Why is Monaco not a part of France?

When Monaco was first formed in the thirteenth century, there were lots of tiny dukedoms and principalities everywhere. France did not always resemble the country it is today - it was much smaller. read more

France did not always resemble the country it is today - it was much smaller. There was the Kingdom of Genoa and the Duchy of Savoy surrounding Monaco also, so any claimant of Monaco would have to dispute this claim with the other two nations. read more

First of all, Monaco was annexed by revolutionary France and was part of it from 1793 to 1814. Before 1793 and from 1814 to 1860 it was surrounded by lands belonging to the House of Savoy. (So for those specific timeframes, it would be pretty hard for France to annex Monaco without annexing Savoy's lands). read more

In 1860, France took control over Nice, as well as the surrounding areas, including Monaco, France created a treaty with Monaco. This treaty said that the sovereignty of Monaco was granted, but in exchange for two towns that voted to become part of France. These towns made up more than 90% of the principality’s territory at the time. read more