At the resort town of the Côte d’Azur, city of Nice, Principality of Monaco, in the French Rivera

 "There is nothing beyond the semi-tropical vegetation, the projecting promontories into the Mediterranean, the all-embracing sweep of the [sea], the olive groves, and the enchanting climate.

-- M. E. W. Sherwood
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(on the French Riviera) The Principality of Monaco is located along the Mediterranean Sea in the midst of the resort area known as the Côte d’Azur. The city of Nice, in France, lies nine miles (~15 km) to the west, and the Italian border is just five miles (8 km) to the east. Monaco’s small territory occupies a set of densely clustered hills and a headland that looks southward over the Mediterranean. Many unusual features, however, have made Monaco among the most luxurious tourist resorts in the world, and have given it a fame that far exceeds its size.

+ Overlooking the pristine waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is a place famed for its glamor and wealth. The Palais Princier, former home of Princess Grace and current home of her son, Prince Albert II, is at the top of the cliff-bound medieval Monaco-Ville. Perhaps better known, however, is Monte Carlo, a neighborhood soaked in sun, money, and expensive champagne -- and home to the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, the European Poker Tour, and the Monte Carlo Rally.

+ Once a winter attraction, Monaco now draws summer visitors as well, to its beaches and expanded mooring facilities. Business conferences are especially important. The social life of Monte-Carlo revolves around the Place du Casino. The casino was built in 1861, and in 1967 its operations were taken over by the principality. Many visitors to Monaco alternate their hours between its beaches and boating facilities, its international sports-car races, and its, the gambling center in the Monte-Carlo section that made Monte-Carlo an international byword for the extravagant display and dispersal of wealth.

+ With an area of 2.1 square kilometers, Monaco is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its 19,009 inhabitants per sq. km. (49,230/sq.mi.) make it the most densely-populated sovereign state in the world. Monaco has a land border of 5.47 km (~3.40 mi.) and the world's shortest coastline of approximately 3.83 km (~2.38 mi.); and, a width that varies between 1,700 and 349 meters). The highest point in the state is a narrow pathway, Chemin des Révoires, on the slopes of Mont Agel in the Les Révoires ward, which is 161 meters above sea level. Through land reclamation, Monaco's land mass has expanded by 20 percent in recent decades. The principality has a mild Mediterranean climate with annual temperatures averaging 61 °F (16 °C) and only about 60 days of rainfall. Monthly average temperatures range from 50 °F (10 °C) in January to 75 °F (24 °C) in the month of August.

+ Shown here is the rocky outcrop known as Le Rocher, jutting out on the south side of the port, which is crowned by the charming Old Town (Monaco-Ville), home to the principality's royal palace: