NOTE: I know that Monaco is not part of France.
Monaco is a Constitutional Monarchy and Principality with Prince Albert II as head of state. The Grimaldi family has ruled over Monaco since 1292 and the state’s sovereignty was officially recognized by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. Despite being independent, Monaco’s defense is still the responsibility of France.
It is the world’s second most densely populated country, surpassed only by the Macau Special Administrative Region in southeast China. Monaco is also the smallest French-speaking country.
The Hotel de Paris was opened in 1863 as part of the development of Monte Carlo by the Société des Bains de Mer(SBM) under the auspices of Charles III of Monaco. Here’s the entrance.
Since 1929, the Monaco Grand Prix has been held annually in the streets of Monaco. Here’s a picture of the Royal Box.
The Oceanographic Museum
The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco’s modernist reformer prince Albert I, who invited to the celebrations not just high officials and celebrities but also the world-leading oceanographers of the day to develop the concept of a future Mediterranean Commission dedicated to oceanography, now called Mediterranean Science Commission. Jacques-Yves Cousteau was director from 1957 to 1988. The Museum celebrated its centenary in March 2010, after extensive renovations.
An aquarium is housed in the basement of the museum which showcases a spectacular array of flora and fauna. 4000 species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates can be seen. It features a presentation of Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystems.
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