Geography

Monaco is situated next to the Mediterranean in the southeast of France and near the Italian border. The French department of Alpes Maritimes surrounds Monaco. Monaco has a surface of almost 2 km². The country has a length of 3,2 km (2 miles) and is 135 to 900 m (0,08 to 0,55 mile) wide. Monaco is an agglomeration which contains 4 districts: Monaco-Ville, La Condamine, Monte-Carlo and Fontvieille.

Monaco-Ville is the area, which is situated on a higher and older part of Monaco.
La Condamine is situated below Monaco-Ville. It's a business community, which surrounds the harbour.
Monte-Carlo is situated in the east of La Condamine.
Fontvieille is a place of residence and an industrial area. A major part of Monaco is built on land, which was won from the sea.

Climate

Monaco has a warm climate. It's very hot in summer and mild in winter. Responsible for this climate are the mountains, which protect Monaco against the cold Mistral. The Mistral is a strong northwest wind, which blow regularly in the southeast of France. The coldest month of the year is January, with a average temperature between 8 and 12 degrees Centrigrade. The hottest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of between 22 and 26 degrees Centigrade. It does not rain frequently in Monaco. It rains ca 714 mm a year. The driest months are July and August. It then rains only 2 days a month. The three wettest months are November, December and January. It rains ca 7 or 8 days in each month.

Flora and Fauna

People who love nature don't have to go to Monaco. On the foothills of the Alps there is a little bit of subtropical vegetation. The rest of Monaco is city-area. In Monaco some ornamental-gardens have been built: The Jardin Exotique and the Jardin St.-Martin. The Jardin Exotoique contains an exposition of cactuses and the Jardin St.-Martin contains an exposition of African plants. In the Oceanographic Museum there is a large collection of fishes from the Mediterranean. There were very many villas and hotels with great and beautiful gardens and parks before 1950. After 1950 many modern buildings were built instead.

Landscape

Monaco has a peninsula. The peninsula rises very steeply from the sea. The peninsula is pointed to the south-east in the Mediterranean Sea. There is also a little natural harbour. There is a narrow channel with two piers. The result of this is that the harbour is enclosed. The surface of this harbour is ca 20 ha and the depth at the entrance is ca 27 meters. Monaco also has a part which is situated near the shore, where the rocky bottom of the Alpes Maritimes pass into permanent sand coasts.