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.

 

Geography

 

Location: Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

 

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E

 

Map references: Europe

 

Area:

total: 468 sq km

land: 468 sq km

water: 0 sq km

 

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

 

Land boundaries:

total: 120.3 km

border countries: 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;highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m

 

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

 

Land use: arable land: 2.22%;permanent crops: 0%;other: 97.78% (2001)

 

Irrigated land: N/A sq km

 

Natural hazards: avalanches

 

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

 

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Hazardous Wastes

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

 

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

 

People

 

Population: 70,549 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.8% (male 5,471/female 4,995)

15-64 years: 71.5% (male 26,463/female 23,977)

65 years and over: 13.7% (male 4,780/female 4,863) (2005 est.)

 

Median age:

total: 40.34 years

male: 40.63 years

female: 40.02 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 0.95% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 6.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate:

total: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births;

female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 83.51 years

male: 80.6 years;female: 86.6 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 1.29 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: N/A%

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: N/A

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: N/A

 

Nationality:

noun: Andorran(s)    adjective: Andorran

 

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

 

Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)

 

Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese

 

Literacy:

definition: N/A

total population: 100%

 

Government

 

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: Andorra la Vella

 

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

 

Independence: 1278 (was 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; 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

 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch:

chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)

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 4 March 2001 (next to be held April-May 2005)

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 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA 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

 

Economy

 

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 - 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.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.9 billion (2003 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (2003 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $26,800 (2003 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%;industry: NA%;services: NA%

 

Labor force: 33,000 (2001 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 0% (1996 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: NA%

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%;highest 10%: NA%

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (2000)

 

Budget:

revenues: $385 million

expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)

 

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

 

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

 

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

 

Electricity - production: NA kWh

 

Electricity - consumption: NA kWh

 

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

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

 

Exports: $58 million f.o.b. (1998)

 

Exports - commodities: tobacco products, furniture

 

Exports - partners: Spain 58%, France 34% (2000)

 

Imports: $1.077 billion (1998)

 

Imports - commodities: consumer goods, food, electricity

 

Imports - partners: Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000)

 

Debt - external: $N/A

 

Economic aid - recipient: none

 

Currency (code): euro (EUR)

 

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 35,000 (2001)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 23,500 (2001)

 

Telephone system:

general assessment: N/A

domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges

international: country code - 376

landline circuits to France and Spain

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)

 

Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)

 

Internet country code: .ad

 

Internet hosts: 4,144 (2004)

 

Internet users: 24,500 (2001)

 

Transportation

 

Highways:

total: 269 km

paved: 198 km;unpaved: 71 km

 

Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 1

 

Airports: none (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none