San Marino is one of the world's smallest countries.
(just one-tenth the size of New York City in the USA).=======================================================================
(in the capital of the Republic of San Marino located near the center of the country and set high on the western slopes of Mount Titano. (As recently as 2008, the mountain and the historic center of the city were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.) One of the smallest independent states in Europe, San Marino is also the world’s second smallest republic after the Republic of Nauru (an island country and microstate in Micronesia). A landlocked country roughly rectangular in shape, San Marino is located on the eastern slope of the Apennine mountain system in central Italy. Its landscape is dominated by the huge, central limestone mass of Mount Titano.
+ Of Earth's 196 independent countries, San Marino is the fifth smallest. A sole survivor of Italy's once powerful city-state network, this micronation clung on after the powerful kingdoms of Genoa and Venice folded. It still endures, secure in its status as the world's oldest surviving sovereign state and its oldest republic (since 301 CE).
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According to tradition, the country of San Marino was founded in the
early 4th century CE by St. Marinus, an early Christian who fled the
nearby city of Rimini to escape religious persecution. Soon after his
arrival, the city of San Marino was established. The city’s defenses
made it a prominent fixture in the struggle between Guelf and
Ghibelline (papal and imperial, respectively) factions during the Middle
Ages. The Sammarinese were allied with the Montefeltro family, which
were prominent supporters of the Ghibelline cause, against the Malatesta
family, the Guelf ruling house of Rimini. Shown here is the Church
of San Francesco (now a museum) that was built during the period of this
rivalry and remains one of the city’s most significant sites. Though
the influence of the Montefeltros was extinguished in the early 16th
century, San Marino retained its status as an independent city-state.
Over subsequent centuries the city weathered the ambitions of
the Borgias, the imperial dreams of Napoleon, and an occupation by the
German army during World War II.
+ The Palazzo Pubblico, the seat of the country’s government, was built in the late 19th century. The city's main economic activity is tourism. The State Museum of San Marino, founded in the late 19th century, hosts a collection of fine art and antiquities, and the national library is home to an extensive collection of modern books and periodicals. The University of the Republic of San Marino was established in the city in 1985.
+ Today, the country’s major resources are its industry, tourism, commerce, agriculture, and handicrafts. (Postage stamps are San Marino’s major source of revenue.) Wine made from local grapes, wood machinery, chemicals, and ceramics are main exports. Major crops are wheat, corn, barley, and grapes. Dairying and livestock raising also contribute to its economy.
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