Geography

The Principality of Monaco is located on the Mediterranean coast, 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Nice and near the Italian border. It is surrounded on three sides by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Région of France. It consists of a narrow strip along the coast at the bottom of the foothills of the Alps.

With a total area of 1.95 sq km (0.75 sq mi) a land border of 4.4 km (2.7 mi) and a coast measuring 4.1 km (2.5 mi) the Principality of Monaco is the second-smallest independent state in the world, after the Vatican City. Its maritime claims extend to 22.2 km (13.8 mi). Its highest point is 163 m (535 ft) above sea level, on the southern slopes of Mont Agel whose 1,109 m (3,638 ft) peak is in France. The country has no natural resources.

Monaco is divided into four sections:

• Monaco-Ville, the old city on a rocky promontory extending into the Mediterranean
• La Condamine, the section along the port
• Monte Carlo, the principal residential and resort area
• Fontvieille, a newly constructed area reclaimed from the sea