Monaco ranks second as the world's smallest country with a total area of 2,02 km2. Monaco is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps, in the French Riviera.
Monaco's name comes from Monoikos, in Greek, which means "the only house," referring to the sanctuary of the Greek hero Hercules. Until the late Nineteenth Century, Monaco belonged to Italy until the French invasion and annexation. Consequently, its official language is French.
Monaco is known for being a tax heaven since 2003 and its great Casino of Monte Carlo.
Monaco’s main source of income is tourism, especially because of Monte Carlo and its Casino. Sports like Formula 1 and its Grand Prix of Monaco, the Tennis Masters of Monte Carlo and Rally Monte Carlo also attract a lot of tourists who want to enjoy both the beautiful city of Monte Carlo and elite sports.
Since 1911 is governed by an institutional monarchy, having royals as heads of state. Nowadays, the Grimaldi family, who has reigned since 129, heads this monarchy. The executive branch consists of a Minister of State who chairs a 6 member Cabinet. Regarding legislature, the prince shares power and decision-making with the National Council of Monaco since the Constitution of 1962. The Supreme Court of Monaco is the highest court of justice and consists of 5 core members and 2 associate justices. On the other hand, the Community Council governs the local government.
Because it doesn’t have its own army, France is responsible for its defense affairs and state security. However, it is the country with the most number of police officers per person, as there are 517 agents to 32,000 inhabitants, which means one police officer every 62 inhabitants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo
http://geography.about.com/cs/countries/a/smallcountries.htm
http://www.neatorama.com/2007/01/04/the-5-smallest-countries-in-the-world/
