San Marino

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Country Name

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino.

Location

San Marino is a microstate in Southern Europe completely enclosed by Italy.

Capital

The city of San Marino.

Reason for Naming

San Marino is named after the Christian stonemason Saint Marinus, who created a mountainside colony to escape persecution.

Flag

The first use of the flag of San Marino was in 1797. On April 6, 1862, the flag was approved. The current flag was approved on July 22, 2011.

The flag has two equal horizontal white stripes on top and two equal horizontal light blue stripes on the bottom.

The coat of arms of the nation is displayed in the middle, with three towers, and a gold crown on top, bounded by oak and laurel leaves. A scroll with the words "LIBERTAS" is placed beneath the shield.

The white color represents peace, while the blue color represents liberty.

The text on the flag also refers to liberty. The three towers represented on the shield are the summits of Monte Titano (or Mount Titan). The oldest and most well-known of the three towers is Guaita.

Language

San Marino has two official languages: standard Italian and a Sammarinese dialect, however, Italian is the predominant and national language. Italian, along with Sardinian, is the most closely related to Latin of all Romance languages. The Italian language is the official language of San Marino and several other nations, including Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovenia. The Italian language is taught as a second language in San Marino.

San Marino's second official language is Sammarinese, which is spoken by 83 percent of the country and is a dialect of the Emiliano-Romagnolo language, commonly known as Romagnol or Romagnoli.

The language spoken on a daily basis is standard Italian, however, Sammarinese idioms and phrases are also widely used.

Some members of the Sammarinese people speak English as a third language.

Religion

San Marino is a primarily Catholic state, with almost 97 percent of the people practicing Roman Catholicism; like Italy, San Marino is a mostly Catholic nation.

Furthermore, despite its popularity, the state constitution does not recognize Catholicism as the official religion. Surprisingly, the majority of the people, the Sammarinese, have always been hostile to Vatican authority. They continue to practice Catholicism and acknowledge the pope's religious authority.

Apart from Catholicism, Jews have lived in San Marino for over 600 years. Documents suggesting a Jewish presence date back to the 14th century. Despite providing them with safety, the government compelled them to obey certain guidelines and wear specific badges. However, the number has significantly decreased in recent years. In addition to Judaism, there is a small Protestant minority, primarily affiliated with the Waldensian Church of Piedmont. However, in recent years, the number has dropped dramatically.

Currency

Euro (€) (EUR).