Perched above the clouds, tiny San Marino has no airport or railway station but it does have 17 centuries of national history. With its bird’s-eye view of the world, its aloof attitude to foreign affairs is understandable…
Considered bland and suburban by most, the Home Counties boast a bubbling undercurrent of creativity.
UK band Saint Etienne is now singing their praises
Matters of national and international security are best left to the professionals. But who
are they and where do they get their intelligence? From fact to fiction, we reveal our sources.
Canada, one of the best-loved nations in the world, exports more than just good will and maple syrup. From peacekeeping troops to submarines and lentils, this vast and varied country makes a mark in the unlikeliest of…
Canada may be seen as the perennial nice guy but its military are ready for a fight. We join them in Ukraine, where they are taking
a stand against Russia.
In a new regular feature we identify a gap in the market and set out a plan for filling the niche. Here we head for Scotland to find out what it would take to establish a refined food retailer.
What defines the modern Australian? Monocle meets five illustrious nationals, including a steely journalist, a hospitality hero and a barrister, to find out.
Expats, politics and culture: the eclectic range of subjects covered in our essays illustrates the nature of the country they concern. Read on to find out what makes Australia a harmonious land of contradictions.
Australia is not short of iconography that speaks of a strong national character and sense of place, be it a no-nonsense ruggedness or the boundless enigma of the outback. Monocle examines these symbolic shorthands and how…
Ever since the accidental opening of the Berlin Wall, the need for national fortified borders has been up for debate. Are barbed wire and watchtowers required to keep a country safe – or are our leaders going a step too far…
Andrew Mueller reporting from Italy: OK, it takes a day – but what a ride. The train from Milan to Palermo jolts and shudders and even gets eased onto a ferry at one point. But when you’ve got a bed, view and some quirky…
Not far from the sun loungers and beach bars of this holiday hotspot, a stretch of no-man’s land is forever 1974. It marks the frontier policed by the UN’s longest-established peacekeeping force, where success is measured…
Located geographically and aesthetically far from famed Emirati excess, the €12bn Masdar City project is trying to plot out a new urban vision. But taking root in the desert has proved difficult: so far just 300 people live…
As a global Japanese image, Doraemon aptly combines cuteness and faith in technology. But with the blue robot cat from the future seeming increasingly rooted in the past, there’s a sense that Tokyo’s soft-power brokers want…
Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine has irked the West but how has local life been affected along the other Baltic borders? Monocle tours the Russian-speaking hinterlands of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for lessons…
Forged in the wake of war, Unesco stands tall as a bastion of peace and principle. Monocle visited its modernist headquarters in Paris to discover an institution dedicated to optimism despite brutal funding cuts and a…
Ismail Kadare has had to do battle with autocracy and animosity throughout his 60-year career but has emerged as a world-renowned author and Man Booker prizewinner. Monocle headed to Paris to meet Albania’s celebrated…
Albania’s new prime minister has a daunting job on his hands. With unemployment levels at 12.8 per cent and corruption rife, the nation is ready for change – and the somewhat eccentric Edi Rama is ready to step up.
Think you’ve got the measure of the Haribo gummy bear? Think again. Behind that loveable face is a company that buys out rivals and takes its competitors to court. And we bet you didn’t know what country he’s from…
