什么是圣马利诺

正式名称圣马利诺共和国（Republic of san Marino）

欧洲南部义大利半岛中部国家。面积62平方公里。人口约27,200（2001）。首都︰圣马利诺。人口大多是义大利人。语言︰义大利语（官方语）。宗教︰罗马天主教。货币︰里拉（Lit）。其领土呈不规则长方形，最长13公里，有河川穿过，注入亚得里亚海。主要地形为蒂塔诺山（739公尺），首都圣马利诺（人口约2,300）坐落於此，四周有三层围墙。圣马利诺的经济以私人企业为基础，包括旅游业、商业、农业、手工业和精美的印刷品，尤其是邮票。政府形式为共和国，一院制。国家元首暨政府首脑为两位摄政首领。

据传，圣马利诺於4世纪初由圣马里纳斯发现。12世纪时已发展成一个自治体，尽管邻近的统治者，包括在义大利里米尼附近的马拉泰斯塔家族的侵犯，自治体始终仍能保持独立。圣马利诺作为义大利自治城邦的一处遗迹，在文艺复兴後幸存下来。1861年义大利成为一统一国家後，仍保持独立共和国。圣马利诺是世界上最小的共和国，可能是欧洲最古老的国家。

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.