| Country name: |
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco
local long form: Principaute de Monaco
local short form: Monaco |
| Government type: |
constitutional monarchy |
| Capital: |
name: Monaco
geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Administrative divisions: |
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo |
| Independence: |
1419 (beginning of rule by the House of Grimaldi) |
| National holiday: |
National Day (Saint Rainier's Day), 19 November (1857) |
| Constitution: |
17 December 1962 |
| Legal system: |
based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June 2005)
cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government |
| Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3 |
| Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council) |
| Political parties and leaders: |
National and Democratic Union or UND [Guy MAGNAN]; Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador to the US and UN Gilles NOGHES
chancery: 565 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 286-0500
FAX: (212) 286-1574 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France), under the authority of the US ambassador to France, handles routine diplomatic and consular matters concerning Monaco |
| Flag description: |
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red |
