You might already be having knowledge about the most populous country as well as the largest country in the world by land area, but do you also know which nation-state on the planet earth is most densely populated? In this regard, two distinctions are enjoyed by Monaco, which is not only the most densely populated country but also the second smallest country in the world. In terms of land area as well as population, Vatican City is considered to be the smallest sovereign state that has also been recognized at the international level. Occupying the geographical stretch of merely 2 square kilometers (less than a square mile), Monaco has been ranked as 248th on the list of countries by the total surface area. Here follows a list of some interesting facts about this European country which you might not be acquainted with already:

• According to a historical account, the country derives its name from a Greek word, Monoikos, which literally means, "single house".
• It is said that when Hercules passed through this region, he turned away the previous gods and a temple was built for him, called "Hercules Monoikos" or the "House of Hercules". Owing to the presence of this single temple on the land, people started calling it "Monoikos", which latter assumed the form of "Monaco" as you know it today.
• Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world that is found in the western part of the European continent.
• As for 2011, the overall population stats went a bit over 36,000, whereas the average number of individuals inhabiting a square kilometer of land equaled 18,000, thus making it the most densely populated geopolitical entity in the world.
• It is worth noticing that Monaco also enjoys the distinction of being the second smallest monarchy in the world, which has the hue of both constitutional as well as absolute monarchies.
• She is surrounded, on three sides, by the European sovereign state of the French Republic, while on the south she makes a part of the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
• The length of her border with France extends for about four and a half kilometers, while the stretch of the coastline, on the south, has been measured to be a litter over four kilometers.
• Do you know that the sovereign city state of Monaco has added about 20% more area to its land by means of land reclamation? Land reclamation or land fill is the process of the creation of new land from the oceans, seas, riverbeds or lakes, and in case of Monaco, the reclamation ground comes from the Mediterranean Sea.
• Geopolitically, the width of this horizontal strip of the coastal land does not remain constant but its width varies between the minimum of 349 meter and the maximum of 1,700 meters.
• So far as the form of government is concerned, it is known as the unitary parliamentary constitutional principality and price is considered to be the head of the state.
• A narrow pathway, known as Chemin des Revoires, located on slopes of Mount Agel is considered to be the highest point in the country which rises as high as 161 meters above the sea level.
• Though Italian, Monegasque as well as English are widely spoken and understood by the inhabitants, the official language, however, is French.
• Are you aware of the fact that Monaco is an independent state and has her own separate foreign policy, but the defense is still the responsibility of the neighboring (bordering) country of France?
• Monaco secured the official recognition of its sovereign status through the Treaty of Franco-Monegasque in the year 1861, but she could not become the full voting member of the United Nations Organizations till 1993.
• The status of the country as a premier tourist destination and the recreation center for the rich and famous is specifically owed to its great gambling facilities, awe-inspiring scenery and the mild climate.
• As an initiative for the diversification of the economy, beyond the sole dependence on tourism industry, the country is creating new vistas for the services, high-value-added, non-polluting small industries, and has recently emerged as a major banking center.
• The sovereign state of Monaco is widely known as a tax heaven, as she does not impose the income tax at all, while the business taxes are levied at a low rate.
• Based on the report prepared and issued by the Tax Justice Network (TJN) in 2012, an estimated amount of 21 to $32 USD trillion is sheltered from taxes worldwide in countries that are unreported tax heavens.
• Allowed to participate in certain policies of the European Union, Monaco couldn't still become a formal part of this giant political and economic union.
• The world's most densely populated city state successfully joined the Council of Europe in 2004, and benefitting from her friendly relationships with France, she uses euro as the sole currency.
• It is really amazing to note that, though the responsibilities of the government and municipality are different, there is no geographical distinction between the State and City of Monaco.