Viewing French Riviera
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Famous People
The Principality of Monaco
Size - 195ha (including 31ha reclaimed from the sea) Population - 30,000 (including 6,000 Monégasques) Currency - French franc Religion - Catholicism National Holiday - 19 November Access - 22km from Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport Constitution - Hereditary monarchy with the Prince as Head of State Current Ruler - His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III
Language
In some tourist centres, English threatens to become the lingua franca while a revival of traditional Provençal language - langue d'oc - is taking place in the hinterland. Location
The Riviera, from Menton on the Italian border to le Lavandou, is squeezed on to a narrow strip of coastland between the Mediterranean and the Alpes-Maritimes. Climate
Typically Mediterranean, with approximately 300 days of sunshine a year. The best times to visit are May, June and September, avoiding the crowds of July and August. Although originally a winter resort, it can get cold and wet during these months, with snow in the Alps and a biting mistral wind of up to 290kph. Economy
Nice is the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes département, and its airport is the second busiest in the land. Thanks to popular resorts such as Cannes and St-Tropez, tourism is the region's main money-spinner. Monaco is a world-famous financial centre and tax haven. North of Cannes, France's 'Silicon Valley' - the Sophia-Antipolis business park - is regarded as the technological heart of southern Europe, containing over 1,000 enterprises employing 20,000-plus people.
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