Monaco - Top For Technology

With Italy just a few miles away and bordering the South of France, Monaco is known throughout the world as a country that has it all - glamour, money, security, the most famous casino in the world and more millionaires per thousand of population than anywhere else.

There’s also the fact that Monaco property is the highest priced in the world, frequent comfortable bus transport is just a Euro a journey, and has the best Grand Prix in the world too, run each May around the streets of Monte Carlo.

But not content with style and tradition, Monaco has just been named as the country with the best broadband for her people in the world, showing that the tax haven is not just moving with the times, but welcoming new technology and embracing the new opportunities it affords.

Over 40 per cent of Monaco households have and use broadband, while broadband is available to every property in the Principality - the second smallest country in the world after the Vatican.

Part of the reason for the hundred per cent coverage of broadband in Monaco could well be because of her size - just a square mile. There are few houses in Monaco, with nearly everyone living in an apartment building, which means in simple terms making broadband to all is inexpensive compared to rural areas with remote farmhouses and communities with a sparse population, where installation of broadband would be expensive and probably done at a loss if undertaken by a private company with no government subsidy.

But the ease of installation of broadband in somewhere like Monaco shouldn’t necessarily be seen as why there’s a hundred per cent availability for her citizens - while steeped in tradition Monaco under the leadership of Prince Albert is one of the world’s most forward thinking countries, and welcoming new technology is part of that outlook.

An example of Monaco’s forward thinking is that there is a first class bus service in the Principality that runs on time and regularly, cutting down the number of people who need to drive to work or for the shops. And in a country where’s there a higher density of millionaires than anyone else it isn’t expensive - one Euro.

And when it comes to the environment, low cost bus fares to encourage people out of cars onto public transport isn’t the only environmental policy being pursued - Prince Albert has visited both the North and South Poles to highlight global warming, and in meetings with other world leaders puts the environment and climate change at the top of the agenda.

The oceans have always been important to the Grimaldi family who have ruled Monaco for centuries, and Prince Albert is no exception when it comes to protecting the seas. Blue fin tuna has been voluntarily taken off the menu by all the restaurants and hotels in Monaco.

So Monaco is able to mix a concern and real action on the environment with a financial environment where the Monaco banks  are sought after by the world’s wealthy, is a mecca for gamblers with the world famous casino, broadband for everyone, and one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world at each May’s Monaco Grand Prix.

In a recent poll of British sports fans, the Monaco Grand Prix was voted the top sporting event outside the UK. The event had 18 percent of the vote, beating both the Olympics and the famed Barcelona event at Camp Nou stadium. Formula One established itself formally on the international race circuit in 1946. The first Monaco Grand Prix was ran in 1948. It was won by Nino Farina, the future world champion, driving a Maserati.

There’s an interesting article by The Times about how Monaco is trying to tempt the ultra rich to spend some time - and money - in Monaco. To read more click here

Meanwhile there’s a good article at the Hollywood Reporter about the Monte Carlo Film Festival. To read more click here

Here are some interesting articles we’ve noticed recently about Monaco.

The first one is about modern Monaco from FranceToday.com - here’s an extract:

French writer Colette once remarked that Monaco might be the only country in the world whose borders are marked by beds of brightly colored flowers. There is no show of passports, but you know you’ve left France when the impeccable white-gloved gendarmes salute politely when you stop to ask for directions. While you’re at it, you might as well as smile: the electronic surveillance cameras are virtually everywhere, which accounts for the principality’s astoundingly low crime rate. It’s hard not to notice that the streets are suddenly spotless, devoid of litter. Call it the magic kingdom effect.

To read the full article click here

And in the Financial Times, writing about Monaco property they say:

London has been pushed off its top spot by Monaco as the most expensive place to buy residential property, with the UK capital and surrounding counties suffering some of the biggest price falls in the world.

Monaco, where prime property is being sold for €50,000 ($68,000, £47,000) per sq m (up 2.1 per cent from the average in 2008), is now followed by London, at €28,000 per sq m, then Manhattan, at €16,500 per sq m (down 4.1 per cent).

London also saw one of the biggest falls in value, 17 per cent, in any part of the world, beaten only by the 25 per cent fall in prices in Hong Kong.

The annual Wealth Report, compiled by Citi Private Bank…

To read the full article click through to the FT click here

An interview with Prince Albert has appeared recently in the press.

Here is an extract:

Daily News: Have you seen evidence people are starting to understand their role in climate change?

Prince Albert II: Awareness of climate change is underway. Awareness of man’s responsibility in this phenomenon is slower but it is developing.

I see that young people are actually more aware than their elders, firstly because they are more responsive to the threats to our ecosystems, but also because they have more respect for nature, since they are closer to it. Unlike adults, I believe that young people are less imprisoned by unbridled and careless consumption habits, which they have not had the time to acquire.

For me, awareness of personal responsibility will be truly effective in our societies when, for example, the relationship with the car changes. Of course, it is not a question of banning it but favoring clean vehicles and encouraging the use of public transport. This personal responsibility can also be exercised in our choice of heating, resorting to more or less significant use of traditional air conditioning when solar energy air conditioners are starting to appear, notably in the southern countries.

Daily News: As water is increasingly considered a commodity and a trade resource, particularly in this region, how does it become harder for countries and corporations to view it as a global resource? What is bringing countries and corporations together to share water resources?

Prince Albert: You are completely right to highlight that water is increasingly perceived as a commodity and a trade resource. At the same time, awareness that it is a much less inexhaustible commodity than thought is growing. It therefore remains a means of enrichment, because it allows irrigation and farming and, conversely, is also a way of weakening neighbors for those who are able to monopolize access to it.

However, water is the source of life. And access to water and sanitation is above all a right. Only recognition of this fundamental right and the absolute necessity to respect it will lead to sustainable and fair management of this vital resource.

To read more of the interview click here

When quizzed and asked to name the world’s great sporting event, how would you respond? Sure, there’s the Super Bowl, the World Cup and the Tour de France. Would you consider the Monaco Grand Prix? Year in and year out, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the world’s most watched sporting events.

in a recent poll of British sports enthusiasts, the Monaco Grand Prix was voted the top sporting event outside the UK.

The event garnered 18 percent of the vote, beating both the Olympics and Barcelona football club at the Camp Nou stadium. The survey was conducted by Barclays Spaces for Sports. The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held annually on the Circuit de Monaco. The first race was held in 1929. It is arguably the premier annual international racing event on the international racing circuit.

Originally conceived by Anthony Noghes, the event is often referred to as the jewel of the Formula One crown. The event rivals the Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans for international fame. It is arguably held on the most beautiful course of the three races.

The first Monaco Grand Prix was won by William Grover-Willams driving a Bugatti. The narrow streets and tight course is a mainstay of the event, as it has been since its inception. It is one of the most demanding and prestigious courses in Formula One racing.

The course weaves through city streets, curving around water and dodging at high speeds past the buildings of Monaco. The demanding course is also a dangerous one, but it has been conquered by many skilled racers. Brazil is home to the racer with the most wins at the Monaco Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna. He holds to his credit six victories, five of which occurred between 1989 and 1993.

Complications in international racing arose during the Second World War. Between 1937 and 1945 international racing waited as the world watched history unfold. In 1945, however, European racing started up again just over four months after the war ended. Formula One established itself formally on the international race circuit in 1946. The first Monaco Grand Prix was ran in 1948. It was won by Nino Farina, the future world champion, driving a Maserati. The following year, the Grand Prix was cancelled due to the death of Prince Louis II. There was also no race in 1951 and 1952. Since these unfortunate postponements, the Monaco Grand Prix has been a consistent race and the hotels in Monaco are booked a year in advance.

The years ahead were dominated by racing dynasties. In 1957, the Grand Prix saw a double winner. In 1961, Stirling Moss in his Rob Walker Racing Team Lotus 18 upped the ante with his third win in the race. In the 1960s, Britain’s Graham Hill managed to win the race five times and earn the moniker of Mr. Monaco.

The tradition of race dominance continued in the 1980s. From 1984 to 1993, only two racers won the Monaco Grand Prix: Brazil’s Ayrton Senna and France’s Alain Prost. Senna holds the record for the most Monaco Grand Prix victories with six first place finishes under his belt. He is closely followed by Michael Schumacher and his five time champion status. Schumacher made his last appearance at the 2006 event, where controversy enshrouded his performance. To this date, Schumacher had one of the most memorable finishes in the race. The Monaco Grand Prix is an event filled with drama and intrigue. Every year, fans delight in the crown jewel in the crown of Formula One racing. Sports fans can clearly see why Barclays Spaces for Sports named it first place in the list of Seven Wonders of the Sporting World recently. Barclays is one of several Monaco banks

Monaco resident Jensen Button began the Malaysian Grand Prix last Sunday in pole position, for the fifth time in his career, but he did not stay there very long. With a bad start, he soon found himself watching three cars ahead of him from the fourth position. He felt he wasn’t generating enough heat in his rear tyres. That, coupled with oversteer in the car, caused him to fall back in the race.

Initially, he felt his pace was fine. However, the rains came and caused havoc for all the drivers on the course. All teams then had to formulate new driving tactics.

They also had to make tyre decisions, changing to different tires to deal with the worsening conditions. Some drivers chose full wet tyres, others different gradations. Some saw their tyres destroyed quite fast in the heavy rain conditions. Tyre decisions were as vital as driving tactic decisions.

With a determined effort of strategic driving, Button climbed his way back to the third position. Subsequent maneuverings found him back in the lead once again on the Sepang course. Now, his mission was to remain there and secure the victory, whatever length the race would be.

In the end, officials called the race, not wanting to risk the lives of the drivers as the race became a bit of a casino - the 56-lap race became a 31-lap affair. Jensen Button clocked in his victory at a time of 55:30.622.

This was the first race stoppage because of inclement weather since the Brazilian Grand Prix of 2003. It was also the first race since the 1991 Australian Grand Prix where only half the points were distributed to the drivers. That race in 1991 took place under heavy rain conditions as well.

The Malaysian race results showed Jensen Button and his Brawn-Mercedes team at the top of the podium. Nick Heidfeld of the BMW team was second. Toyota’s Timo Glock secured the third spot.

The previous weekend in Melbourne, Australia, Button took top spot. His teammate on the Brawn-Mercedes team, Rubens Barrichello came second. The third spot went to Jarno Trulli of Toyota. At this, the season-opening Grand Prix, Jensen Button won the pole position. He then proceeded to lead the race from start to finish.

The Australian race ended under a yellow flag. This was due to Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica bouncing each other out as they jostled for the second position. However, the race was all-around good news for Jensen Button’s Brawns-Mercedes team. They were first in practice, qualifying and the actual race. They also garnered maximum points for the team, which bodes well in the standings for them.

For Jensen Button it’s an excellent start to a long and tough Formula One Grand Prix season. Born on January 19, 1980, in Frome, Somerset, pouring it on with speed is his raison d’etre. He takes his driving seriously.

His preparation for a season involves physical conditioning to enhance his driving skills. On a typical day, he will engage in two sessions of physical workouts. One is a cardiovascular session and one is a weights session. Grand Prix drivers know that sitting in a car doesn’t involve just sitting in a car. There is the mental and physical stress that goes along with driving a primed machine at incredible speeds.

What’s next for Jensen Button and his team? Ahead are 15 more races in the Formula 1 racing season. The next three involve races in China, Bahrain and Spain before the Monaco F1

More Monaco property including these can be requested via http://www.monacoproperty.net

Annonciade, Boulevard D’Italie.  1 bedroom 53m2 apartment with 26m2 terrace situated on the 26th floor.  Guest wc.  Mediterranean views.  2,550,000 Euros  ref: 562  * 5 photographs availble by email *

Carre D’Or.  10th floor 2 bedroom 63m2 apartment with 17m2 of terraces, with excellent sea and mountain views.  Guest wc.  3,250,000 Euros  ref: 538  * 4 photographs available by email *

Castel Paradou, Boulevard D’Italie.  3rd floor of 5, 131m2

3 bedroom apartment with a 4m2 terrace.  Parking space walking distance.  Sea and mountain views.  4,725,000 Euros  ref: 415  * 7 photographs available by email*

Seaside Plaza, Fontvieille.  Large 2 bedroom 212m2 apartment in one of Monaco’s best buildings.  The apartment faces south east and has a beautiful sea view.  It comprises of lounge/dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, guest wc, office and a parking space.  The apartment is surrounded by a large terrace and can be accessed from each of the bedrooms, lounge and kitchen.  6,300,000 Euros  ref: 514  * 3 photographs and floor plan available by email *

Les Floralies, Monte Carlo.  Penthouse apartment, 158m2, with first class views, needs to be fully refurbished. Close to Casino Square.  2 parking spaces.  16,500,000 Euros  ref: 516  * 5 view photographs available by email *

Monte Carlo Star.  Luxury duplex situated on the seafront with superb views of the harbour.  The apartment is located within the much sought after area of Carre D’Or within easy walking distance of Casino Square.  The main apartment of 290m2 is situated on the first floor and comprises lounge, fully fitted kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms all en suite, office, 3 parking spaces and an exceptionally large terrace with amazing sea views.  The studio of 50m2 is located on the ground floor.  25,000,000 Euros  ref: 515  * 4 photographs available by email *

The latest survey shows Monaco property to be the most expensive in the world again. But double that of the second most expensive?

Really?

We somehow doubt that.

To see more of what the report says click here

For info about Monaco banks click through to www.yourmonaco.com/banks