|
|
Article: San Marino's Issues Support National Olympic Ambitions
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- August 23, 1992
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1992 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
|
As countries go, it is one of the smallest - 24 square miles and
23,000 citizens. San Marino also claims the title of world's oldest
republic. Tradition dates its founding to 350 A.D., when Marino, a
Christian stonecutter seeking refuge from religious persecution,
founded a small community high on the slopes of Mt. Titano near the
Adriatic coast.
Over the centuries, the country has successfully withstood the
ambitions of Napoleon and the unification of Italy. And, until the
recent breakup of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, San Marino
was the only country to unseat a Communist government by popular
vote.
Tourism plays a major role in its economy, but stamp and coin
collecting ...