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CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. The World Edition includes 200+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition, Provinces Edition, and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries, all 50 states (including Washington, D.C.), and 13 Canadian provinces and territories.
CultureGrams goes beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
Country: San Marino
- Capital: San Marino
- Population: 29,615
- Area, sq. mi.: 24
- Area, sq. km.: 61
- Real GDP per capita: $34,100
- Adult literacy rate: 97% (male); 95% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 6 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 78 (male); 86 (female)
Did You Know?
- Before 2004, citizenship was granted only to children of Sammarinese fathers; now children born to Sammarinese mothers are automatic citizens.
- The country's budget provides for the religious instruction of all students, though students may choose to not participate in these classes without penalty.
- On spring evenings, Sammarinese light fires on the beaches or open fields in honor of the Virgin Mary and her husband, Saint Joseph.
- Wild game dishes are popular, including wild boar sausage, pheasant, and rabbit.
Language
Italian is the official language. However, a dialect known as Emiliano-Romagnolo is frequently spoken in informal conversations. Common Emiliano-Romagnolo expressions include A di (If you say it is true) and Pur sia (So be it). English, French, and German are the most popular foreign languages to study at school. English is taught in primary school as a compulsory second language. With the globalization of business enterprises, there are new proposals to include the teaching of Japanese, Arabic, and Chinese.
Gestures
Similar to their Italian neighbors, Sammarinese employ a variety of body gestures. To indicate uncertainty, they lift their shoulders, spread their arms, and open both hands saying, Boh? (I don't know). Moving the wrist up and down while joining the fingers of one hand implies a question mark, meaning Ma che dici? (What do you mean?).
It is impolite to spit upon the ground. Rubbing a hand back and forth under the chin, palm down, shows boredom with what is being said. To indicate that food is delicious, one puts a forefinger on the cheek, twists it around, and says, "Mmm."
Family
The typical Sammarinese family is a close-knit unit; it is not unusual to find single adults living with their parents until they get married or young married couples living with their parents or in-laws until they can afford a house. The high cost of housing forces many young people to share apartments. When possible, parents will purchase a house for their children, especially after they have attained a university degree.
As with many of its European neighbors, San Marino's birth rate is declining while life expectancy increases, creating a shift toward an aging population. More women are joining the workforce, where they are permitted 150 days maternity leave with the option to return early if they wish. Family members (usually a grandparent) or the schools provide childcare as needed. Husbands are also assuming a greater role in household duties.
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