19th November: Monaco

Today is the National Day of Monaco. Here are ten facts about this tiny country that you may not know:

1. It's the second smallest country in the world after Vatican City with an area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi), which is smaller than Central Park in New York. It has a population of about 36,371, making it the most densely populated country in the world.
2. Its citizens are healthy and wealthy. Monaco has the world's highest life expectancy at nearly 90 years, the world's highest GDP, the world's most expensive real estate market, the world's lowest poverty rate and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world. About 30% of the population are millionaires.
3. The name Monaco is derived from the Greek Monoikos, meaning "single house" or "living apart", which comes from a myth that Hercules passed through Monaco and ousted all the other gods, so his temple was the only one in the area.
4. The royal family of Monaco are the Grimaldis, who have ruled, with a few breaks, since 1297. In that year, Francesco Grimaldi, known as "Il Malizia" (translated from Italian either as "The Malicious One" or "The Cunning One"), and his men captured the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco while dressed as a Franciscan monk. By coincidence, the word for monk in Italian is monaco. He was evicted four years later by Genoa but eventually the Grimaldi family bought the area from Aragon.
5. The current ruler is Albert II, who came to the throne on 31 March 2005. His father was Rainier III, who married movie star Grace Kelly.
6. Monaco is famous for its casino, which has featured in several James Bond films. It was set up originally as a way for the Grimaldi family to raise money during the time of Napoleon III. It wasn't a great success and was sold to French casino magnates François and Louis Blanc for 1.7 million francs. People who live in Monaco are strictly forbidden from gambling or visiting the casino.
7. It's also famous for its Grand Prix which is held every year, not on a race track, but through the city streets. The circuit is incredibly narrow and tight and its tunnel, tight corners and elevation changes make it arguably the most demanding Formula One track. Driver Nelson Piquet once compared driving the circuit to "riding a bicycle around your living room". Nevertheless, since the race started in 1929, it has only had one fatality, Lorenzo Bandini, who crashed, burned and died three days later from his injuries in 1967. Aryton Senna holds the record for the most wins, having come first in the Monaco F1 Grand Prix six times.
8. The Monaco Marathon is the only marathon in the world to pass through three separate countries - Monaco, France and Italy.
9. The highest point in the country is at the access to the Patio Palace residential building (Jardin Exotique district) from Moyenne Corniche street at 164.4 metres (539 feet) above sea level.
10. The national Flag of Monaco is almost identical to the flag of Indonesia, with two bands of red and white. It differs only in the proportions.