UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

9 municipalities (castelli, singular - castello); Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, San Marino Citta, Serravalle

Founding of the Republic, 3 September (A.D. 301)

8 October 1600; electoral law of 1926 serves some of the functions of a constitution

Civil law system with Italian civil law influences

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Co-chiefs of State Captain Regent Maurizio RATTINI and Captain Regent Italo RIGHI (for the period 1 April-1 October 2012)

Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs Antonella MULARONI (since 3 December 2008)

Congress of State elected by the Great and General Council for a five-year term

Co-chiefs of state (captains regent) elected by the Grand and General Council for a six-month term; election last held in March 2012 (next to be held in September 2012); secretary of state for foreign and political affairs elected by the Grand and General Council for a five-year term; election last held on 9 November 2008 (next to be held by 2013)

Maurizio RATTINI and Italo RIGHI elected captains regent; percent of legislative vote - NA; Antonella MULARONI elected secretary of state for foreign and political affairs; percent of legislative vote - NA

The popularly elected parliament (Grand and General Council) selects two of its members to serve as the Captains Regent (co-chiefs of state) for a six-month period; they preside over meetings of the Grand and General Council and its cabinet (Congress of State), which has 10 other members, all are selected by the Grand and General Council; assisting the captains regent are 10 secretaries of state; the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs has assumed some prime ministerial roles

Unicameral Grand and General Council or Consiglio Grande e Generale (60 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Last held on 9 November 2008 (next to be held by June 2013)

Percent of vote by party - Pact for San Marino coalition 54.2% (PDCS 31.9%, AP 11.5%, Freedom List 6.3%, San Marino Union of Moderates 4.2%, other 0.3%), Reforms and Freedom coalition 45.8% (Party of Socialists and Democrats 32%, United Left 8.6%, Democrats of the Center 4.9%, 0.3%); seats by party - Pact for San Marino coalition 35 (PDCS 22, AP 7, the Freedom List 4, San Marino Union of Moderates 2), Reforms and Freedom coalition 25 (Party of Socialists and Democrats 18, United Left 5, Democrats of the Center 2)

Council of Twelve or Consiglio dei XII

Christian Democrats or PDCS [Marco GATTI]; Communist Refoundation or RC [Ivan FOSHI]; Democrats of the Center or DdC [Giovanni LONFERNINI]; Freedom List (including NPS and We Sammarinesi) or NS [Gabriele GATTEI]; New Socialist Party or NPS [Augusto CASALI]; Party of Socialists and Democrats or PDS [Paride ANDREOLI]; Popular Alliance or AP [Carlo FRANCIOSI]; Union of Moderates (including National Alliance or ANS [Glauco SANSOVINI] and San Marino Populars or POP [Romeo MORRI and Angela VENTURINI]; United Left or SU [Alessandro ROSSI]

CE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

888 27th Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006

The US does not have an embassy in San Marino; the ambassador to Italy is accredited to San Marino

Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and light blue with the national coat of arms superimposed in the center; the main colors derive from the shield of the coat of arms, which features three white towers on three peaks on a blue field; the towers represent three castles built on San Marino's highest feature Mount Titano: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale; the coat of arms is flanked by a wreath, below a crown and above a scroll bearing the word LIBERTAS (Liberty); the white and blue colors are also said to stand for peace and liberty respectively

Three peaks each displaying a tower

"Inno Nazionale della Repubblica" (National Anthem of the Republic)

Adopted 1894; the music for the lyric-less anthem is based on a 10th century chorale piece