Monaco

Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera, a semi-enclave bordered by France on three sides and by the Mediterranean to the south. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco, with brief interruptions, since 1297; through the 1500–1945 period shown on the map the principality survived as one of Europe's tiniest states while keeping the Grimaldi line on its throne. Its sovereignty was officially recognised by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty of 1861. Monaco is governed as a semi-constitutional monarchy, with the prince holding substantial political powers; the French government is responsible for its defence. Economic development was spurred in the late nineteenth century by the opening of the state's first casino, the Monte Carlo Casino, and a rail connection to Paris, making the principality a tourist and recreation centre for the wealthy. With an area of 2.08 square kilometres it is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world and the most densely populated; Monaco became a full United Nations member in 1993.