San Marino Country Information

Travel Advice with Country Information from the CIA.

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Introduction

Background

Geographically the third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy See and Monaco), San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named MARINUS in A.D. 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of the EU, although it is not a member; social and political trends in the republic track closely with those of its larger neighbor, Italy.

 

Geography

Location

Southern Europe, an enclave in central Italy

Geographic coordinates

43 46 N, 12 25 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 61 sq km

land: 61 sq km

water: 0 sq km

country comparison to the world: 228

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 37 km

border countries (1): Italy 37 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

Mediterranean; mild to cool winters; warm, sunny summers

Terrain

rugged mountains

Elevation

highest point: Monte Titano 739 m

lowest point: Torrente Ausa 55 m

Natural resources

building stone

Land use

agricultural land: 16.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 16.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 83.3% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Natural hazards

occasional earthquakes

Geography - note

landlocked; an enclave of (completely surrounded by) Italy; smallest independent state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco; dominated by the Apennine Mountains

Map description

San Marino map showing the major population centers in this microstate surrounded by Italy.

People and Society

Population

34,682 (2022 est.)

country comparison to the world: 214

Nationality

noun: Sammarinese (singular and plural)

adjective: Sammarinese

Ethnic groups

Sammarinese, Italian

Languages

Italian

major-language sample(s): 
L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Italian audio sample:

Religions

Roman Catholic

Government

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

etymology: named after Saint MARINUS, who in A.D. 301 founded the monastic settlement around which the city and later the state of San Marino coalesced

Government type

parliamentary republic

Capital

name: San Marino (city)

geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 25 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: named after Saint MARINUS, who in A.D. 301 founded a monastic settlement around which the city and later the state of San Marino coalesced

Administrative divisions

9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle

Independence

3 September 301 (traditional founding date)

National holiday

Founding of the Republic (or Feast of Saint Marinus), 3 September (A.D. 301)

Constitution

history: 

San Marino’s principal legislative instruments consist of old customs (antiche consuetudini), the Statutory Laws of San Marino (Leges Statutae Sancti Marini), old statutes (antichi statute) from the1600s, Brief Notes on the Constitutional Order and Institutional Organs of the Republic of San Marino (Brevi Cenni sull’Ordinamento Costituzionale e gli Organi Istituzionali della Repubblica di San Marino) and successive legislation, chief among them is the Declaration of the Rights of Citizens and Fundamental Principles of the San Marino Legal Order (Dichiarazione dei Diritti dei Cittadini e dei Principi Fondamentali dell’Ordinamento Sammarinese), approved 8 July 1974 

amendments: proposed by the Great and General Council; passage requires two-thirds majority Council vote; Council passage by absolute majority vote also requires passage in a referendum; Declaration of Civil Rights amended several times, last in 2019

Legal system

civil law system with Italian civil law influences

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of San Marino

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: co-chiefs of state Captain Regent Oscar MONA and Captain Regent Paolo RONDELLI (for the period 1 April 2022 - 1 October 2022)

head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Luca BECCARI (since 8 January 2020)

cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Grand and General Council

elections/appointments: co-chiefs of state (captains regent) indirectly elected by the Grand and General Council for a single 6-month term; election last held in September 2021 (next to be held in March 2022); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs indirectly elected by the Grand and General Council for a single 5-year term; election last held on 28 December 2019 (next to be held by November 2024)

election results: Oscar MINA (PDCS) and Paolo RONDELLI (RETE) elected captains regent; percent of Grand and General Council vote - NA; Luca BECCARI (PDCS) elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of Grand and General Council vote - NA

note: the captains regent preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which has 7 other members who are selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are 7 secretaries of state; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has some prime ministerial roles

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by list proportional representation vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 8 December 2019 (next to be held by 31 December 2024)

election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - PDCS 33.3%, Tomorrow in Movement coalition 24.7% (RETE Movement 18.2%, Domani - Motus Liberi 6.2%, other 0.3%), Free San Marino 16.5%, We for the Republic 13.1%, Future Republic 10.3%, I Elect for a New Republic 2%; seats by coalition/party - PDCS 21, Tomorrow in Movement coalition 15 (RETE Movement 11, Domani - Motus Liberi 4), Free San Marino 10, We for the Republic 8, Future Republic 6; composition (as of October 2021) - men 40, women 20, percent of women 33.3%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII (consists of 12 members); note - the College of Guarantors for the Constitutionality and General Norms functions as San Marino's constitutional court

judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Grand and General Council from among its own to serve 5-year terms

subordinate courts: first instance and first appeal criminal, administrative, and civil courts; Court for the Trust and Trustee Relations; justices of the peace or conciliatory judges

Political parties and leaders

Civic 10 [Franco SANTI]
Domani - Modus Liberi or DML [Lorenzo Forcellini REFFI]
Free San Marino or Libera
Future Republic or RF [Mario VENTURINI]
I Elect for a New Republic
Party of Socialists and Democrats or PSD [Paride ANDREOLI]
RETE Movement
Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Marco GATTI]
Socialist Party or PS [Alessandro BEVITORI]
Tomorrow in Movement coalition (includes RETE Movement, DML)
We for the Republic

International organization participation

CE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Damiano BELEFFI (since 21 July 2017)

chancery: 327 E 50th Street, New York, NY 10022

Embassy address:

     1711 North Street, NW (2nd Floor)
      Washington, DC 22036





telephone: [1] (212) 751-1234


[1] (202) 223-24l8
[1] (202) 751-1436

FAX: [1] (212) 751-1436

email address and website: 
sanmarinoun@gmail.com

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: the United States does not have an Embassy in San Marino; the US Ambassador to Italy is accredited to San Marino, and the US Consulate general in Florence maintains day-to-day ties

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the main colors derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field; the towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature, Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale; the coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colors are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively

National symbol(s)

three peaks each displaying a tower; national colors: white, blue

National anthem

name: "Inno Nazionale della Repubblica" (National Anthem of the Republic)

lyrics/music: no lyrics/Federico CONSOLO

note: adopted 1894; the music for the lyric-less anthem is based on a 10th century chorale piece

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: San Marino Historic Center and Mount Titano

Economy

Economic overview

San Marino's economy relies heavily on tourism, banking, and the manufacture and export of ceramics, clothing, fabrics, furniture, paints, spirits, tiles, and wine. The manufacturing and financial sectors account for more than half of San Marino's GDP. The per capita level of output and standard of living are comparable to those of the most prosperous regions of Italy.

 

San Marino's economy contracted considerably in the years since 2008, largely due to weakened demand from Italy - which accounts for nearly 90% of its export market - and financial sector consolidation. Difficulties in the banking sector, the global economic downturn, and the sizable decline in tax revenues all contributed to negative real GDP growth. The government adopted measures to counter the downturn, including subsidized credit to businesses and is seeking to shift its growth model away from a reliance on bank and tax secrecy. San Marino does not issue public debt securities; when necessary, it finances deficits by drawing down central bank deposits.

 

The economy benefits from foreign investment due to its relatively low corporate taxes and low taxes on interest earnings. The income tax rate is also very low, about one-third the average EU level. San Marino continues to work towards harmonizing its fiscal laws with EU and international standards. In September 2009, the OECD removed San Marino from its list of tax havens that have yet to fully adopt global tax standards, and in 2010 San Marino signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements with most major countries. In 2013, the San Marino Government signed a Double Taxation Agreement with Italy, but a referendum on EU membership failed to reach the quorum needed to bring it to a vote.

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 16,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 181

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 38,750 (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114.4 (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 210

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system (2018)

domestic: fixed-line a little over 47 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 114 telephones per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 378; connected to Italian international network

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadcast media

state-owned public broadcaster operates 1 TV station and 3 radio stations; receives radio and TV broadcasts from Italy (2019)

Internet country code

.sm

Internet users

total: 20,318 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 60% (2019 est.)

country comparison to the world: 210

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 11,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32 (2020 est.)

country comparison to the world: 179

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T7

Roadways

total: 292 km (2006)

paved: 292 km (2006)

country comparison to the world: 203

Military and Security

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Voluntary Military Corps (Corpi Militari), which includes a Uniformed Militia (performs ceremonial duties and limited police support functions) and Guard of the Great and General Council (defends the Captains Regent and the Great and General Council, participates in official ceremonies, cooperates with the maintenance of public order on special occasions, and performs guard duties during parliamentary sittings); the Police Corps includes the Gendarmerie, which is responsible for maintaining public order, protecting citizens and their property, and providing assistance during disasters (2021)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; government has the authority to call up all San Marino citizens from 16-60 years of age to service in the military (2019)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Italy

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

 

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