|
Background: |
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 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. |
|
Location: |
Southwestern Europe, between
France and Spain |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
42 30 N, 1 30 E |
|
Map references: |
Europe |
|
Area: |
total: 468 sq km
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: |
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
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note: |
landlocked; straddles a number
of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
|
Population: |
72,413 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 14.3% (male
5,404/female 4,966)
15-64 years: 71% (male 26,892/female
24,519)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 5,246/female 5,386)
(2008 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 42.1 years
male: 42.3 years
female: 41.9 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
0.797% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
8.23 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.63 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
6.37 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.07
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97
male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 4.03 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 4.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 83.53
years
male: 80.63 years
female: 86.63 years (2008
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.32 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
|
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% |
|
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 Seo de Urgel, Spain, who
are represented locally by 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 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 Philippe
MASSONI (since 26 July 2002) 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
Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005)
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 24 April 2005 (next to be held in April-May 2009)
election results: Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA 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 24 April 2005 (next to be held in
March-April 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS
12, CDA-S21 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: |
Andorran Democratic Center
Party (formerly Democratic Party or PD) and Century 21 or CDA and S21
[Enric TARRADO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Albert PINTAT
SANTOLARIA] (formerly Liberal Union or UL); 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 Carles FONT
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 Consulate General's office in
Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23,
08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (3) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (3)
205-5206 |
|
Flag description: |
three equal vertical bands of
blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered
in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield
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 - overview: |
Tourism, the mainstay of
Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An
estimated 11.6 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 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): |
$2.77 billion (2005) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
3.5% (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$38,800 (2005) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Labor force: |
42,420 (2005) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 20.3%
services: 79.4% (2005) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
0% (1996 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.2% (2005) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $333.5 million
expenditures: $386.6 million (2005) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
small quantities of rye, wheat,
barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
|
Industries: |
tourism (particularly skiing),
cattle raising, timber, banking, tobacco, furniture |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
|
Electricity - production: |
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
NA |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - exports: |
NA kWh |
|
Electricity - imports: |
NA kWh; note - most electricity
supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of
hydropower |
|
Exports: |
$148.7 million f.o.b. (2005)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
tobacco products, furniture
|
|
Exports - partners: |
Spain 59.5%, France 17.0%
(2006) |
|
Imports: |
$1.879 billion (2005) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
consumer goods, food,
electricity |
|
Imports - partners: |
Spain 53.2%, France 21.1%
(2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$0 |
|
Debt - external: |
|
|
Currency (code): |
euro (EUR) |
|
Currency code: |
EUR |
|
Exchange rates: |
euros per US dollar - 0.7345
(2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
35,400 (2005) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
64,600 (2005) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges
international: country code - 376; landline
circuits to France and Spain |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)
|
|
Radios: |
16,000 (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
0 (1997) |
|
Televisions: |
27,000 (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.ad |
|
Internet hosts: |
15,486 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
23,200 (2006) |
|
Military branches: |
no regular military forces,
Police Service of Andorra |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 18,685
(2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 14,976
(2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 372
(2008 est.) |
|
Military - note: |
defense is the responsibility
of France and Spain |
| Transnational Issues |
Andorra |
|
Disputes - international: |
none |
|
