Monaco

Monaco is located in the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded on three sides by France. Monaco is divided into five different areas: (1) Monaco-Ville, the old fortified town; (2) the Condamnie, the harbor area; (3) Monte Carlo; (4) Fontvielle, a man-made waterfront area; and (5) Moneghetti, which shares a border with Cap d'Ail.

Monaco has been ruled by the Grimaldi family since 1297, when Francesco Grimaldi disguised himself as a monk and seized the fortress of Monaco. He led an army into the fortress, retrieving it in the name of the pope. In 1793, French Revolutionary forces captured Monaco, and Monaco remained under French rule until 1814. The Franco-Monagasque Treaty of 1861 granted sovereignty to Monaco; despite Monaco being a sovereign state, France is still responsible for Monaco's national defense.

Monaco has been a constitutional monarchy since 1911, with the sovereign prince of Monaco as head of state. The head of the government is the minister of state, who presides over a five-member Council of Government. The parliament, the National Council, is unicameral, and the sovereign prince shares power with this body of government. Each member of the National Council is elected to 5-year terms. The local affairs of the principality are presided by the Communal Council, whose 15 elected members are led by the mayor.

[Page 815]Monaco is the second smallest country, by size, in the world. The Monagasque constitution allows for religious freedom, and in this small principality of 485 acres, six religions are represented.

The official religion of Monaco is Roman Catholicism, and approximately 95% of the population are Roman Catholic. There is one cathedral and five Roman Catholic churches. An archbishop presides over the official duties of the Roman Catholic diocese in Monaco. Roman Catholic celebrations hold a special significance in Monaco and are observed in the principality.

The holy festivals and feasts celebrated in Monaco are Holy Week and Easter Sunday and the feast days of St. John, observed on June 23, St. Roman, observed on August 9, and St. Devote, the patron saint of Monaco, celebrated on January 27, when there is a torchlight parade, which signifies St. Devote's arrival at the principality.

Other religions are also practiced in Monaco. There is one Anglican church in Monaco, St. Paul's. The church is a member of the Anglican Dioceses of Gibraltar in Europe. One hundred and thirty-five Monagasques are members of the church, but church membership varies, serving Anglicans who come to the church as parishioners but those who come to the principality as tourists.

Monaco has one Jewish association, The Association Culturelle Israelite de Monaco, founded in 1948. The association has a synagogue, a community Hebrew school, and a kosher food shop, all located in Monte Carlo. The Jewish community consists of Jews from Britain and northern Africa, with one third being Ashkenazi and two thirds being Sephardic.

Religious beliefs also practiced in Monaco are Greek Orthodox (one temple), Protestantism (two churches), and Islam.