Geography

The country; a constitutional monarchy, is situated next to the Mediterranean in the southeast of France and near the Italian border. The French department of Alpes Maritimes surrounds Monaco. Monaco has a surface of almost 2 km². The country has a length of 3.2 km and is 135 m to 900 m wide and is an agglomeration which contains 4 districts: Monaco-Ville, the Condamine, Monte Carlo and Fontvieille.

During 2003, Monte Carlo completed a new cruise ship pier in the harbor at Monte Carlo. This new pier will make it easier to visit this exciting Mediterranean port for the thousands of cruise lovers whose ships include Monaco as a port of call.

There isn't a great deal of geographic variety possible in such a small area. Most of the country is hilly, rugged and rocky, and there are some very fetching sea cliffs.

Those keen on wildlife spotting are best advised to visit the Monaco aquarium. The country is almost entirely urban and not the best place for nature lovers. With no forest or woodland cover left here, the only fauna you're likely to see are cockroaches, alley cats and other tourists.

Situated at the heart of Mediterranean Europe, the Principality of Monaco enjoys a particularly mild climate, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year. In winter, temperatures average between 9 °C and 14 °C with sunny days and cool nights. In the springtime, "Le Mistral" wind creates crystal clear skies with temperatures between 10 °C and 16 °C. Most summers are above 25 °C with hot spells for a week or so in July and August. Sea breezes cool down the evenings. One of the loveliest times to be in Monaco is fall. With temperatures between 16 °C and 25 °C, people are still sun-tanning on the beach until mid-October.