by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 10:27 AM ET, Thu November 30, 2017
Monaco is known for many things, among them upscale casinos, yacht-lined harbors and its annual Grand Prix motor race, which runs through the streets once a year.
It is not, however, known for being especially large. The population of about 38,400 people shares a space that's less than one square mile (or about 485 acres), making Monaco the second smallest country in the world behind Vatican City.
Which makes it less than surprising that the French Riviera country has launched a plan to expand its territory.
Work has recently begun on a project to reclaim land from the Mediterranean in order to create what's being described as an 'ecological neighborhood,' according to Lonely Planet.
The new locale is to be named Portier Cove and will be about 15 acres, including luxury apartments, public facilities and more. Bouygues Construction is spearheading the project, which is expected to take about 10 years to complete.
Reclaiming land from the sea is an ecologically sensitive and controversial move that will involve relocating marine plants and other fauna.
Bouygues Construction is also said to be taking measures to preserve the wildlife in the area such as creating an artificial reef for the animals that remain. The project will involve removing about 400,000 cubic meters of unpolluted marine sediment and placing backfill upon which the neighborhood's foundations will be built. In order to complete the work, thousands of tons of sand are being imported from Sicily.
The decision to expand into the sea is not without its detractors.
The Telegraph, in the UK, described the reclamation as "the principality's latest attempt to build more luxury housing for the world's wealthiest residents."
Monaco has long attracted high rollers ranging from the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev to Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Environmentalists have also said that dredging the sea floor and placing thousands of tons of sand from Sicily, Italy in order to create dry land will damage rare and fragile marine life.
Alexandre Meinesz, a biologist from the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis said that the small stretch of shallow waters just off the shore (where the project will take place) is a "veritable nursery with 500 types of seaweed and thousands of marine organisms and little fish."
"Covering over these shallow seabeds will reduce the biodiversity," he told France Bleu radio, adding that Monaco has already destroyed 80 percent of its seabeds during previous such projects.
Of the country's current 485 acres, nearly 100 were created through similar sea reclamation projects, according to the Telegraph. Much of that work was done under Prince Rainier III who was dubbed the "builder prince."
Though his son, reigning Prince Albert II, likes to be known as Monaco's "green" monarch, he has also continued the development tradition started by his father, providing the approval for this new offshore urban extension.
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