San Marino

       The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. An enclave situated in central Italy, 15 km from the Romagna Riviera, the Republic sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano, a prominence which gives the first hint of the presence of the Central Apennine Mountains. Each year the Republic of San Marino is visited by millions of tourists from Italy and from all over the world.

San Marino is an extraordinary example of independence and intense international activity. Recognized by all the principal world organizations, the Republic of San Marino can boast an undisputed preeminence on themes regarding peace, freedom and the universal rights of man. Its legal and administrative systems form the basis of the most wide-spread form of government worldwide; namely, a democracy. Of the world's 193 independent countries, San Marino is the fifth smallest and – arguably – the most curious.
    Measuring 61 sq km, the country is larger than many outsiders imagine, being made up of nine municipalities each hosting its own settlement. The largest 'town' is Dogana, a place 99.9% of the two million annual visitors skip on their way through to the Città di San Marino, the medieval settlement on the slopes of 750m-high Monte Titano that was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 2008.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Giant's Causeway

Image
 The Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast is a spectacular area of global geological importance on the sea coast at the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. The most characteristic and unique feature of the site is the exposure of some 40,000 large, regularly shaped polygonal columns of basalt in perfect horizontal sections, forming a pavement. This dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Celebrated in the arts and in science, it has been a visitor attraction for at least 300 years and has come to be regarded as a symbol for Northern Ireland.
Read more

Skull Tower

Image
 The year was 1809 and the setting was the city of Nis, in the southeast of Serbia. At this point in history, the city was controlled by the Ottoman Empire but patriotic Serbians wanted their land back and there was a strong resistance movement. One fateful day they attacked but were no match for the Ottoman forces. When the leader of the Serbian insurgency realised the battle would be lost, he fired at his gunpowder depot, blowing it up and killing himself, his men and the advancing Turks.   It was an honourable sacrifice on the field of battle but what followed showed the morbid side of war at the time. The Turkish commander of Nis ordered that the heads of the killed Serbs be collected. Each head was then skinned and the skulls were built into a tower at the entrance of the city as a warning to anyone else who dared contemplate an attack. As a final insult, the scalps were stuffed and sent back to Constantinople to impress the Sultan.    952 skulls were used to buil
Read more

Kangaroo

Image
Kangaroos are the largest marsupial surviving on earth today. They are well known for their style of movement; hopping on their hind legs whilst using their large, muscular tail for balance. Kangaroos use their tail like an extra leg when they are manoeuvring around, or standing still. Kangaroos are one of the only animals that are not able to move backwards easily, and this is why they are used on the Australian national emblem.
Read more