Geography of Monaco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
With a total area of 1.95 square kilometres (0.75 sq mi) a land border of 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) and a coast measuring 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) the Principality of Monaco is the second-smallest independent state in the world, after the Vatican City. It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Nice, France, and is surrounded on three sides by France and on the fourth by the sea into which its maritime claims extend to 22.2 kilometres (13.8 mi). Its highest point is 163 metres (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; and Fontvieille, a newly constructed area reclaimed from the sea.
The principality—entirely an urban area—is noted for its beautiful, hilly, rugged, and rocky natural scenery and its sunny Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers moderated by the proximity of the Mediterranean. The average minimum temperature in January and February is 8 °C (46 °F); in July and August the average maximum temperature is 26 °C (79 °F).
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