Map of Andorra | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Long isolated and impoverished mountainous Andorra has 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.


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Location: Southwestern Europe between France and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N 1 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries

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

Natural resources: hydropower mineral water timber iron ore lead

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: snowslides avalanches

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 66,824 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.22% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Spanish 43% Andorran 33% Portuguese 11% French 7% other 6% (1998)

Languages: Catalan (official) French Castilian

Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.22% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 10.58 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; waste water treatment and solid waste disposal

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 4.08 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its heads 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: Andorra la Vella

Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella Canillo Encamp La Massana Escaldes-Engordany Ordino Sant Julia de Loria

Dependent areas

Independence: 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain)

National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)

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: Liberal Party of Andorra (Partit Liberal d'Andorra) or PLA [Marc FORNE]; Liberal Union or UL [Francesc CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO SOLA]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vincenc MATEU ZAMORA]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU CASSANY]; Unio Parroquial d'Ordino or UPO [Simo DURO COMA]

International organization participation: CCC CE ECE ICRM IFRCS Interpol IOC ITU OSCE UN UNESCO WHO WIPO WToO

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 23 8,034 Barcelona Spain; telephone: (3,493) 280-2,227; FAX: (3,493) 205-7,705

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; 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,000 (1996 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: small quantities of tobacco rye wheat barley oats vegetables; sheep

Industries: tourism (particularly skiing) cattle raising timber tobacco banking

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 30,787 salaried employees (1998)
By occupation agriculture: 1%
By occupation industry: 21%
By occupation services: 72%
By occupation other: 6% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 0%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.62% (1998)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $58 million (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: tobacco products furniture
Partners: France 34% Spain 58% (1998)

Imports: $1.077 billion (c.i.f. 1998)
Commodities: consumer goods food electricity
Partners: Spain 48% France 35% US 2.3% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000) 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999) 5.8995 (1998) 5.8367 (1997) 5.1155 (1996) 4.9915 (1995); Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 143.39 (January 1999) 149.40 (1998) 146.41 (1997) 126.66 (1996) 124.69 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 116 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: NA kWh (1998 est.)
Exports: NA kWh
Imports: NA kWh; note - imports electricity from Spain and France

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 31,980 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 8,618 (1997)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: none

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs