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According to tradition, San Marino is the oldest constitutional republic in the world still existing: it was founded in 301 A.D. by Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason fleeing the religious persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian. San Marino has the oldest written constitution still in effect, dating back to 1600. History According to tradition, Marino left the Adriatic island of Rab (Italian Arbe) with his lifelong friend Leo and went to the town of Rimini as a stone worker. After persecution because of his Christian sermons, he escaped to the nearby Monte Titano, where he built a small church and thus founded what is now the city and the state of San Marino. The official date of foundation of the Republic is 3 September 301. By the mid-5th Century, a community was formed; because of its relatively inaccessible location and its poverty, it has succeeded, with a few brief interruptions, in maintaining its independence. In 1631 its independence was recognized by the papacy. During the early phase of the Italian unification process of the 19th century, San Marino served as a haven of refuge for numerous persons who were persecuted because of their support for Italian unification. In memory of this support, Giuseppe Garibaldi accepted the wish of San Marino not to be incorporated into the new Italian state. During World War II San Marino was able to officially remain neutral. Axis forces retreated through the country and were pursued by the US and Great Britain. The allied troops left the country a few weeks later. The head of state is a committee (council) of two captains-regent. San Marino also holds the record for the world's first democratically elected communist government, which held office between 1945 and 1957. San Marino was the world's smallest republic from 301 to 1968, losing the title to the newly independent Nauru. San Marino became a member of the Council of Europe in 1988 and of the UN in 1992. It is not a member of the European Union. Municipalities San Marino is divided into the following nine municipalities, known locally as castelli or castles (sing. castello, each on a different hill, as depicted on the republic's coat of arms), that are also towns to the world. The City of San Marino (Cittą di San Marino) is the eponymous capital. There are also eight minor municipalities: Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Chiesanuova, Domagnano, Faetano, Fiorentino, Montegiardino, Serravalle. The largest town of the Republic is Dogana, which is not an autonomous castello but rather belongs to the castello of Serravalle. Each castello, like Italian comuni, includes a main town that is the seat of the castello, called capoluogo, and some even smaller localities known as frazioni. Geography San Marino is an enclave in Italy, on the border between the regioni of Emilia Romagna and Marche. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines mountain range, and it has a rugged terrain. The highest point in the country, Monte Titano, is situated at 749 metres (2,457 ft) above sea level. There are no bodies of water of any significant size. The climate is Mediterranean, with warm summers and mild winters. San Marino is the third-smallest country in Europe, with only Vatican City and Monaco being smaller. Part of the information are from www.wikipedia.org respecting the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
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