San Marino (officially: Republic of San Marino, Italian name: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino - literally "The Most Serene Republic of St. Marino") is a small South European state  entirely surrounded by Italy. It is located in the Italian inland, near Rimini in North-East Italy. 

San Marino covers 61 square kilometres and has about 32,000 inhabitants (according to the population, it is the 3rd smallest in Europe and 5th smallest in the world). The capital city is San Marino and the largest city is Dogana. The country's economy depends mainly on industry, services and tourism. 

San Marino is one of the richest states in the world. It has a very stable economy, with one of the lowest unemployment in Europe. The official currency is Euro.

San Marino is a closed enclave in Italy, on the border between the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche. Its topography is dominated by the Apennine Mountain Range and has a rather rough terrain. The highest point of the country is Monte Titano, whose altitude is 755 meters. There is not one larger water area of any significant size in the enclave. There is a Mediterranean climate with continental influences in San Marino, such as hot summers and cold winters--typical for elsewhere at the Apennine Peninsula. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with only the Vatican and Monaco being smaller.

San Marino is probably the oldest ever-existing republic in the world. It was allegedly founded in 301 by an experienced builder named Marinus (known as Saint Marinus); officially the founding day is believed to be September 3. 

The republic became a legal part of the Roman Empire. On October 8, 1600, the so-called Statute was adopted, which still forms the basis of the country's legal framework. France during Napoleon's rule first established contacts with this small nation in 1797, and other European nations joined in 1815 at the Vienna Congress. Although San Marino remained a sovereign state, it became somewhat more dependent on Italy since the 19th century and during Italy’s reunification it became completely surrounded by its regions. 

Giuseppe Garibaldi, who began uniting Italy around 1860, found refuge in San Marino for a while when fleeing from his enemies. Here, he received significant help, money and supplies from the citizens and leaders of San Marino, which allowed his campaign for unification to continue. In return Garibaldi allegedly guaranteed that San Marino would always be an independent sovereign state.

The Republic of San Marino does not have an explicitly codified constitution. In 1974, the Declaration of Citizens' Rights was adopted, which is considered the basic institutional framework of the Republic. At the same time, the Statute of 1600 is still in force, so it is sometimes referred to as the oldest ever-validated institution in the world.

The Grand General Council (sixty-one) is elected by universal vote every five years. He chooses two regents from his center. He also elects the Council of Twelve. Captain Regents (Capitani Reggenti) are heads of state. They are elected every six months - 1 April and 1 October. Together they run the Consiglio Grande e Generale, the State Congress and the Council of Twelve (Consiglio dei XII). They have a right of veto with each other. The State Congress holds executive power. It is the government of ten ministers - three secretaries and seven deputies.The Council of Twelve acts as the Supreme Court. For reasons of impartiality, judges can not be citizens of San Marino (exceptions are only the magistrates). The term of office of the council lasts for 5 years.

San Marino is divided into nine self-governing units called castelli.  The city of San Marino forms one of the parts and is also the capital of the state. There are eight smaller self-governing units: Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanu, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, Serravalle. The largest city is Dogana, which belongs to the self-governing part of Serravalle.

Did you know that San Marino has a small Jewish population? If you decide to take a Jewish vacation to Italy, you might want to take a detour to this small but very beautiful republic.

There has been a Jewish presence in San Marino for at least 600 years. The first mention of Jews in San Marino dates to the late 14th century, in official documents recording the business transactions of Jews. 

There are many documents throughout the 15th to 17th centuries describing Jewish dealings and verifying the presence of a Jewish community in San Marino. Jews were required to wear special badges and live by specific restrictions, but were also afforded official protection from the government.

No sites of Jewish built heritage have survived in San Marino, but in 2008 a commemorative plaque honouring Holocaust victims was unveiled on Vicolo dei Forni, the narrow street believed to have been the site of the medieval Jewish ghetto.

During World War II, San Marino provided a harbour for more than 100,000 Italians and Jews from Nazi and Italian persecution. Today, there are only small numbers of Jews in San Marino.