Map of Andorra | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Southwestern Europe between France and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N 1 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 468 km²
Land: 468 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 120.3 km
Border countries: (2) 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
Extremes 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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: avalanches

Geography
Note: landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees


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Population: 82,627 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.899% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Andorran
Adjective: Andorran

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

Languages: Catalan (official) French Castilian Portuguese

Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 6,606/female 6,192)
15-64 years: 72.5% (male 31,313/female 28,563)
65 years and over: 12% (male 4,906/female 5,047) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 38.9 years
Male: 39.2 years
Female: 38.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.899% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 10.59 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 5.59 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.99 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 1.08 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.68 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.6 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.67 years
Male: 80.35 years
Female: 85.14 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.32 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2006)

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)

Youth unemployment


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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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
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)

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-ROSSELL
In the us chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 750-8,064
In the us fax: [1] (212) 750-6,630
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 8,034 Barcelona Spain; telephone: [34] (93) 280-2,227; FAX: [34] (93) 280-6,175

Flag description
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

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.77 billion (2005)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $38,800 (2005)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

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%

Labor force: 42,420 (2005)
By occupation agriculture: 0.3%
By occupation industry: 20.3%
By occupation services: 79.4% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 0% (1996 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $333.5 million
Expenditures: $386.6 million (2005)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2005)

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: $148.7 million f.o.b. (2005)
Commodities: tobacco products furniture

Imports: $1.879 billion (2005)
Commodities: consumer goods food electricity

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004) 0.886 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh
Exports: NA kWh
Imports: NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,200 (2007)
Mobile cellular: 68,500 (2007)

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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ad
Hosts: 23,368 (2008)
Users: 58,900 (2007)

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 270 km

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs