This small nation is located just under France and just north of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s official language is French and is comprised of such ethnic groups such as French, English, Italian, and Monegasque.

Its government is a Unitary Constitutional Principality led by Prince Albert II. It’s population is estimated at around 36,000 plus people and that’s only on an area of 2.02 km. Even though Monaco is not a member of the EU, the Euro is its only currency, it is also a member of the Schengen area and the GDP is around $5.5 billion. It got its name from an ancient Phocaen Greek colony around the 6th Century BC where the population was referred to as Monoikos which translates to reportedly be “one house”. Add to that some good ol’ fashioned Greek mythos and you have an area steeped in antiquity.

Monaco by Herry Lawford

Over a period of hundreds of years the country fell into the hands of other nations from Italy to France and more. The ruling family that emerged were the Grimaldis who had to hold onto their crowns just to keep the small country running and somewhat under their control. Squabbling led to treaty after treaty until the Monegasque Revolution of 1910 which finally put the Grimaldis into power. Well, not exactly as there were more treaties until more invasions occurred like in 1943 when the Italian fascists under Mussolini took their turn at upending Monaco. It looked like Monaco had “Invade Me” painted on their front doors because after the Italians invaded the Germans invaded which then led to the deportation of the Jews living in Monaco.

After WWII Prince Rainier III took over the throne and became quite the celebrity. He married one of the most famous actresses in history, American Grace Kelly and their reign was celebrated with fairytale mystique.

The political scene of Monaco changed subsequently and some say in good part to Princess Grace and old laws gave way to new liberties. This moved Monaco into the modern age of civil rights. Rainier left the throne in 2005 and his son Prince Albert II took his father’s place.

Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco by Julian Fong

Of course one can’t talk about Monaco without mentioning its most popular site, Monte Carlo.

Located in the northeast of the country it is famed for gambling and resort living. It still hasn’t lost its luster after all these years and is featured in high flying, jet set movies and television. Its gambling industry is a major source of income as well as marketing the country’s other goods and services. People travel from all over the world just to say they’ve gone to Monaco. In addition the government there has no personal income tax which attracts lots of people who want to keep what money they have. So if you are already good enough in playing table games you can then head to Monaco and play Baccarat, Blackjack, Poker, Roulette and much more games or you can test it online first e.g. at Party Bingo and make yourself prepared for a visit.

Overall, Monaco is the second smallest country in the world (after Vatican) but the most densely populated one. It is a small yet well kept country that has undergone a tumultuous past. From invaders from ancient Greece to Napoleon to Hitler this country has survived and thrived on its own two feet keeping its people’s dignity well into the modern age.

If you need some more information about Monaco, you can visit its official site at visitmonaco.com

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In the city you can walk through the narrow cobbled streets full of stairs and steps. Portoferraio is also known for its numerous old churches. Since the city was reconstructed in 1548 in a military style, its main attractions are fortresses Stella, Falcone and Bastion della Linguella. Another interesting sights are the Church of Reverend Mercy and Napoleon’s museum. In the old city there is also one the residences of Napoleon. If you rent a car or a motorcycle in Portoferraio, you can take a circuit around the island and visit some of the most interesting places, including hidden and remote beaches. Portoferraio has good ferry connections with Livorno, Piombino and with many other islands of the Tuscan archipelago.

In the area of ​​Portoferraio there are one of the most popular beaches for scuba diving. However the whole island of Elba is actually a paradise for divers. Therefore you can find almost everywhere a dive shop, where you can add an oxygen or rent diving equipment. Even if you have no experience with diving and would like to try it, you can subscribe to any of the courses in the local diving schools. The local beach has a gentle declivity towards the sea, which is especially appreciated by families with small children and less able-bodied swimmers. Swimming is allowed in the crystal clear water of the Ligurian Sea.

You can try out a variety of water sports such as windsurfing, paragliding, water skiing, scooters and pedal boats. The port city of Portoferraio is also an ideal place for sailing, there are regularly held international sailing races.

Not surprisingly, Portoferraio fascinated visitors since the Middle Ages, however the increasing number of tourists is the only disadvantage of this great island.

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Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.

There are two independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City and Campione d’Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers 301,338 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.2 million inhabitants, it is the sixth most populous country in Europe, and the twenty-third most populous in the world.

There are lots of very interesting places in Italy, they have very good pizza and wine. Very important Italian products are Fiat, Mozzarella, Prosciutto and pizza.

Some of the famous Italian people are: Medici, Marco Polo, Dante, Donatello, Alberti, Botticelli, Columbus, Da Vinci, Vespucci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Galileo, Vivaldi, Puccini, Mussolini, Sergio Leone, Luciano Pavarotti, Valentino, Versace

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