World Countries Info For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by
the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel. In 1993, this feudal system was
modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a
parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra achieved
considerable prosperity since World War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants
(legal and illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.
Geography of Andorra
|
Location:
|
Southwestern Europe, between France and
Spain |
|
Geographic coordinates:
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42 30 N, 1 30 E |
|
Karte references:
|
Europe |
|
Area:
|
total: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 468 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:
|
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: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.78% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
|
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: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked; straddles a number of important
crossroads in the Pyrenees
|
Population of Andorra
|
Population:
|
69,865 (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 15% (male 5,478; female
4,988)
15-64 years: 71.6% (male 26,268; female 23,766)
65 years and over: 13.4% (male 4,659; female 4,706) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 39.7 years
male: 40 years
female: 39.4 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
9.32 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
5.9 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 83.5 years
male: 80.59 years
female: 86.59 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.28 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%,
French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
|
Religions:
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Roman Catholic (predominant) |
|
Languages:
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Catalan (official), French, Castilian,
Portuguese |
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Principality
of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'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 Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces'
representatives |
|
Capital:
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Andorra la Vella |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
7 parishes (parroquies, singular -
parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino,
Sant Julia de Loria |
|
Independence:
|
1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty
of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of 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; came into force 4 May 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
Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002);
Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), represented by
Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)
elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally
appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 4 March 2001 (next to
be held NA 2005)
election results: Marc FORNE MOLNE elected executive council president; percent of
General Council vote - NA%
cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president
head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE MOLNE (since 21 December
1994) |
|
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 7 parishes; members
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD 23.8%, other
0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5, independents 2 |
|
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; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal
Constitucional |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Democratic Party or PD (formerly part of
National Democratic Group or AND) [Ladislau BARO SOLO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA
[Marc FORNE MOLNE] (used to be Liberal Union or UL); Liberal Union or UL [Francesc
CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO SOLO]; National Democratic
Initiative or IDN [Vicenc MATEU ZAMORA]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU CASSANY];
Social Democratic Party or PSD (formerly part of National Democratic Group of AND) [leader
NA]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio Parroquial d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO COMA]
note: there are two other small parties |
Economy
Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 9 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring
France
and Spain
have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited by a scarcity of arable land, and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising.
Manufacturing 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 - $1.3 billion
(2000 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3.8% (2000 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% (1995-96) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
4.3% (2000) |
|
Labor force:
|
33,000 (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78%
(2000 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
0% (1996 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism (particularly skiing), cattle
raising, timber, banking |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by
Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
small quantities of rye, wheat, barley,
oats, vegetables; sheep |
|
Exports:
|
$58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
tobacco products, furniture |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.077 billion (1998) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
consumer goods, food, electricity |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$NA |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
none |
|
Currency:
|
euro (EUR) |
|
Currency code:
|
EUR |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06
(2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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