Republic of San Marino

San Marino has no regular military forces; Voluntary Military Force (Corpi Militari Voluntar) performs ceremonial duties and limited police support functions. San Marino is an active player in the international community. Currently, the Republic has diplomatic relations with over 70 countries. Italy is the only country represented by an ambassador resident in San Marino. The Papal Nuncio, based in Rome, is the dean of San Marino's diplomatic corps.

San Marino is a full member of the United Nations (UN), International Court of Justice (ICJ), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Health Organization (WHO), World Tourism Organization (WTO), Council of Europe, International Red Cross Organization, the International Institution for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIIT), and Interpol, among others. It also cooperates with UNICEF and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and has official relations with the European Union (EU). From May-November 1990 and from November 2006-May 2007, San Marino held the semi-annual presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg, France.

The 31,242 population (December 2008) of San Marino is comprised of native Sammarinese and Italian citizens. Crop farming, sheep farming, and the working of stone from the quarries formed the early backbone of San Marino's economy. It has no mineral resources, and today most of the land is cultivated or covered by woods.

According to tradition, San Marino was founded in AD 301 when a Christian stonemason named Marinus the Dalmatian fled to the island of Arbe to escape the anti-Christian Roman Emperor Diocletian. Marinus hid on the peak of Mount Titano and founded a small community of people following their Christian beliefs. It is certain that the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times, although evidence of existence on Mount Titano only dates back to the Middle Ages. In memory of the stonecutter, the land was renamed "Land of San Marino" and was finally changed to its present-day name, "Republic of San Marino."

The land area of San Marino consisted only of Mount Titano until 1463, at which time the republic entered into an alliance against Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini, who was later defeated. As a result, Pope Pius II Piccolomini gave San Marino the towns of Fiorentino, Montegiardino, and Serravalle. Later that year, the town of Faetano joined the republic on its own accord. Since then, the size of San Marino has remained unchanged.

San Marino has been occupied by foreign militaries twice in its history, both for only short periods of time. In 1503, Cesare Borgia, known as Valentino, occupied the republic until his death several months later. In 1739, Cardinal Alberoni used military force to occupy the country. Civil disobedience was used to protest his occupation, and clandestine notes sent to the Pope to obtain justice were answered by the Pope's recognition of San Marino's rights and restoration of San Marino's independence.

By 2018 the negotiating process was leading the Republic towards the adoption of an Association Agreement, in close agreement with Monaco and Andorra; a path that is demanding a change of pace also at a cultural level, for the necessary opening to reorganize already consolidated structures at a juridical, regulatory, economic and social level, and which will require a renewed commitment by the Institutions, the services involved and the entire community. The Regency encouraged the parties involved to energetic action, pursuing the exclusive objective of offering all the people of San Marino the opportunity to access the Single European Market, in which to express the potential available in equivalent conditions to the members.

San Marino won its first-ever Olympic medal on 29 July 2021 when shooter Alessandra Perilli took bronze in the women's trap event. The tiny European country, which is landlocked by Italy, has a population of about 34,000. It's the smallest to win an Olympic medal. The 33-year-old Perilli hit 29 of 40 to finish third in the final. She came second in the two-day preliminary sessions. Perilli also competed in the previous two Olympics. San Marino first participated in 1960. The country's Olympic Committee quoted Perilli as saying she wants to tell young people never to give up.