Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino
local short form: San Marino
local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
Government type:
independent republic
Capital:
San Marino
Administrative divisions:
9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo
Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Monte
Giardino, San Marino, Serravalle
Independence:
3 September 301
National holiday:
Founding of the Republic, 3 September (301)
Constitution:
8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions
of a constitution
Legal system:
based on civil law system with Italian law influences; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: cochiefs of state Captain Regent Giovanni
LONFERNINI and Captain Regent Valeria CIAVATTA (for the period 1
October 2003-31 March 2004)
elections: cochiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great
and General Council for a six-month term; election last held NA
September 2003 (next to be held NA March 2004); secretary of state
for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General
Council for a five-year term; election last held 17 December 2002
(next to be held NA June 2007)
note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council)
selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (cochiefs
of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the
Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which
has 10 other members, all selected by the Grand and General Council;
assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the
secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some of the
prerogatives of a prime minister
election results: Giovanni LONFERNINI and Valeria CIAVATTA elected
captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Fiorenzo STOLFI
elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs;
percent of legislative vote - 40%
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council
for a five-year term
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political
Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 17 December 2002)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale
(60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 10 June 2001 (next to be held by June 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 41.4%, PSS 24.2%,
PD 20.8%, APDS 8.2%, RC 3.4%, AN 1.9%; seats by party - PDCS 25, PSS
15, PD 12, APDS 5, RC 2, AN 1
Judicial branch:
Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII
Political parties and leaders:
Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Ideas in Movement or IM
[Alessandro ROSSI]; National Alliance or AN [leader NA]; Party of
Democrats or PD [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Christian Democratic
Party or PDCS [Giovanni LONFERNINI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of
Democrats or APDS [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or
PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
CE, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: Washington, DC and New York
honorary consulate(s): Detroit and Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the US Consul
General in Florence (Italy) is accredited to San Marino
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the
national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the coat of arms
has a shield (featuring three towers on three peaks) flanked by a
wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS
(Liberty)