San Marino Government Profile 2008

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of San Marino
conventional short form: San Marino
local long form: Repubblica di San Marino
local short form: San Marino

Government type

republic

Capital

name: San Marino
geographic coordinates: 43 56 N, 12 25 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions

9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle

Independence

3 September AD 301

National holiday

Founding of the Republic, 3 September (AD 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: Co-chiefs of State Captain Regent Federico Pedini AMATI and Captain Regent Rosa ZAFFERANI (for the period 1 April-30 September 2008)
head of government: Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Fiorenzo STOLFI (since 27 July 2006)
cabinet: Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term
elections: co-chiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Great and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in September 2007 (next to be held in March 2008); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term; election last held 27 July 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
election results: Mirko TOMASSONI and Alberto SELVA elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Fiorenzo STOLFI elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - NA
note: the popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (co-chiefs 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 prime ministerial roles

Legislative branch

unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 June 2006 (next to be held by June 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDCS 32.9%, Party of Socialists and Democrats 31.9%, AP 11.9%, United Left 8.7%, New Socialist Party 5.4%, other parties 9.2%; seats by party - PDCS 21, Party of Socialists and Democrats 20, AP 7, United Left 5, New Socialist Party 3, others 4; note - following a government reshuffle on 28 NOvember 2007, a splinter party of the PDCS joined the center-left coalition formed by the Party of Socialists and Democrats, the APDS, and the United Left strengthening the government's parliamentary majority to 36 seats out of 60

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 [Glauco SANSOVINI]; New Socialist Party [Augusto CASALI]; Party of Socialists and Democrats [Claudio FELICI]; San Marino Christian Democratic Party or PDCS [Pier Marino MENICUCCI]; San Marino Popular Alliance of Democrats or AP [Roberto GIORGETTI]; San Marino Socialist Party or PSS [Alberto CECCHETTI]; Socialists for Reform or SR [Renzo GIARDI]; United Left

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

International organization participation

CE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

Diplomatic representation in the US

San Marino does not have an embassy in the US
honorary consulate(s) general: New York, Washington, DC
honorary consulate(s): Detroit, Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the ambassador to 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)