3rd September: San Marino National Day

National day of San Marino, one of the smallest countries in Europe. Here are 10 things you may not know about it.

1. San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. Its founder, Saint Marinus, was from Arba, an island in present day Croatia. He emigrated to Rimini, Italy, where he worked as a stonemason when he wasn't preaching the Christian gospel. When the Emperor Diocletian started persecuting Christians, Marinus fled to nearby Monte Titano, where he built a small church, which eventually became the Republic of San Marino on 3 September 301.
2. Its independence was briefly threatened by Napoleon in 1797, but one of its Regents, Antonio Onofri, befriended Napoleon who responded by not only guaranteeing San Marino's independence, but promising them more land. San Marino declined the offer of more territory for fear of future retaliation from other countries.
3. It's small. Its area is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) and has an estimated population of about 32,000 - the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe. If everyone who lives there went to Wembley Stadium, there would be 56,318 empty seats. It's the world's smallest republic - Nauru challenged that when it became independent, Nauru's land mass being only 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) - but Nauru has jurisdiction over large amounts of sea as well - if you count that, Nauru is thousands of times bigger.
4. It is considered to have the oldest constitution still in effect. San Marino is governed by the Constitution of San Marino (Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini), six books written in Latin in the late 16th century. It doesn't have a single head of state - the job is shared by two Captains Regent who are chosen from two opposing parties every six months.
5. It is the only country with more vehicles than people.
6. A person who comes from San Marino is Sammarinese.
7. It has one of the world's smallest armies - including the The Guard of the Rock who patrol the borders and are responsible for guarding the Palazzo Pubblico in San Marino City, the seat of national Government. They have distinctive red and green uniforms and their changing of the guard ceremony is popular with tourists. Italian forces are responsible for the country's national defence. San Marino remained neutral in both world wars, and when a New York Newspaper wrongly stated that San Marino had declared war on Britain, San Marino wrote a letter to Britain assuring them that they had not.
8. US President Abraham Lincoln was an honorary citizen of San Marino.
9. San Marino is completely surrounded by Italy, and the two countries have numerous economic agreements. All imported goods must travel through Italy first; San Marino is not allowed to grow tobacco and casinos are outlawed. San Marino is obliged to use Italy’s mint (its currency is the Euro despite not being an EU member. Before the euro, the currency was the Sammarinese lira.) In exchange, Italy provides San Marino with an annual stipend - up to 250 tons of sea salt, 40 tons of tobacco, 20 tons of cigarettes and unlimited matches.
10. The capital city is the City of San Marino (although the largest city is Dogana) and its iconic buildings are the three towers on the three peaks of Monte Titano. The three towers are: Guaita, the oldest, built in the 11th century; Cesta, on the highest peak, built in the thirteenth-century, and Montale, built in the fourteenth-century, on the smallest of Monte Titano's summits. The towers appear on the coat of arms and flag of San Marino and also on what is arguably San Marino's national cake, the Torta Tre Monti ("Cake of the Three Mountains" or "Cake of the Three Towers"), a chocolate-covered wafer layer cake in the shape of the three towers.