For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993,
Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and
Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the
Spanish bishop of Seu d'Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was
modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government
transformed into a parliamentary democracy. For decades Andorra enjoyed
its status as a small refuge of fiscal and banking freedom and
benefitted from Spanish and French tourists attracted to the country's
duty-free shopping. The situation has changed in recent years as Andorra
started to tax foreign investment and other sectors. Tourism accounts
for over 80% of Andorra's gross domestic product.
Geography ::Andorra
Location:
Southwestern Europe, between France
and Spain
Geographic coordinates:
42 30 N, 1 30 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 468
sq km
95
land:
468 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 120.3
km
border countries:
France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Current Weather
temperate; snowy, cold
winters and warm, dry summers
Terrain:
rugged mountains
dissected by narrow valleys
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Riu
Runer 840 m
highest point:
Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, mineral
water, timber, iron ore, lead
Land use:
arable land: 2.13%
permanent crops:
0%
other:
97.87% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
avalanches
Environment - current issues:
deforestation;
overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air
pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles a
number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees
People ::Andorra
Population:
84,525 (July 2010 est.)
98
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6%
(male 6,767/female 6,386)
15-64 years:
71.8% (male 31,627/female 29,054)
65 years and over:
12.6% (male 5,326/female 5,365) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.9
years
male:
40.2 years
female:
39.6 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.382% (2010 est.)
64
Birth rate:
10.03 births/1,000
population (2010 est.)
94
Death rate:
6.21 deaths/1,000
population (July 2010 est.)
59
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Urbanization:
urban population: 89%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
-0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.066
male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.99 male(s)/female
total population:
1.07 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.84
deaths/1,000 live births
10
male:
3.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
3.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.36
years
country comparison to the world: 4
male:
80.3 years
female:
84.55 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.34 children born/woman
(2010 est.)
05
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective:
Andorran
Ethnic groups:
Spanish 43%, Andorran
33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998)
Religions:
Roman Catholic
(predominant)
Languages:
Catalan (official),
French, Castilian, Portuguese
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11
years
male:
11 years
female:
11 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.3% of GDP (2006)
62
Government ::Andorra
Country name:
conventional long form: Principality of
Andorra
conventional short form:
Andorra
local long form:
Principat d'Andorra
local short form:
Andorra
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
(since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a coprincipality;
the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seu d'Urgell,
Spain, who are represented in Andorra by the coprinces' representatives
Capital:
name: Andorra
la Vella
geographic coordinates:
42 30 N, 1 31 E
time difference:
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
7 parishes (parroquies,
singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp,
Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence:
1278 (formed under the
joint suzerainty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of
Seu d'Urgel)
National holiday:
Our Lady of Meritxell
Day, 8 September (1278)
Constitution:
Andorra's first written
constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993;
effective 28 April 1993
Legal system:
based on French and
Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age;
universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: French
Coprince Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Christian
FREMONT (since September 2008) and Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan-Enric
VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003); represented by Nemesi MARQUES i
Oste (since 30 July 2003)
head of government:
Executive Council President Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY
(since 5 June 2009)
cabinet:
Executive Council or Govern designated by the
Executive Council president
elections:
Executive Council president elected by the General
Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term;
election last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in April-May 2013)
election results:
Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY elected executive council
president; percent of General Council vote - NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral General
Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national
constituency and 14 to represent each of the seven parishes; to serve
four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in
March-April 2013)
election results:
percent of vote by party - PS 45%, Reformist
Coaliton 32%, Andorra for Change 19%, Andorran Green 4%; seats by party -
PS 14, Reformist Coalition 11, Andorra for Change 3
Judicial branch:
Tribunal of Judges or
Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts;
Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia
d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la
Justicia; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional
Political parties and leaders:
Andorra for Change [Juan
Eusebio NOMEN CALVET]; Greens of Andorra [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ]; Liberal
Party of Andorra or PLA [Joan GABRIEL i ESTANY] (formerly Liberal Union
or UL); New Center [Vicenc MATEU] (formerly Andorran Democratic Center
Party); Reformist Coalition [Joan GABRIEL i ESTANY] (includes the
Liberal Party and New Center); Social Democratic Party or PS [Jaume
BARTUMEU CASSANY] (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
CE, FAO, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador
Narcis CASAL Fonsdeviela
chancery:
2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY
10017
telephone:
[1] (212) 750-8064
FAX:
[1] (212) 750-6630
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an
embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra;
US interests in Andorra are represented by the US Consulate General's
office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de
Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (93) 280-2227;
FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175
Flag description:
three vertical bands of
blue (hoist side), yellow, and red, with the national coat of arms
centered in the yellow band; the latter band is slightly wider than the
other two so that the ratio of band widths is 8:9:8; the coat of arms
features a quartered shield with the emblems of (starting in the upper
left and proceeding clockwise): Urgell, Foix, Bearn, and Catalonia; the
motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength United is Stronger); the flag
combines the blue and red French colors with the red and yellow of
Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection
note:similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do
not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of
Moldova, which does bear a national emblem
Economy ::Andorra
Economy - overview:
Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's
tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An
estimated 11 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's
duty-free status for some products and by its summer and winter resorts.
Andorra's comparative advantage eroded when the borders of neighboring
France and Spain opened, providing broader availability of goods and
lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven" status,
also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production
is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be
imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising.
Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and
furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as
an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a
non-EU member for agricultural products.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$4.22 billion (2008)
64
$3.66
billion (2007)
$3.588
billion (2006)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
2.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
2%
(2007 est.)
3.5%
(2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$44,900 (2008)
2
$42,500
(2007)
$38,800
(2005)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%
Labor force:
42,220 (2008)
93
Labor force -
by occupation:
agriculture: 0.5%
industry:
18.5%
services:
81% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 64
0%
(2007)
Population
below poverty line:
8% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $531.6
million
expenditures:
$531.6 million (2008)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2008)
3.9%
(2007)
Agriculture - products:
small quantities of rye,
wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep
