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 Seu d'Urgell). In 1993 this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. For decades Andorra enjoyed its status as a small refuge of fiscal and banking freedom and benefitted from Spanish and French tourists attracted to the country's duty-free shopping. The situation has changed in recent years as Andorra started to tax foreign investment and other sectors. Tourism accounts for over 80% of Andorra's gross domestic product.

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N 1 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 468 km²
Rank: 194
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: Pic de 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

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

Population: 84,525 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 198
Growth rate: 0.382% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 166
Below poverty line: 8% (2008)

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.5%
15-64 years: 72.2% (male 31,604/female 28,925)
65 years and over: 12.3% (male 5,113/female 5,231) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.9 years
Male: 40.2 years
Female: 39.6 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.382% (2010 est.)
Rank: 166

Birth rate: 10.03 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 196

Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 158

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 71

Urbanization
Urban population: 89% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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 Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.066 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.84 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 207
Male: 3.79 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.89 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.36 years
Rank: 4
Male: 80.3 years
Female: 84.55 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 206

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 141

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 12 years (2008)

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 Seu d'Urgell Spain who are represented in Andorra by the 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 Seu d'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 ; represented by Christian FREMONT (since September 2008) 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 Jaume BARTUMEU Cassany (since 5 June 2009)
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 on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in April-May 2013)
Election results: Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY 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 26 April 2009 (next to be held in March-April 2013)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45% Reformist Coaliton 32% Andorra for Change 19% Andorran Green 4%; seats by party - PS 14 Reformist Coalition 11 Andorra for Change 3

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; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional

Political parties and leaders: Andorra for Change [Juan Eusebio NOMEN CALVET]; Greens of Andorra [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Joan GABRIEL i ESTANY] (formerly Liberal Union or UL); New Center [Vicenc MATEU] (formerly Andorran Democratic Center Party); Reformist Coalition [Joan GABRIEL i ESTANY] (includes the Liberal Party and New Center); 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 Narcis CASAL Fonsdeviela
In the us chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza 27th 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 US 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: three vertical bands of blue (hoist side) yellow and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the latter band is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of band widths is 8:9:8; the coat of arms features a quartered shield with the emblems of (starting in the upper left and proceeding clockwise): Urgell Foix Bearn and Catalonia; the motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength United is Stronger); the flag combines the blue and red French colors with the red and yellow of Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection
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 anthem
Name: 'El Gran Carlemany'
Lyricsmusic: Joan BENLLOCH i VIVO/Enric Marfany BONS
Note: adopted 1921; the anthem provides a brief history of Andorra in a first person narrative

Economy overview: Tourism the mainstay of Andorra's tiny well-to-do economy accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11 million tourists visit annually attracted by Andorra's duty-free status for some products and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage eroded when the borders of neighboring France and Spain opened 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:
Rank: 166

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 136

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 12

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: 42,220 (2008)
Rank: 193
By occupation agriculture: 0.5%
By occupation industry: 18.5%
By occupation services: 81% (2008)

Unemployment rate: 0% (2007)
Rank: 69

Population below poverty line: 8% (2008)

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

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.9% (2007)
Rank: 67

Exports: $117.1 million (2007)
Rank: 195
Commodities: tobacco products furniture

Imports: $1.789 billion (2007)
Rank: 154
Commodities: consumer goods food electricity

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010) 0.7179 (2009) 0.6827 (2008) 0.7306 (2007) 0.7964 (2006)

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

Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,900 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 171
Mobile cellular: 64,500 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 191

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: 1 public television station and 2 public radio stations; a few commercial radio stations operating; good reception of radio and TV broadcasts from stations in France and Spain (2008)

Internet
Country code: .ad
Hosts: 26,773 (2010)
Hosts rank: 100
Users: 67,100 (2009)
Users rank: 170

Roadways
Total: 320 km
Rank: 201

Disputes international: none