NEWS WIRE's video: Richest Country Wealthiest Place Monaco Principality of Monaco Second Smallest Country

Monaco is the second-smallest independent state in the world. It is a playground for tourists and a haven for the wealthy, the former drawn by its climate and the beauty of its setting and the latter by its advantageous tax regime. Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera in Western Europe. Bordered by France to the north, east and west, it is lapped by the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The principality is home to 38,682 residents, of which 9,486 are Monégasque nationals; it is widely recognised for being one of the most expensive and wealthiest places in the world. The official language is French, although Monégasque, Italian and English are spoken and understood by a sizeable group. With an area of 2.1 km2 (0.81 sq mi), it is the second smallest sovereign state in the world, after Vatican City. Its 19,009 inhabitants per square kilometre (49,230/sq mi) make it the most densely-populated sovereign state in the world. Although Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, measuring just 0.2 square miles, almost 120 times smaller than the island of Manhattan. Situated on the western bank of the Tiber River, Vatican City’s 2-mile border is landlocked by Italy…