Map of Monaco
Monaco is a country in Europe with its capital at Monaco, home to about 38,341 people across 2 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns, 1 mountain summits and 1 ports recorded for Monaco in YearMaps.
- Population
- 38,341
- Area
- 2 km²
- Capital
- Monaco
- Continent
- Europe
Interactive Map of Monaco
Centred on Monaco at 43.7396° N, 7.4069° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate in Western Europe. Situated on the French Riviera, it is a semi-enclave bordered by France to the north, east, and west, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south; the Italian region of Liguria is about 15 km (9.3 mi) east. With a population of 38,423 living in an area of 2.08 km2 (0.80 sq mi), Monaco is the second smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City, as well as the most densely populated. It also has the world's shortest national coastline of any non-landlocked nation, at 3.83 km (2.38 mi). Fewer than 10,000 of its residents are Monégasque nationals. Although French is the official language of Monaco, Italian and Monégasque are also widely spoken and understood.
Monaco is governed under a form of semi-constitutional monarchy, with Prince Albert II as head of state, who holds substantial political powers. The prime minister, who is the head of government, can be either a Monégasque or French citizen; the monarch consults with the Government of France before an appointment. Key members of the judiciary are detached French magistrates. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297. The state's sovereignty was officially recognised by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861, with Monaco becoming a full United Nations voting member in 1993. Despite Monaco's independence and separate foreign policy, its defence is the responsibility of France, notwithstanding two small military units.
Monaco is recognised as one of the wealthiest and most expensive places in the world. Its economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with the opening of the state's first casino, the Monte Carlo Casino, and a rail connection to Paris. The country's mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities contributed to its status as a tourist destination and recreation centre for the wealthy. Monaco has become a major banking centre and sought to diversify into the services sector and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. Monaco is a tax haven; it has no personal income tax (except for French citizens) and low business taxes. Over 30% of residents are millionaires, with real estate prices reaching €100,000 ($116,374) per square metre in 2018. Monaco is a global hub of money laundering, and in June 2024 the Financial Action Task Force placed Monaco under increased monitoring to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Monaco is among the 46 member states which constitute the Council of Europe.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Monaco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Monaco
The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling GRIMALDI family first seized control in 1297 but was not able to permanently secure its holding until 1419. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, coastal Mediterranean scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world-famous as a tourist and recreation center.
- Location
- Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy.
- Climate
- Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
- Terrain
- Hilly, rugged, rocky.
- Highest point
- Chemin des Revoires on Mont Agel 162 m.
- Lowest point
- Mediterranean Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 4.1 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 6 km; border countries: France 6 km.
- Natural resources
- None.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.); arable land: 0% (2018 est.); permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.); permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.); forest: 0% (2022 est.); other: 100% (2022 est.)
- Natural hazards
- None.
- Geographic note
- Second-smallest independent state in the world (after the Holy See); smallest country with a coastline; almost entirely urban.
- Languages
- French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque.
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 90% (official), other 10%.
- Ethnic groups
- Monegasque 32.1%, French 19.9%, Italian 15.3%, British 5%, Belgian 2.3%, Swiss 2%, German 1.9%, Russian 1.8%, American 1.1%, Dutch 1.1%, Moroccan 1%, other 16.6% (2016 est.)
- Economy
- High-income European economy; non-EU euro user; considered a tax haven; tourism and banking are largest sectors; negatively impacted by COVID-19; major oceanographic museum; among most expensive real estate; major state-owned enterprises.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Monaco in Numbers
- Population
- 38,341
- GDP
- US$11.1 billion
- GDP per person
- US$288,002
- Life expectancy
- 86.5 years
- Population growth
- -0.75% a year
- Population density
- 18,537 per km²
- Urban population
- 100.0%
- Surface area
- 75 km²
- Forest cover
- 0.0%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 99.0%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Monaco in Depth
History
Monaco was first mentioned by the Greek historian Hecataeus of Miletus, who referred to it as "Monoikos, a Ligurian town". Strabo referred to it as Monoikon limen, explaining that Monoikos (Greek for "the solitary one") was another name for Heracles, who had a temple here; it is possible, however, that it is an alteration of an older Ligurian name.
In 1191, the Holy Roman Empire granted Monaco to the Genoese in return for cracking down on pirates. By the early 1200s, the Genoese had built a castle on the rock and were utilizing the port. An ousted branch of a Genoese family, the Grimaldis, captured it in 1297 by posing as monks, but then had to contest it for a century before gaining official control.
Geography
Monaco is a sovereign city-state, with five quarters and ten wards, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. It is bordered by France's Alpes-Maritimes department on three sides, with one side bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Its centre is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy and only 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Nice.
It has an area of 2.1 km2 (0.81 sq mi), or 208 ha (510 acres), and a population of 38,400, making Monaco the second-smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. The country has a land border of only 5.47 km (3.40 mi), a coastline of 3.83 km (2.38 mi), a maritime claim that extends 22.2 km (13.8 mi), and a width that varies between 1,700 and 349 m (5,577 and 1,145 ft).
Jurassic limestone is a prominent bedrock which is locally karstified.
Economy
Monaco has the world's highest nominal GDP per capita at US$185,742, PPP-adjusted GDP per capita at $132,571 and GNI per capita at $183,150. It has an unemployment rate of 2%, with over 48,000 workers who commute from France and Italy each day. According to the CIA World Factbook, Monaco has the world's lowest poverty rate and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world. For the fourth year in a row, Monaco in 2012 had the world's most expensive real estate market, at $58,300 per square metre. Although the average price went down in 2020, to an average price of $53,378 per square metre, Monaco remains one of the most expensive places in the world to buy property. By 2024, Monaco allows Visa-free travel from 86 countries around the world.
Demographics
Monaco's total population was 38,400 in 2015, and estimated by the United Nations to be 36,297 as of 1 July 2023. As of 2024, Monégasques make up 24.1% of residents, followed by French (21.8%), Italian (19.5%), British (7.6%), Swiss (3.1%), Russian (3.1%), Belgian (2.7%), and German nationals (2.5%). According to 2019 studies, 31% of Monaco's population is reported to be millionaires equalling up to 12,248 individuals.
Citizens of Monaco, whether born in the country or naturalised, are called Monégasque.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Monaco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Monaco: Key Facts
| Official language | French |
|---|---|
| Head of state | Albert II, Prince of Monaco |
| Head of government | Christophe Mirmand |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy, hereditary monarchy |
| Calling code | +377 |
| Internet domain | .mc |
| Highest point | Chemin des Révoires |
| Lowest point | Mediterranean Sea |
| Established | 8 January 1297 |
Facts from Wikidata Q235 (CC0).
Visiting Monaco
The Principality of Monaco (French: Principauté de Monaco) is a wealthy city-state on the Mediterranean Sea, bounded by the French Riviera. Though tiny, the country is packed with entertainment for those with money to burn: think yachts and casinos, plus the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Monaco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Monaco
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco | 36,371 | — | National capital |
Highest Mountains in Monaco
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mont Agel | 140 m | 459 ft | Europe |
Mont Agel
Mountain · 140 m
Mont Agel is a mountain rising to 140 metres (459 ft) in Monaco and France, in the Europe region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mont Agel is a mountain in the Maritime Alps on the border between France and Monaco. The summit of this mount, at 1,148 metres (3,766 ft) above sea level, is on the French side, but the highpoint of Monaco, lying on a pathway named Chemin des Révoires, is on its slopes, at an altitude of 161 metres (528 feet).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mont Agel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 140 m (459 ft)
- Global rank
- #635 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Europe (#82)
- Countries
- Monaco, France
- Coordinates
- 43.7459°, 7.4042°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mont Agel ranks #635 by elevation, below Lenina (150 m) and above Jabal ad Dukhan (134 m).
- Settlements below:
- Monaco (1 km)
More about Mont Agel
History
The top of Mont Agel is occupied by Nice Air Base, itself built on the former Ouvrage Mont Agel of the Alpine Line fortifications.
On 18 June 2011, a light aircraft crashed onto Mont Agel, killing two British passengers. The plane was on a private flight, and was en route from Italy to Troyes at the time of the crash. Conditions were foggy.
Mont Agel is the site of the Monte Carlo Golf Club, formerly home of the Monte Carlo Open. The club celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011.
Roc Agel, purchased by Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, as a summer family residence, is high on the slopes of Mont Agel.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mont Agel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mont Agel: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 210 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | Nice Prealps |
Facts from Wikidata Q1517182 (CC0).
Ports in Monaco
1 port recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco | 42.1 m | Very Small | Western Mediterranean | medium vessels |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Monaco
1 landform recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alps | 176,042 km² | Range/mtn | Europe |
Alps
Range/mtn · 176,042 km²
Alps is a range/mtn in Europe, covering an estimated 176,042 km². It extends across Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Hungary. It is the 24th-largest of the 216 mountain ranges with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across several Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia.
The Alpine arch extends from Nice on the western Mediterranean to Trieste on the Adriatic and Vienna at the beginning of the Pannonian Basin. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. The Alpine region area contains 82 peaks higher than 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The altitude and size of the range affect the climate in Europe, and in the mountains, precipitation levels vary greatly and climatic conditions consist of distinct zones.
Evidence of human habitation in the Alps goes back to the Palaeolithic era. A mummified man ("Ötzi"), determined to be 5,000 years old, was discovered on a glacier at the Austrian–Italian border in 1991.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Alps (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 176,042 km²
- Size rank
- #24 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Europe
- Countries
- Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Hungary
- Coordinates
- 46.7662°, 10.7276°
- Summits:
- Mont Agel (140 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Dinaric Alps (Europe), Jura (Europe)
- Settlements:
- Monaco (425 km)
More about Alps
Geography
The Alps are a crescent shaped geographic feature of central Europe that ranges in an 800 km (500 mi) arc (curved line) from east to west and is 200 km (120 mi) in width. The mean height of the mountain peaks is 2.5 km (1.6 mi). The range stretches from the Mediterranean Sea north above the Po basin, extending through France from Grenoble, and stretching eastward through mid and southern Switzerland. The range continues onward toward Vienna, Austria, and southeast to the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. Depending on the definitions used, the Alpokalja foothills in western Hungary may also qualify as part of the Alps.
To the south it dips into northern Italy and to the north extends to the southern border of Bavaria in Germany.
Geology
Important geological concepts were established as naturalists began studying the rock formations of the Alps in the 18th century. In the mid-19th century, the now-defunct idea of geosynclines was used to explain the presence of "folded" mountain chains. This theory was replaced in the mid-20th century by the theory of plate tectonics.
The formation of the Alps (the Alpine orogeny) was an episodic process that began about 300 million years ago. In the Paleozoic Era the Pangaean supercontinent consisted of a single tectonic plate; it broke into separate plates during the Mesozoic Era and the Tethys sea developed between Laurasia and Gondwana during the Jurassic Period.
Ecology
Thirteen thousand species of plants have been identified in the Alpine regions. Alpine plants are grouped by habitat and soil type which can be limestone or non-calcareous. The habitats range from meadows, bogs, and woodland (deciduous and coniferous) areas to soil-less scree and moraines, and rock faces and ridges. A natural vegetation limit with altitude is given by the presence of the chief deciduous trees—oak, beech, ash and sycamore maple. These do not reach the same elevation, nor are they often found growing together, but their upper limit corresponds accurately enough to the change from a temperate to a colder climate that is further proved by a change in the presence of wild herbaceous vegetation.
History
When the ice melted after the Würm glaciation, Paleolithic settlements were established along the lake shores and in cave systems. Evidence of human habitation has been found in caves near the Vercors Cave System, close to Grenoble and Echirolles. In Austria, the Mondsee lake shows evidence of houses built on piles. Standing stones have been found in the Alpine areas of France and Italy. About 200,000 drawings and etchings have been documented, and are known as the Rock Drawings in Valcamonica.
A mummy of a Neolithic human, known as Ötzi, was discovered on the Similaun.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Alps (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Alps: Key Facts
| Length | 1,200 km |
|---|---|
| Area | 190,000 km² |
| Highest point | Mont Blanc |
Facts from Wikidata Q1286 (CC0).
Countries Bordering Monaco
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Europe
Monaco: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Monaco?
- The capital of Monaco is Monaco.
- What is the population of Monaco?
- Monaco has a population of about 38,341, the #214 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Monaco?
- Monaco covers 2 km², ranking #224 by area, with about 19,171 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Monaco in?
- Monaco is in Europe.
- Which countries border Monaco?
- Monaco shares a land or maritime border with France.
- What is the largest city in Monaco?
- Monaco is the largest city in Monaco, with a metropolitan population of about 36,371.
- What is the highest mountain in Monaco?
- The highest summit recorded for Monaco in YearMaps is Mont Agel at 140 m (459 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.