club, the Boulingrins Gardens).
Fontvieille: A large technical achievement with the filling-in,
with rock, of 40 meters of water to produce a platform of 22
acres supporting an urban, tourist and sports complex adjoining
a yachting/boating harbour and a pollution-free industrial zone.
Moneghetti: Les Révoires, containing the Jardin exotique (exotic
gardens), which form the border with the French community of
Cap-d'Ail.
Points of interest : La vieille ville - Le
musée océanographique - Les casinos & les palaces - Le circuit
du grand prix automobile
- Sports Events: the Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo
Rally, tennis and golf professional tournaments,
athletic competitions held in a superb stadium
- Entertainments: opera, ballet, concerts,
chess tournaments, circus competition, television
festival, radio festival, music awards
- Health: the famous Monte-Carlo Thalassa
offering a luxurious indoor swimming-pool and a
qualified team of masseurs and keep fit instructors
- Sightseeing: the palace, the famous
Monte-Carlo casino, the Cafe de Paris, Jimmy'z and other
top night clubs and discos such as the Sporting where
top stars feature, the Oceanographic Museum, the
Automatons and Doll Museum, the Exotic Gardens.
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