San Marino country profile

Landlocked San Marino is one of the world's smallest countries. Surrounded by Italy, it is an echo from an era when city-states proliferated across Europe.

Mount Titano, part of the Appennine range, dominates San Marino's landscape. Three defensive fortresses perch on Titano's slopes, looking out to the Adriatic coast.

San Marino is said to be the world's oldest surviving republic.

Tourism dominates the economy of microstate, which plays host to more than three million visitors every year.

Postage stamps and coins - keenly sought by collectors - are important sources of revenue. It is not in the EU but does use the euro, despite not officially being in the Eurozone.

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REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO: FACTS

• Capital: San Marino

• Area: 61.2 sq km

• Population: 33,600

• Languages: Italian, also Romangnol

• Life expectancy: 85 years (men) 89 years (women)

LEADERS

San Marino's Palace of the Governor

San Marino's constitution provides for a parliamentary style of government.

The 60-member Great and General Council is elected every five years. It is headed by two Captains Regent, who are elected by the council every six months and act as heads of state and heads of government for that period.

The practice of having two heads of state, like Roman consuls, chosen in frequent elections, derives from the customs of the Roman Republic.

The 10-member Congress of State is elected by the Great and General Council and exercises executive power.

MEDIA

San Marino news stands about Covid-19 and the Russian vaccine Sputnik in 2021

There were 20,400 internet users by July 2022, comprising 60% of the population (Worldinternetstats.com).

Press

• La Tribuna Sammarinese - daily newspaper

• Giornale San Marino - online news

TV and Radio

• San Marino RTV - state-run television channel

• Radio San Marino - state-run radio

• Radio San Marino Classic - state-run radio

TIMELINE

The Cesta, one of the three fortresses on the skyline of San Marino

Some key dates in the history of San Marino:

AD 301 - According to tradition, San Marino is founded by Marinus, a Christian stonemason seeking refuge from religious persecution on Mount Titano.

1243 - The first captains-regent - acting as joint heads of state - are appointed.

1463 - The Pope awards the towns of Fiorentino, Montegiardino and Serravalle to San Marino. The town of Faetano joins the republic in 1464, defining its present-day borders.

1599 - San Marino's constitution, which provides for a parliamentary government, is laid out in the Statutes of 1600.

1631 - Papacy recognises San Marino's independence.

1739 - Cardinal Alberoni's forces occupy San Marino. But after a civil disobedience campaign and appeals to the Vatican, the Pope restores San Marino's independence.

1797 - Napoleon invades Italy, but respects the rights of San Marino.

1815 - Congress of Vienna, which follows the Napoleonic Wars, recognises San Marino's independence.

1862 - San Marino signs customs union and treaty of friendship and cooperation with newly-unified Italy.

1940-45 - San Marino remains neutral during World War Two and hosts some 100,000 refugees from neighbouring parts of Italy.

1944 September - San Marino is briefly occupied by German forces, who were defeated by the Allies in the Battle of San Marino

1945-57 - San Marino, unlike Italy, has democratically elected communist governments - a coalition between the Sammarinese Communist Party and the Sammarinese Socialist Party.

1957 - The Rovereta Affair, a constitutional crisis between San Marino's then main parties - the Christian Democrats and the Communists - triggered by Socialist Party's withdrawal from the coalition following the 1956 crushing of the Hungarian revolution.

The year sees competing governments, armed militias, US and Italian intervention and an Italian blockade of San Marino. The Communist government eventually steps down and Christian Democrats take power.

1988 - San Marino joins the Council of Europe.

1992 - San Marino joins the United Nations.

2002 - San Marino signs treaty with OECD to provide greater transparency in banking and taxation, as a result of which it is removed from the OECD's blacklist list of tax havens and placed on the "grey list" (consisting of countries that have pledged to comply with rules on sharing tax information but have yet to do so).

2009 - San Marino says it is taking steps to ensure the country complies with OECD rules on financial transparency so as to be removed from tax haven "grey list".

2022 - San Marino legalises abortion. It had been one of the last European countries to have a complete ban on abortions.

Mount Titano dominates San Marino's landscape