Monday, September 2 (Labour Day) - The Republic of San Marino

I have a Calendar that tells me the date of the establishment of all the countries in the World. Swaziland on the 6th: 45 years; Brazil on the 7th:  191 years. That sort of thing. Today is San Marino ... also know as La Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino - The Most Serene Republic of San Marino - and it says 1712 years!!!  "Its size is just over 61 km² (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.

San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, as the continuation of the monastic community founded on 3 September 301, by stonecutter Marinus of Arba. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then the Roman colony of Arba, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.

San Marino is governed by the Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini, a series of six books written in Latin in the late 16th century, that dictate the country’s political system, among other matters.

The country's economy mainly relies on finance, industry, services and tourism. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP (per capita), with a figure comparable to the most developed European regions. San Marino is considered to have a highly stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, no national debt and a budget surplus." (Wikipedia) 

I went there once ... wonderful place! I was traveling around Italy on my way to Rimini, and stopped in San Marino for a day and night. 

Now, here's an interesting thig about their way of government:  "Every six months, the Council elects two Captains Regent to be the heads of state. The Regents are chosen from opposing parties so that there is a balance of power. They serve a six-month term. The investiture of the Captains Regent takes place on 1 April and 1 October in every year. Once this term is over, citizens have three days in which to file complaints about the Captains' activities. If they warrant it, judicial proceedings against the ex-head(s) of state can be initiated."

Sounds good to me. Listen up America!! (Abraham Lincoln was an Honourary Citizen of San Marino.)  At this rate, most of our Presidents would be in jail .... and that would be a good and just thing in my estimate! 

Wouldn't you like to be Citizen # 30,001 !! I would! And, they have the highest per capita income in the World!

Well:  I can dream .... and about America too!