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San Marino
HistoryMain article: History of San Marino San Marino claims to be the world's oldest republic still in existence, being founded in A.D. 301 by a skilled builder referred to as St. Marinus. Its written constitution was adopted on October 8, 1600. The tiny nation was recognised by Napoleon's France in 1797, and by the other European nations at the 1815 Congress of Vienna. Although a sovereign nation, it is strongly dependent on Italy, by which it has been completely surrounded since that country's unification in the 19th century. PoliticsMain article: Politics of San Marino The Consiglio Grande e Generale, or Grand and General Council, is elected by popular vote every five years. This parliament selects two of its members to serve as Regents for periods of six months. These regents are known as the Capitani Reggenti, or Ruling Captains. The Capitani Reggenti and the cabinet form the executive branch of the government. The Council also elects the Consiglio dei XII (Council of Twelve), which forms the judicial branch during the period of legislature of the Council. MunicipalitiesSan Marino is divided into nine municipalities, known locally as castelli, that are also towns. See list of cities in San Marino. Geography Map of San Marino Main article: Geography of San Marino San Marino is an enclave in Italy, on the border between the regioni of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines mountain range, and it has a rugged terrain. The highest point in the country, Monte Titano , is situated at 749 m above sea level. There are no bodies of water of any significant size. The climate is Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters. San Marino is the third-smallest country in Europe, with only Vatican City and Monaco being smaller. EconomyMain article: Economy of San Marino Although San Marino is not an official European Union member, it is allowed to use the euro as its currency by virtue of arrangements with the council of the European Union; it is also granted the right to use its own designs on the national side of the euro coins. Before the Euro, the Sammarinese lira was coupled to and exchangeable with the Italian lira. The small number of Sammarinese euro coins, as was the case with the lire before it, are primarily of interest to coin collectors. The tourist sector contributes over 50% of San Marino's GDP, with more than 3.3 million tourists visiting in 1997. The key industries are banking, electronics, and ceramics. The main agricultural products are wine and cheese. San Marino's postage stamps, which are only valid within the country, are mostly sold to philatelists and also form a source of income. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of Italy, which supplies much of its food. DemographicsMain article: Demographics of San Marino; see also Demographics of Italy. Being completely surrounded by Italy, there is no significant difference between the population of San Marino and Italy and many Italians live in San Marino. The language spoken is Italian, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. CultureMain article: Culture of San Marino Miscellaneous topics
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