Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. The official language is French; Monégasque, English and Italian are spoken and understood by many residents.
With an area of 2.08 km2 (0.80 sq mi), Monaco is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its population of 38,367 in 2023 makes it the most densely populated sovereign state. Monaco has the world's shortest coastline: 3.83 km (2.38 mi). The principality is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the border with Italy and consists of nine administrative wards, the largest of which is Monte Carlo.
The principality is governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who wields political power despite his constitutional status. The prime minister, who is the head of government, can be either a Monégasque or French citizen; the monarch consults with the Government of France before an appointment. Key members of the judiciary are detached French magistrates. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297. The state's sovereignty was officially recognised by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full United Nations voting member in 1993. Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France, besides maintenance of two small military units. (Full article...)
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The Fort Antoine Theatre is a small amphitheatre on the Avenue de la Quarantaine in the Monaco-Ville ward of Monaco. The fort hosts open air plays in the summer months.
The theatre was originally constructed as a fortress in the early 18th-century before its destruction in 1944. Prince Rainier III had the fortress rebuilt as a theatre in 1953. The parapet of the fort is provided by pittosporum hedges. The militaristic nature of its architecture has been retained with a bartizan and a pyramid of cannonballs at the centre of the theatre. (Full article...)
The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Paris, France, following the country's victory at the 1977 contest with the song "L'Oiseau et l'Enfant" by Marie Myriam. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Télévision Française 1 (TF1), the contest was held at the Palais des Congrès on 22 April 1978 and was directed by Bernard Lion. The contest was presented by French television presenters Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone. This was the first time that more than one presenter had hosted the contest as well as the first to have a male presenter since 1956.
Twenty countries participated, the highest number of competing countries in the history of the competition at the time. Denmark and Turkey both returned to the contest. Denmark had not participated since 1966, 12 years before. (Full article...)
The history of the Jews in Monaco goes back at least a century, most notably to the time of the Holocaust. Monaco had a very small Jewish presence before World War II, numbering approximately 300 people. During the war, the principality's government issued false identity papers to its Jewish residents to protect them from Nazi deportation. Prince Louis II refused to dismiss Jewish civil servants and protected Édouard de Rothschild from deportation. However, Monaco's police arrested and turned over 42 Central European Jewish refugees to the Nazis. Sixty Jews were arrested 27–28 August 1942, and ninety in total, according to The Algemeiner.
In 1948, the Association Cultuelle Israelite de Monaco was founded as the official organization of Monaco's Jewish community, and it provides the community with a synagogue, Hebrew school and kosher food store. Today's Jewish community in Monaco consists primarily of retirees from France and the United Kingdom, and there is also a small population of North African and Turkish Jews. (Full article...)
The 1993 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the 51e Grand Prix de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 23 May 1993. It was the sixth race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship.
The 78-lap race was won by Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren-Ford. It was Senna's fifth consecutive Monaco win and sixth in all, breaking the record set by British driver Graham Hill in 1969. Hill's son Damon finished second in a Williams-Renault, with Frenchman Jean Alesi third in a Ferrari. Senna also equalled the all-time record for wins at a single F1 Grand Prix. This race would be the last time Senna would win in Monaco as well as the last time he would lead the World Drivers' Championship standings. (Full article...)
Founded in 1986, the International University of Monaco (IUM) (French: Université internationale de Monaco) is located in the Principality of Monaco. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in business specialized in finance, marketing, sport business management and international management, taught in English. Bachelor program at this university consists of 3 academic years. Masters program consists of 1 academic year. Prior to 2002, it was known as the University of Southern Europe. (Full article...)
Port Hercules (French: Port Hercule [pɔʁ ɛʁkyl]) is the only deep-water port in Monaco. The port has been in use since ancient times. The modern port was completed in 1926, and underwent substantial improvements in the 1970s. It covers almost 40 acres (160,000 m2), enough to provide anchorage for up to 700 vessels. The port is located in the La Condamine district. Harbour pilots are required for all vessels longer than 30 metres. The depth of water in the harbour ranges from seven metres for standard berths and up to 40 metres for the outer piers and cruise ship docks. (Full article...)
Laetitia Aida Mikail (born mid-1980s) is a Monégasque lawyer and Director at the Junior Chamber of Economics of Monaco where she is responsible for business network events. As a result of her success, in the autumn of 2017, she was appointed to serve for the next three years on Monaco's Conseil Strategique pour l’Attractivité (Strategic Council for Attractiveness) which is involved in planning the country's future economic development. (Full article...)
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