Facts about Monaco
for Kids

Facts about Monaco: yachts, casino, palace guards

20 Facts about Monaco

Here are some interesting facts about Monaco which were chosen and researched especially for kids.

Flag of Monaco

1. Monaco is a tiny country in Europe and the second smallest independent country in the world. The country is located in Southern France and borders the Mediterranean Sea in the country’s South.

Monaco at the Mediterranean Sea

2. Monaco is a city-state and a semi-enclave as it lies within the borders of another country. The tiny country in Southern Europe is bordered by France to the West, North and East but to the ocean in the South. Therefore Monaco is only a semi enclave.

Map of Monaco

The French department that encloses Monaco is called Alpes-Maritimes. The land border with France is only 5.47 km/ 3.4 miles long. The coastline is 3.83 km/ 2.38 miles.

3. The small country is a principality, which means it is led by a monarch. Prince Albert II of the House of Grimaldi is the sovereign and head of state since 2005. The family of the House of Grimaldi rules the country since 1297.

Grimaldi family - image by Jens Mommens/ shutterstock.com

Here you see the Prince of Monaco, Albert II and his wife Princesse Charlene as well as their two children, Gabriella and Jacques, twins born in December 2014.

4. The official name is "Prinçipatu de Mùnegu" which means Principality of Monaco in the local Monegasque language. The name "Monaco" is believed to be of Greek Phoenician origin and dates back to the 6th century.

The national motto is "With God’s Help". The national colours are red (on top) and white.

5. Monaco only has one city: Monaco City.

The old town where the fortress and Palace are located is built on the Rock of Monaco and sits atop a promontory that overlooks the Mediterranean.

Rock of Monaco

6. Monte Carlo is the main residential area and one of the nine regions of the city state. Monte Carlo is where the government buildings and the famous casino and the opera house are located.

Facts about Monaco
People

7. Monaco only has a population of 39,000 (2024), the country is the most densely populated country in the world.

8. Only about 10,000 or a quarter of all people who live in this small city-state are Monegasque nationals. The largest population group is French, but the Italian nationals follow close behind.

Casino of Monaco - image by IR Stone/shutterstock.com

9. The country at the French Riviera is known as one of the wealthiest countries and one of the most expensive countries to live in. Monaco has the highest number of billionaires living in the country and the world’s lowest poverty rate.

French Riviera is the name of the Mediterranean coastline and in French often referred to as Cote d’Azur.

French Riviera

10. The official language in Monaco is French. The local people also speak the Monegasque language and Italian and English is widely spoken and understood.

Bungiurnu means Hello/ Good day

11. Monegasque which is similar to the Italian Ligurian is considered the national language and taught in the schools of the principality but is only the home language of very few people.

12. The most popular sports in Monaco are soccer, sailing, yachting and tennis.

Monaco yacht harbour

Most famous sportspeople have a residence in Monaco such as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Alexander Zverev.

Prince Albert II took part in the Olympics in 1988, in 1992 and 1994 with his country's bobsleigh team. Princesse Charlene represented South Africa in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the swimming events.

Monaco Facts for Kids | Attractions

13. The most important sights and landmarks of the principality is the Prince's Palace. The building dates back to the year 1215 and is still today the main residence of the Prince and his family. The State Apartments can be visited.

Palace of Monaco

And don't forget to watch the Changing of the Guards on the Palace Square - taking place everyday at 11h55.

14. Then there is the famous Casino of Monaco. The main casino floor with the gaming tables and slot machines is off limits for children, but families can visit the atrium and the bar to get a bit of that James Bond feeling.

Monaco's Casino Hall - image by Marco Rubino/shutterstock

15. The Oceanographic Center in Monaco is one of the main family attractions with its aquarium and museum. Admire the skeleton of an 18-metre long whale and don't miss the current polar mission exhibition.

monaco whale - image by trabantos/shutterstock.com

Whale skeleton in Monaco - image by trabantos/shutterstock.com

And proper whale watching of course! Off the coast of Monaco is the Pelagos sanctuary, a marine protected area which is home to many whales, dolphins and other sea creatures.

17. The Monaco Grand Prix attracts more than 100,000 visitors on race day when the Formula One car track leads through the streets of the principality.

Monaco Grand Prix - image by Bob Cullinan/shutterstock.com

And if you want to see where the passion for cars in the principality stem from, you cannot miss to visit the museum with the cars collection of the Prince of Monaco museum with over 70 fascinating cars.

Facts about Monaco | Economy

18. Monaco is not part of the European Union but has close links to France and enjoys special customs.

The currency used in Monaco is the Euro. However, coins are minted in France with the Monegasque design on one side of the coin. As all Euro coins, also these two coins show the twelve stars of Europa.

19. Monaco does not have any commercial agricultural lands such as farms or forests.

Last but not least:
Monaco Facts for Kids

Monaco as seen from La Turbie

The climate of Monaco is hot Mediterranean and similar to that along the French Cote d’Azur.

July and August are the hottest months with temperatures around 27°C/ 80°F whilst in winter, the temperatures rarely drop below 7°C/ 45°F.

Facts about Monaco
Resources

Sources for Facts about Monaco page:

Monaco Tourism. "Events Calendar." VisitMonaco. Last accessed 24 June 2024
Central Intelligence Agency. "Monaco." WorldFactBook. Last updated 14 June 2024. Last accessed 24 June 2024
Oceanographic Institute. "Whale Hall". MuseoOceano. Last accessed 24 June 2024

Image Credits on Facts about Monaco: photo stock from shutterstock and wikicommons, if not otherwise stated.

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