Background: The third smallest state in Europe (after The Holy See and Monaco) also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy. Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor.

Geographic coordinates: 43 46 N, 12 25 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 60 km²
Land: 60 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 39 km
Border countries: (1) Italy 39 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Terrain: rugged mountains

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m
Extremes highest point: Monte Titano 749 m

Natural resources: building stone

Land use
Arable land: 17%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: 83% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennines

Population: 25,061 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.64% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Sammarinese

Ethnic groups: Sammarinese, Italian

Languages: Italian

Religions: Roman Catholic

Age structure
0-14 years: 16% (male 2,008; female 2,036)
15-64 years: 67% (male 8,501; female 8,294)
65 years and over: 17% (male 1,774; female 2,448) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.64% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 10.41 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.22 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution

Sex ratio
At birth: 1 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.39 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.47 years
Male: 77.59 years
Female: 85.35 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 10 and over can read and write
Total population: 96%
Male: 97%
Female: 95% (1976 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
Conventional short form: San Marino
Local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
Local short form: San Marino

Government type: republic

Capital: San Marino

Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (castelli, singular_castello; Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle

Independence: 301 (by tradition)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Foundation of the Republic, 3 September

Constitution: 8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

Legal system: based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Pietro BERTI and Captain Regent Paolo BOLLINI (for the period 1 October 1998-31 March 1999)
Head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Gabriele GATTI (since NA July 1986)
Cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term
Elections: cochiefs of state (captain regents) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA March 1999); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held NA June 1998 (next to be held NA June 2003)
Election results: Pietro BERTI and Paolo BOLLINI elected captain regents; percent of legislative vote_NA; Gabriele GATTI reelected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote_NA
Note: the popularly elected parliament (Great and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Great and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State) which has ten other members, all selected by the Great and General Council; assisting the captains regent are three secretaries of state_Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Finance_and several additional secretaries; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed many of the prerogatives of a prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral Great and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held by NA May 2003)
Election results: percent of vote by party_PDCS 40.8%, PSS 23.3%, PPDS 18.6%, AP 9.8%, RC 3.3%, Reformist Socialists 4.2%; seats by party_PDCS 25, PSS 14, PPDS 11, AP 6, RC 2, RS 2

Judicial branch: Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

International organization participation: CE, ECE, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
In the us honorary consulates general: Washington, DC, and New York
In the us honorary consulates: Detroit
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty)

Economy overview: The tourist sector contributes over 50% of GDP. In 1995 more than 3.3 million tourists visited San Marino. The key industries are banking, wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics. Main agricultural products are wine and cheeses. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of Italy, which supplies much of its food.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $20,000 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: wheat, grapes, maize, olives; cattle, pigs, horses, beef, cheese, hides

Industries: tourism, textiles, electronics, ceramics, cement, wine

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 15,600 (1995)
By occupation services: 55%
By occupation industry: 43%
By occupation agriculture: 2% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 3.6% (April 1996)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $320 million
Expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $26 million (1995 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: trade data are included with the statistics for Italy
Commodities: building stone, lime, wood, chestnuts, wheat, wine, baked goods, hides, and ceramics

Imports: trade data are included with the statistics for Italy
Commodities: wide variety of consumer manufactures, food

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1_1,668.7 (January 1998),1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994)

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Production by source fossil fuel: NA%
Production by source hydro: NA%
Production by source nuclear: NA%
Production by source other: NA%
Consumption: NA kWh
Exports: NA kWh
Imports: NA kWh
Imports note: electricity supplied by Italy

Telephones: 15,000 (1995 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system
International: microwave radio relay and cable connections to Italian network; no satellite earth stations

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.7 million (1995)
Percent of gdp: 1% (1995)

Airports: none

Railways: 0 km; note_there is a 1.5 km cable railway connecting the city of San Marino to Borgo Maggiore

Disputes international: none