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Andorra
  Population: 71,822

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
  • People
  • Government
  • Economy
  • Communications
  • Transportation
  • Military
  • Geography
    Landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees.
    Location:Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain
    Geographic coordinates:42 30 N, 1 30 E
    Area:total: 468 sq km
    land: 468 sq km
    water: 0 sq km

    Size comparison: 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: 2.13%
    permanent crops: 0%
    other: 97.87% (2005)
    Irrigated land:NA
    Natural hazards:avalanches
    Current Environment Issues:deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal
    International Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
    signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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    People
    Population:71,822 (July 2007 est.)
    Age structure:0-14 years: 14.5% (male 5,433/female 4,984)
    15-64 years: 71.2% (male 26,775/female 24,354)
    65 years and over: 14.3% (male 5,074/female 5,202) (2007 est.)
    Median age:total: 41.5 years
    male: 41.8 years
    female: 41.3 years (2007 est.)
    Population growth rate:0.842% (2007 est.)
    Birth rate:8.45 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
    Death rate:6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
    Net migration rate:6.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
    Sex ratio:at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
    under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
    15-64 years: 1.099 male(s)/female
    65 years and over: 0.975 male(s)/female
    total population: 1.079 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
    Infant mortality rate:total: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births
    male: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
    female: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
    Life expectancy at birth:total population: 83.52 years
    male: 80.62 years
    female: 86.62 years (2007 est.)
    Total fertility rate:1.31 children born/woman (2007 est.)
    HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
    HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
    HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
    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: NA
    total population: 100%
    male: 100%
    female: 100%
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    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: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 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 (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 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 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: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 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 or CDA (formerly Democratic Party or PD); Century 21 or 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)
    Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
    International organization participation:CE, 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 Julian VILA COMA
    chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
    telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
    FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630
    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 de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (3) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (3) 205-5206
    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 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 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
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    Economy
    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.
    GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.77 billion (2005)
    GDP (official exchange rate):$NA
    GDP - real growth rate:3.5% (2005 est.)
    GDP - per capita (PPP):$38,800 (2005)
    GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: NA%
    industry: NA%
    services: NA%
    Labor force:42,420 (2005)
    Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 0.3%
    industry: 20.3%
    services: 79.4% (2005)
    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):3.2% (2005)
    Budget:revenues: $333.5 million
    expenditures: $386.6 million (2005)
    Public debt:
    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%
    Electricity - production:NA kWh
    Electricity - consumption:NA kWh
    Electricity - exports:NA kWh
    Electricity - imports:NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower
    Oil - production:
    Oil - consumption:
    Oil - exports:
    Oil - imports:
    Oil - proved reserves:
    Natural gas - production:
    Natural gas - consumption:
    Exports:$148.7 million f.o.b. (2005)
    Exports - commodities:tobacco products, furniture
    Exports - partners:Spain 59.5%, France 17.0% (2006)
    Imports:$1.879 billion (2005)
    Imports - commodities:consumer goods, food, electricity
    Imports - partners:Spain 53.2%, France 21.1% (2006)
    Debt - external:$NA
    Currency (code):euro (EUR)
    Exchange rates:euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
    Fiscal year:calendar year
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    Communications
    Telephones - main lines in use:35,400 (2005)
    Telephones - mobile cellular:64,600 (2005)
    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
    Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)
    Television broadcast stations:0 (1997)
    Internet country code:.ad
    Internet hosts:15,486 (2007)
    Internet users:23,200 (2006)
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    Transportation
    Airports:
    Airports - with paved runways:
    Roadways:total: 269 km
    paved: 198 km
    unpaved: 71 km
    Ports and terminals:
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    Military
    Defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
    Military branches:no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra
    Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 18,418 (2005 est.)
    Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 14,721 (2005 est.)
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    Source: CIA - The World Factbook

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