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.

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 450 km²
Land: 450 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 125 km
Border countries: (2) France 60 km; , Spain 65 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 Valira 840 m
Extremes highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m

Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 56%
Forests and woodland: 22%
Other: 20% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: snowslides, avalanches

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 64,000 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.72% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Andorran(s)
Adjective: Andorran

Ethnic groups: Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%

Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian

Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14% (male 4,788; female 4,452)
15-64 years: 74% (male 25,291; female 21,807)
65 years and over: 12% (male 3,903; female 3,759) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.72% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.67 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.77 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.1 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83.45 years
Male: 80.53 years
Female: 86.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.21 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy: NA

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 heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials called veguers

Capital: Andorra la Vella

Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia; Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria

Independence: 1278

National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September

Constitution: Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; adopted 14 March 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) and Spanish Episcopal Coprince Monseigneur Juan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January 1971); note - each coprince is represented by a veguer (current names NA)
Head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994)
Cabinet: Executive Council designated by the executive council president
Elections: executive council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces; election last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
Election results: Marc FORNE Molne 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 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held February 2001)
Election results: percent of vote by party - UL 57%, AND 21%, IDN 7%, ND 7%, other 8%; seats by party - UL 16, AND 6, ND 2, IDN 2, UPO 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France) two civil judges appointed by the veguers, one appeals judge appointed by the coprinces alternately; Ecclesiastical Court of the Bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal des Cortes presided over by the two civil judges, one appeals judge, the veguers, and two members of the General Council

International organization participation: CE, ECE, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, WIPO, WToO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Juli MINOVES-TRIQUELL (also Permanent Representative to the UN)
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; 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:(343) 280-2,227; FAX:(343) 205-7,705; note - Consul General Maurice S. PARKER makes periodic visits to Andorra

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 that do not have a national coat of arms in the center

Economy overview: Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 10 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 growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,000 (1995 est.)

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

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

Industries: tourism (particularly skiing), sheep, timber, tobacco, banking

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 0%

Budget
Revenues: $138 million
Expenditures: $177 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $47 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: electricity, tobacco products, furniture
Partners: France 49%, Spain 47%

Imports
Total value: $1 billion (1995)
Commodities: consumer goods, food
Partners: France, Spain, US 4.2%

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992; Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 134.77 (January 1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992)

Electricity
Capacity: 35,000 kW (1992)
Production: 140 million kWh (1992)
Consumption per capita: NA kWh; note - Andorra exports most of its electricity to France and Spain

Telephones: 21,258 (1983 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges
International: landline circuits to France and Spain

Airports: none

Railways: 0 km

Disputes international: none