什麼是聖馬利諾

正式名稱聖馬利諾共和國（Republic of San Marino）

歐洲南部義大利半島中部國家。面積62平方公里。人口約27,200（2001）。首都︰聖馬利諾。人口大多是義大利人。語言︰義大利語（官方語）。宗教︰羅馬天主教。貨幣︰里拉（Lit）。其領土呈不規則長方形，最長13公里，有河川穿過，注入亞得里亞海。主要地形為蒂塔諾山（739公尺），首都聖馬利諾（人口約2,300）坐落於此，四周有三層圍牆。聖馬利諾的經濟以私人企業為基礎，包括旅遊業、商業、農業、手工業和精美的印刷品，尤其是郵票。政府形式為共和國，一院制。國家元首暨政府首腦為兩位攝政首領。

據傳，聖馬利諾於4世紀初由聖馬里納斯發現。12世紀時已發展成一個自治體，儘管鄰近的統治者，包括在義大利裡米尼附近的馬拉泰斯塔家族的侵犯，自治體始終仍能保持獨立。聖馬利諾作為義大利自治城邦的一處遺蹟，在文藝復興後倖存下來。1861年義大利成為一統一國家後，仍保持獨立共和國。聖馬利諾是世界上最小的共和國，可能是歐洲最古老的國家。

San Marino

Nation, central Italian Peninsula, southern Europe. It is located near the Adriatic Sea and is surrounded by Italy. Area: 24 sq mi (62 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 26,000. Capital: San Marino. Most of the people are Italian. Language: Italian (official). Religion: Roman Catholicism. Currency: Italian lira. The territory has an irregular rectangular form with a maximum length of 8 mi (13 km). It is crossed by streams that flow into the Adriatic Sea. It is dominated by Mount Titano, 2,424 ft (739 m) high, on which the capital, the town of San Marino (pop., 1992 est.: 2,300), is located, surrounded by triple walls. The economy is based on private enterprise and includes tourism, commerce, agriculture, crafts, and fine printing, particularly of postage stamps. It is a republic with one legislative house; its heads of state and government are two captains-regent. According to tradition, it was founded in the early 4th century AD by St. Marinus. By the 12th century it had developed into a commune and remained independent despite challenges from neighboring rulers, including the Malatesta family in nearby Rimini, Italy. San Marino survived the Renaissance as a relic of the self-governing Italian city-state and remained an independent republic after the unification of Italy in 1861. It is one of the smallest republics in the world, and may be the oldest one in Europe.