San Marino

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San Marino is a member of the Council of Europe and uses the euro as its official currency, but is not part of the European Union. The official language is Italian, although the traditional regiolect is Sammarinese, a dialect of Romagnol. Its economy is based on finance, industry, services, retail, and tourism, and it ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world by GDP (PPP) per capita. It hosts the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. San Marino was also the first currently-existing state to abolish the death penalty (in 1865), although it had not actually been used since the 1400s. In 2025 San Marino was ranked 29th on the Human Development Index.

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History

According to accounts that were first recorded centuries after he is suggested to have lived, Saint Marinus left the island of Rab in present-day Croatia with his lifelong friend Leo, and went to the city of Rimini as a stonemason. After the Diocletianic Persecution following his Christian sermons, he escaped to the nearby mountain Monte Titano, where he built a small church and thereby founded what is now the city and state of San Marino. According to William Miller, these accounts of the origin of San Marino "are a mixture of fables and miracles, but perhaps contain some grains of fact".

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Geography

San Marino is an enclave surrounded by Italy in Southern Europe, almost entirely bordered by the province of Rimini in the Emilia Romagna region. Only a stretch of about three kilometres in the south is bordered by the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region. Located approximately ten kilometres (six miles) from the Adriatic coast near Rimini, San Marino features hilly terrain with little naturally flat ground, as part of the Apennine mountain range.

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Government and politics

San Marino has the political framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic: the captains regent are heads of state, and there is a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Although there is no formal head of government, the secretary for foreign and political affairs is in many ways equal to the prime minister in other countries. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Grand and General Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

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Economy

San Marino is a developed country, and although it is not a European Union member it is allowed to use the euro as its currency by arrangement with the Council of the European Union; it is also granted the right to use its own designs on the national side of the euro coins. It is one of six sovereign nations that use the Euro but are not part of the EU. The other nations are Kosovo, Monaco, Andorra, Vatican City, and Montenegro. Before the euro, the Sammarinese lira was pegged to, and exchangeable with, the Italian lira.

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Transport

The Azienda Autonoma di Stato per i Servizi Pubblici, the Sammarinese state company for public transport, operates the country's bus network and aerial cablecar system.

The main road is the San Marino Highway, a dual carriageway which runs between Borgo Maggiore and Dogana through Domagnano and Serravalle. After crossing the international border at Dogana, the highway continues through Italy as the SS72 state road, touching the international border at Rovereta. It serves Cerasolo, a frazione of Coriano, and the Rimini Sud exit of the A14 tolled highway, before terminating at the crossroads with the SS16 state road. Several taxi companies operate in San Marino.

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Demographics

As of September 2023, San Marino is estimated to number 33,896 residents. Of these, 28,226 have Sammarinese citizenship, while 4,881 have Italian citizenship, with 789 citizens of other countries. Another 13,000 Sammarinese live abroad (6,600 in Italy, 3,000 in the US, 2,000 in France and Argentina). The first census since 1976 was conducted in 2010. Results were expected by the end of 2011; however, 13% of families did not return their forms. The official language of San Marino is Italian. The Sammarinese dialect of Romagnol is also spoken, mainly by the elderly. It is considered an endangered language.

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Culture

The Three Towers of San Marino are located on the three peaks of Monte Titano in the capital. They are depicted on the coat of arms, which is itself contained on the flag of San Marino. The three towers are: Guaita, the oldest of the three (it was constructed in the 11th century); the 13th-century Cesta, located on the highest of Monte Titano's summits; and the 14th-century Montale, on the smallest of Monte Titano's summits, still privately owned.

The site San Marino: Historic Centre and Mount Titano became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.

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