Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by France to the north, east and west. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of whom 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is widely recognised as one of the most expensive and wealthiest places in the world. The official language of the principality is French. In addition, Monégasque, Italian and English are spoken and understood by many residents.
Monte Carlo is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to a larger district, the Monte Carlo Quarter, which besides Monte Carlo/Spélugues also includes the wards of La Rousse/Saint Roman, Larvotto/Bas Moulins and Saint Michel. The permanent population of the ward of Monte Carlo is about 3,500, while that of the quarter is about 15,000. Monaco has four traditional quarters. From west to east they are: Fontvieille, Monaco-Ville, La Condamine, and Monte Carlo.
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The rally now takes place along the French Riviera in Monaco and southeast France. Previously, competitors would set off from various starting points around Europe and 'rally' in Monaco to celebrate the end of a unique event. From its inception in 1911 by Prince Albert I, the rally was intended to demonstrate improvements and innovations to automobiles, and promote Monaco as a tourist resort on the Mediterranean shore.
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Principality of Monaco.
La Condamine is the central Ward in the Principality of Monaco. Its landmarks include Port Hercules, the Rainier III Nautical Stadium, and the Princess Antoinette Park. Its farmer's market at the Place d'Armes dates from 1880 and is a great source of local pride for its "authentic Monegasque" essence.
The Monte Carlo Casino, officially named Casino de Monte-Carlo, is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Monaco. It includes a casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the office of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Monaco:
The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco is a conference and congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform there. This is also the venue of the EVER Monaco exhibition held in March annually.
The Monte-Carlo Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, a commune that borders on Monaco. The event is part of the ATP Tour Masters 1000 on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour. The tournament is played on clay courts and is held every year in the April–May period.
The Société des Bains de Mer, officially the Société Anonyme des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Etrangers à Monaco, is a publicly traded company registered in the Principality of Monaco. SBM manages and owns the Monte Carlo Casino, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo.
The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo is a hotel located in Monaco. It was opened in 1864 as part of the development of Monaco by the Société des bains de mer de Monaco. It has undergone a $280 million and more than four years complete renovation and reopened in March 2019.
Monte Carlo is a 2011 American adventure-romantic comedy film based on Headhunters by Jules Bass. It was directed by Thomas Bezucha. Denise Di Novi, Alison Greenspan, Nicole Kidman, and Arnon Milchan produced the film for Fox 2000 Pictures and Regency Enterprises. It began production in Harghita, Romania on May 5, 2010. Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy as three friends posing as wealthy socialites in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The film was released on July 1, 2011. It features the song "Who Says" by Selena Gomez & the Scene and numerous songs by British singer Mika. Monte Carlo received mixed reviews from critics, and earned over $39 million on a $20 million budget. Fox Home Entertainment released Monte Carlo on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 18, 2011.
The Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo is a palace style Belle Époque in the heart of Monaco on the French Riviera. It belongs to the Société des bains de mer de Monaco. It was built in 1890 and 1896 the architect Nicolas Marquet with the participation of Gustave Eiffel.
The Monte-Carlo Beach is a hotel located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Situated on the Côte d'Azur just outside Monaco proper, the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel belongs to the Société des bains de mer de Monaco. It was built in 1929 by the architect Roger Seassal and was redesigned in 2009 by India Mahdavi.
The Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is a resort located in the neighborhood of Larvotto, Monaco. The hotel is part of the Société des bains de mer de Monaco.
The Fairmont Monte Carlo is a luxury resort located in Monte Carlo managed by the Canadian-based hotel chain Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It is built within sight of the Circuit de Monaco hairpin.
The Monte-Carlo Sporting, also known as Sporting d'été, is a building complex in Larvotto, Monaco. It includes the Salle des Etoiles, a concert hall, and it is the main venue for society fundraisers in Monaco.
The Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, is a five-star hotel at 4, Avenue De La Madone, Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Monaco is known for its wide range of architecture for a small country. The geography of Monaco, which consists of sharp hills and narrow coastline, influences the Monacan architecture. The narrow roads have led to architectural construction being built into the hills in limited amounts of space. This limited space has, more recently, the issue of construction in Monaco has created social disruption.
The Café de Paris is a coffeehouse and restaurant in the Belle Époque style of the 1900s, located in Monte Carlo and next to the Casino de Monte-Carlo, on the Place du Casino, facing the Hôtel de Paris. It is owned and managed by the Société des bains de mer de Monaco.
