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Discovering the World
San Marino 🇸🇲
Basic facts
Official name: Repubblica di San Marino (Republic of San Marino)
Capital city: San Marino
Population: 33,642 (2023)
Demonym: Sammarinese
Type of government: unitary parliamentary diarchic directorial republic
Head of state: Francesca Civerchia and Dalibor Riccardi (Captains Regent)
Head of government: Luca Beccari (Secretary for Foreign and Political Affairs)
Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $2.97 billion (2024)
Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: no data
Human Development Index: 0.867 (very high) (2022)
Currency: euro (EUR)
Fun fact: It is the oldest sovereign state and has the oldest Constitution in the world.
Etymology
The country’s name comes from Saint Marinus, a stonemason from the island of Rab in present-day Croatia.
Geography
San Marino is located in Southern Europe and is surrounded by Italy.
The country has a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures range from 2 °C (35.6 °F) in winter to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature is 12.9 °C (55.2 °F).
The country is divided into nine “castles” (castelli). The largest cities in San Marino are Dogana, Borgo Maggiore, City of San Marino, Domagnano, and Fiorentino.
History
301: foundation
511-present: Republic of San Marino
1243: establishment of the positions of Captains Regent
1263: earliest statutes
1600: Constitution
1631: treaty of protection with the Holy See
1739-1740: Papal States occupation
1906: citizenry meeting
Economy
San Marino mainly imports from Italy, China, and Germany and exports to Italy, France, and Germany. Its top exports are machinery, furniture, and wine.
One of the main income sources from tourism is the sale of historic coins and stamps. Services represent 60.7% of the GDP, followed by industry (39.2%) and agriculture (0.1%).
San Marino is a member of the Council of Europe.
Demographics
83.9% of the population is Sammarinese, and 14% is Italian. The main religion is Christianity, practiced by 91.5% of the population, all of which are Catholic.
It has a negative net migration rate and a fertility rate of 1 child per woman. 97.6% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 85.7 years and the median age is 45.2 years. The literacy rate is 96%.
Languages
The official language of the country is Italian, but Romagnol is also widely spoken.
Culture
The country’s culture is greatly influenced by Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. However, Sammarinese people take great pride in preserving their unique identity.
Men traditionally wear a white shirt, a red jacket, white pants, and black boots. Women wear a white blouse, a vest, a wide skirt, and an apron.
Architecture
Traditional houses in San Marino have stone walls, tiled roofs, and balconies.
Cuisine
The Sammarinese diet is based on meat, pasta, and vegetables. Typical dishes include erbazzone (a dish of cheese, onions, and spinach), faggioli con le cotiche (dark bean soup with bacon), pasta e cece (a soup of chickpeas and noodles), piadina (thin bread filled with cured meats and cheese), and torta titano (a layered cake made with chocolate, coffee, cookies, cream, and hazelnuts).
Holidays and festivals
Like other Christian countries, San Marino celebrates Epiphany, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Immaculate Conception, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Saint Stephen’s Day. It also commemorates New Year’s Day, Labor Day, and New Year’s Eve.
Specific Sammarinese holidays include Feast of Saint Agatha on February 5, Anniversary of the Arengo on March 25, Liberation from Fascism on July 28, and National Day on September 3.
National Day
Other celebrations include the Festival of the Three Towers, which combines dance, historical exhibitions, and music; the Palio dei Balestrieri, an ancient crossbow competition, and Seasons of Music, which features music from all around the world.
Palio dei Balestrieri
Landmarks
There is one UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Center and Mount Titano.
Other landmarks include the Basilica of San Marino, Mount Titano, Palazzo Pubblico, Piazza della Libertà, and Rocca Guaita and Torre Cesta.
Mount Titano
Famous people
Alessandra Perilli - target shooter
Alexandra de Rossi - fashion designer
Giacomo Leopardi - poet
Giovanni Battista Belluzzi - architect
Little Tony - actor and singer
Manuel Poggiali - motorcycle racer
Martina Pretelli - athlete
Massimo Bonini - soccer player
Nicoletta Ceccoli - artist
Valentina Monetta - singer
Alessandra Perilli
You can find out more about life in San Marino in this article and this video.