Andorra

Full name of country: Principality of Andorra

Region: Europe

Official language: Catalan

Population: 85,370 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Andorran(s) (noun), Andorran (adjective)

Land area: 468 sq km (181 sq miles)

Capital: Andorra la Vella

National anthem: "El Gran Carlemany" (The Great Charlemagne), by Joan Benlloch I Vivo/Enric Marfany Bons

National holiday: Our Lady of Meritxell Day, September 8 (1278)

Population growth: -0.12% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +1

Flag: Andorra’s flag features three vertical stripes of blue, yellow, and red, with the Andorran coat of arms emblazoned in the center yellow stripe, which is slightly wider than the other stripes.

Motto: “Virtus unita fortior” (Unity provides strength)

Independence: 1278 (formed under the joint sovereignty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell)

Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a co-principality; the two princes are the President of France and Bishop of Urgell, whose diocese is located in neighboring Spain; both co-princes maintain offices and representatives in Andorra

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil and customary law with the influence of canon law

The Principality of Andorra is a tiny nation located in the Pyrenees Mountains, between France and Spain. The name derives from the Navarrese dialect, probably meaning "land covered with shrubs." Andorra is part of the cultural region known as the "Catalan Countries" (Paisos Catalans), which includes parts of eastern Spain, southern France, and the Balearic Islands.

Established as a principality in the late thirteenth century, Andorra was ruled for centuries as a feudal domain. Since 1993, Andorra has been a parliamentary democracy, with the co-princes as heads of state. Andorra's modern prosperity came through tourism and its status as a tax haven.

After centuries of isolation, Andorra has become increasingly involved in the world community. Though not a member of the European Union (EU), it uses the euro as its currency and since 1990 has been part of the EU's customs union. Andorra joined the United Nations in 1993 and the Council of Europe in 1994.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: In 2024, ethnic Andorrans made up 32.1 percent, while spanish people made up 34.3 percent of Andorra's population . The predominance of residents from other countries is due in part to the migration of many Andorran natives in search of work, as well as Andorra's popularity as a tourist center and tax haven. The largest non-Andorran ethnic groups in the nation are Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Andorra is divided into seven parishes. The capital, Andorra la Vella ("Old Andorra"), is one of the country's largest population centers, located in the parish of the same name. In addition to its governmental role, the capital is a major commercial center. Another major parish is Escaldes-Engordany, home of an international jazz festival. Overdevelopment plagues many Andorran towns, though many smaller communities retain their picturesque feel.

The large majority of Andorrans are Roman Catholics. This reflects the country's historic status as a principality co-governed by the Roman Catholic bishop of Urgell, in neighboring Spain. The Catholic Church is not the official religion, though it does receive certain types of state support, including the right to provide optional religious instruction in the public schools. The rest of the population includes several thousand Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and various denominations of Protestants, including Anglican.

Catalan (Català), a Romance language, is Andorra's only official tongue. The languages of Andorra's foreign residents, particularly Castilian Spanish, Portuguese, and French, are also commonly used. Worldwide, Catalan is spoken primarily in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, Valencia, Aragon, Murcia (in the Carche region), and the Balearic Islands, as well as in parts of southern France and Sardinia. As part of the Ibero-Romance language family, Catalan is closely related to Castilian Spanish, Portuguese, and the languages of southern France, such as Provençal.

Indigenous People: Andorra has been populated since ancient times. During the Roman era, the territory was apparently part of the province of Acquitanian Gaul (southern France); modern archaeologists have found remains of Roman military settlements around Andorra.

The current population can date its ancestry at least to Roman times, as Catalan is directly descended from Latin. Only since World War II has Andorra been largely accessible to foreigners, thanks to improvements in transportation. Heavy immigration, particularly by French, Spanish, and Portuguese nationals, has made Andorra largely a nation of foreigners.

Education: Schooling in Andorra begins at the age of six and is mandatory through lower secondary school. The country's unique geographical position has led to the development of three parallel educational systems: French, Spanish, and Andorran.

In the 1990s, Andorra began developing a system of higher education. The University of Andorra was established in 1997 and consists of the University Nursing School within the College of Health and Education Sciences, the College of Business and Technology, and the College of eLearning and Lifelong Learning.

Health Care: Andorra has a nationalized health-care system, though private medical care is also available. All employed persons must belong to the system, which is funded by payroll taxes. The system is administered by the Andorran Social Security and the Andorran Health Care Service. Life expectancy is high, at 81.6 years for males and 86.2 for females according to 2024 estimates. According to the United Nations' Human Development Report 2022, Andorra ranked 35 out of 193 countries and territories on the United Nations' Human Development Index.

Food: Andorran cuisine is similar to that of the surrounding French and Spanish territories, focusing on hearty meat, vegetable, and dairy dishes. Trinxat is a vegetable dish consisting of cabbage, potatoes, and bacon. Popular meat dishes include beef and sausage. Cunillo is a regional dish made with rabbit.

Arts & Entertainment: Andorra has built its modern reputation as a tourist destination on mountain sports such as hiking and skiing, as well as sophisticated entertainment offerings such as live theater and music. Andorra is home to the Escaldes-Engordany International Jazz Festival, held each summer. Traditional folk dances popular in Andorra include the sardana, also the national dance of Catalonia, and the marratxa.

Andorra's Catalan heritage is becoming increasingly known on the world scene. The country has produced several well-known Catalan-language writers, such as the author-politician Ricard Fiter. Despite Andorra's small size, the country has an active mass media, including four national daily newspapers—El Periòdic d'Andorra, Diari d'Andorra, Diari Més, and the Andorran edition of Bondia—as well as several television and radio stations.

• Holidays: Andorra's major holidays are Roman Catholic saints' days. The national holiday is Our Lady of Meritxell Day (September 8), which honors the Virgin Mary. Other popular saints are Saint Jordi (George), the patron saint of Catalonia; and Saint Stephen, whose feast day is observed on December 26.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Located in the eastern Pyrenees, Andorra is a country composed largely of mountain valleys. Tributaries of the Valira River, the country's longest river, flow down separate valleys to meet at Escaldes. These formations mean that Andorra has a great deal of potential hydroelectric power.

In addition to the rivers, there are many lakes in Andorra, the largest being the Estanys de Juclar. The country's highest mountain is the Pic de Coma Pedrosa, which rises to 2,946 meters (9,665 feet).

Natural Resources: Andorra is historically poor in natural resources, other than timber, mineral water, and hydroelectric power. The electric grid was first constructed during the 1930s. There are some minerals deposits, mostly iron ore and lead. Agriculture is minimal due to the lack of arable land (only 1.7 percent of the total land area as of 2018).

Andorra's natural environment has been hurt by pollution and waste treatment. Other problems include erosion due to overgrazing and deforestation due to excessive timbering.

In 2004, Andorra's Madriu-Claror-Perafita Valley was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site was added because it demonstrates how the mountain peoples of the Pyrenees have sustained themselves with limited resources over the centuries.

Plants & Animals: Andorra's natural life is typical of the Pyrenees region, featuring alpine species such as the chamois (a large mammal similar to a goat). The forests are full of other large mammals, such as wild boar, and smaller species such as foxes and hares. There are many bird species found in Andorra, including partridges, robins, and woodpeckers.

The most common species of trees and wildflowers found in Andorra are subalpine and alpine varieties. Typical tree species include pine, birch, and oak. One of the most common wildflowers is poet's narcissus.

Climate: Andorra's climate is largely temperate, though it experiences cold and snowy winters, particularly up in the mountains, which helps the skiing industry. The average January temperature in the capital ranges from –2 degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit) to 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit).

The influence of Mediterranean breezes also moderates the weather. Summers are warm and generally dry. The average temperature in July ranges from 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) to 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). However, ongoing effects of climate change meant some shifts in air temperature and precipitation.

Economy

Andorra was a relatively poor country well into the twentieth century due to its geographical remoteness and lack of resources. For many years, Andorra was seen as a place where tourists from France and Spain could buy duty-free goods, particularly items such as alcohol and cigarettes. The country also had a reputation as a transit point for smuggled goods. It was known as a tax haven, and many banks relocated to Andorra to take advantage of the country's low tax rates.

Andorra's relationship with the European Union (EU) has changed its economy somewhat, although the principality still retains its special duty-free status in many cases. In addition, Andorra is cracking down on smuggling to comply with EU regulations.

In 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP; purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$5.168 billion. Per capita GDP was approximately US$64,500 in 2023.

Industry: Despite changes to the country's taxation policies in the 2000s and 2010s, banking remains one of Andorra's prime industries.

Other light industries include the manufacture of furniture and consumer goods such as tobacco. Andorra's main trading partners are neighboring Spain and France as well as Italy.

Andorra's rivers produce substantial quantities of hydroelectric power, most of which is exported to France and Spain. Energy agreements are handled by the state-run energy company.

Agriculture: Due to lack of arable land, Andorra has a very small agricultural sector. Many farmers raise sheep or cattle, though this has contributed to erosion on the mountain meadows. The major crops are rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables, and tobacco.

Tourism: Andorra has promoted itself as winter sport resort and a summer destination spot. Tourism is the main economic sector in Andorra. In 2009, in the midst of the global financial crisis that began in 2008, the number of tourists declined somewhat from approximately 2.1 million international arrivals the previous year to about 1.8 million. However, the industry soon began to pick up again, and from 2010 to 2013, the number of international arrivals rose from around 1.8 million to 2.3 million. In 2020, there were 5 million visitors, and while the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions did limit tourism in the country somewhat, the World Tourism Organization reported that in 2021 there were approximately 5,422,000 visitors.

In addition to mountain sports and shopping, tourist attractions include picturesque medieval churches in the Romanesque style and the National Automobile Museum in Ordino.

The country's transportation infrastructure is limited, despite its economic growth since World War II. Andorra is accessible only by land via France or Spain; it has no airport.

Government

Andorra was founded as a principality in 1278, when the Count of Foix (in France) and the Bishop of Urgell, Spain, agreed to settle their territorial dispute by ruling the land jointly as "co-princes." The rights of the Count of Foix passed in 1607 to the French Crown and from there to the French president.

Andorra established its current parliamentary government in 1993 as the result of a referendum. The co-princes remain as titular heads of state, but executive power is held by the Cap de Govern (head of government). Each co-prince has a delegate who represents them in Andorra.

Even before the referendum, Andorra had made some moves in the direction of greater popular government. In 1981, the country established a prime minister and cabinet. Previously, the rule of the co-princes had been exercised by an executive officer known as the "Syndic" and the twenty-eight member General Council of the Valleys.

For most of its history, Andorra has been independent, though it was briefly annexed by Napoleon and has been occupied at times by either France or Spain. Andorra has no military, only police forces; national defense is handled by France and Spain. The country has a special arrangement with the European Union, focusing on commercial issues such as Andorra's duty-free status.

The executive branch is known as the Executive Council, headed by a president elected from its own membership for a term of four years. The co-princes formally appoint the president, who serves as head of government.

The Andorran legislature is the General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de las Valls), a single-house body with twenty-eight members. Elections are by direct popular vote, for four-year terms. The legislature mimics the action of a two-house legislature by having fourteen members represent the entire nation, while the other fourteen members represent the country's seven parishes. The leadership is known as the Sindicatura, or Speaker's Office.

Andorra's highest court is the Supreme Court of Justice. There are a number of inferior courts, including the Constitutional Tribunal, which handles cases involving constitutional law. The legal system is based on the civil law of France and Spain.

Local government is handled by the country's seven parishes. Andorra la Vella, the capital, forms one parish. The others are Canillo, Encamp, Ordino, La Massana, Sant Julià de Lòria, and Escaldes-Engordany.

Xavier Espot Zamora became prime minister following the April 2019 general elections. He was reelected as prime minister in April 2023.

Interesting Facts

• According to tradition, Andorra was established during the reign of Charlemagne, as a buffer state to protect his realm from invasion against the Spanish Moors. The Andorran National Anthem commemorates this tradition.
• The Andorran national flag displays the arms of the Spanish bishop of Urgell (one of Andorra's original co-princes) as well as symbols of the French count of Foix.
• Andorra is home to a three-mile-long slide, the longest in the world.
• In 2023, Andorra's prime minister, Xavier Espot Zamora, came out as gay, making him one of the few out world leaders by that time.

Bibliography

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"Andorra." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/andorra. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

"Andorra." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 15 Jan. 2025., www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/an.html. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division. "Andorra." World Statistics Pocketbook, series V, no. 45, United Nations, 31 June 2021, p. 37, unstats.un.org/unsd/publications/pocketbook/files/world-stats-pocketbook-2021.pdf. Accessed 22 July 2022.

Human Development Report 2021/2022. United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf‗1.pdf. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Lewis, M Paul, et al, editors. "Andorra." Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th ed., SIL International, 2016, www.ethnologue.com/country/AD. Accessed 21 July 2016.

"Andorra." BBC News, Andorra country profile, 4 Oct. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17028050. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.