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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Fun Facts About Monaco

Monaco is not large enough to have an airport (though everyone who is anyone has a private plane). Nearest thing is a shuttle service to the airport in Nice, France.

Monaco is 1.95 square kilometers in size -less than half a square mile.

The motto of Monaco and the Grimaldi family is “Deo Juvante” or ‘with God’s help’. It became so during the reign of Lord Lambert of Monaco in the fifteenth century.

The primary ethnic group in Monaco is not Monegasque but French. Roughly 47% of the population is French, the next largest groups being Italian and then British tax refugees.

Classes at the International University of Monaco (the only university in Monaco) are held exclusively in English.

The York bedroom in the Princely Palace was so named because the Duke of York, brother to King George III of Great Britain and Ireland, died there.

Monte Carlo is the only municipality in Monaco. Meaning “Mount Charles” it was named after HSH Prince Charles III.

Prior to 1861 Monaco was a protectorate of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and the official language was Italian.

Lord Charles I of Monaco led a corps of Monegasque crossbowmen at the battle of Crecy alongside the French during the Hundred Years War with England.

Some 330,000 square meters of the ward of Fontvieille consists of land that was reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to that, the ground where the heliport and Louis II Stadium sits was under water.

Lord Jean II of Monaco was allegedly murdered by his brother Lucien after he threatened to sell Monaco to the Republic of Venice.

French is the official language of Monaco, not Monegasque though the native tongue is taught in schools. Monegasque is a Ligurian dialect, similar to that spoken in Genoa, Italy.

Lord Hercules I of Monaco, a noted ladies’ man, was supposedly murdered by a gang of irate husbands and fathers.

Lord Rainier II of England, allied with France, led a raiding fleet that sacked Portsmouth, Dartmouth and Plymouth, England.

Monaco has more policemen per person than any other country in the world. Crime is not a problem.

The longest-reigning monarch in Monegasque history was HSH Prince Honore III who reigned as Sovereign Prince of Monaco for 59 years and 73 days.

1 comment:

  1. 1. Take that egalitarians! The Rich know what type of Government is best to live under (the one that doesn't vote your money to the masses)

    2. Yet Manaco makes such an impact on the world. Little Town, Big Dreams

    3. I suspect a flood of French Tax Refugees will be coming very soon. Republicans fleeing to Monarchy, love it!

    4. Hm, I did not know that, why would that be? Why is it not French?

    5. At least it's not named after some Congressman.

    6.I DID know that about Monte Carlo's name.

    7.I knew that too, Piedmont was the predecessor to the Kingdom of Italy.

    8.Genoa was also know for their Crossbow Numeracy back in the middle ages.

    9. More of Monaco is always a good thing.

    10. Yikes, glad that did not happen. Otherwise Monaco would have been annexed by France or Italy a Long time ago.

    12. I knew that by listen to several different versions of Princess Stephanie's songs over the years. She sounds great in all of them by the way.

    13. Ted Kennedy- That is all I have to say for republican double standards.

    14. England used to get raided alot, that is why the needed a big navy.

    15. Of course Monaco has low crime rates, some of the riches people in the world live their. You don't think they don't want to be protected? Not like in Democracies where the criminal class is pandered too for votes.

    16. Monarchs used to live for a very long time back in the 1800' and 1900's. I wonder why?

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