Andorra , officially the
Principality of Andorra , also called the
Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small landlocked country in southwestern
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, located in the eastern
PyreneesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth
smallest nation in EuropeThe European microstates or ministates are a set of very small states in Europe. While Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City, are usually included, Luxembourg, Cyprus, and Iceland share certain features as well...
having an area of and an estimated population of 84,484 in 2008. Its capital is
Andorra la VellaAndorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
. The official language is
CatalanCatalan is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencià , as well as in the city of Alghero on the Italian island of...
, although Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also commonly spoken.
The Principality was formed in 1278, and sovereignty is shared between France and the Bishop of Urgell, Spain. It is a prosperous country mainly because of its tourism industry, which services an estimated 9.5 million visitors annually, and also because of its status as a
tax havenA tax haven is a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all.Individuals and/or Corporate entities can find it attractive to move themselves to areas with reduced or nil taxation levels. This creates a situation of tax competition among governments...
. It is not a member of the European Union, but the
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
is the
de facto currency. The people of Andorra have the
2nd highest human life expectancy in the world — 82 years at birth.
History
Tradition holds that Charles the Great (
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
) granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for fighting against the
MoorsThe description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim people of Berber, Black African and Arab descent from North Africa, some of whom came to conquer and occupy the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. The North Africans termed it Al Andalus, comprising most...
. Overlordship of the territory was by the Count of Urgell and eventually by the bishop of the
Diocese of UrgellThe Diocese of Urgell is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical unit in Catalonia, Spain, with origins in the fifth century AD or possibly earlier.Among its most notable events are Bishop Felix's adoptionist revolt, the coup of Bishop Esclua and the overthrowing of the bishop by members of aristocratic...
. In 988, Borrell II, Count of Urgell, gave the Andorran valleys to the Diocese of Urgell when the Count expanded his territory to the south. Since then the Bishop of Urgell, based in
Seu d'UrgellLa Seu d'Urgell is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees, is the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes...
, has owned Andorra.
Before 1095, Andorra did not have any type of military protection and the Bishop of Urgell, who knew that the Count of Urgell wanted to reclaim the Andorran valleys, asked for help and protection from the Lord of Caboet. In 1095, the Lord of Caboet and the Bishop of Urgell signed under oath a declaration of their co-sovereignty over Andorra. Arnalda, daughter of Arnau of Caboet, married the Viscount of Castellbò and both became Viscounts of Castellbò and Cerdanya. Years later their daughter, Ermessenda, married Roger Bernat II of the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
Count of Foix. They became Roger Bernat II and Ermessenda I, Counts of Foix, Viscounts of Castellbò and Cerdanya, and also co-sovereigns of Andorra (shared with the Bishop of Urgell).
In the eleventh century, a dispute arose between the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix. The conflict was resolved in 1278 with the mediation of
AragonAragon is an autonomous community of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces from north to south: Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza .Aragon's northern province of Huesca borders France and is positioned in the middle of the Pyrenees...
by the signing of the first
paréageIn Medieval France a paréage or pariage was a feudal treaty recognising joint sovereignty over a territory by two rulers, who were on an equal footing, pari passu; compare peer. On a familial scale, paréage could also refer to the equal division of lands and the titles they brought between sons of...
which provided that Andorra's sovereignty be shared between the count of Foix (whose title would ultimately transfer to the French head of state) and the Bishop of Urgell, in
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
. This gave the
principalityA principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
its territory and political form.
Over the years, the French co-title to Andorra passed to the kings of Navarre. After Henry of Navarre became King
Henry IV of FranceHenry IV was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France. His parents were Queen Jeanne III and King Antoine of Navarre.As a Huguenot, Henry was involved in the Wars of Religion before...
, he issued an edict in 1607 that established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra. In 1812–13, the
First French EmpireThe French Empire
, also known as the Greater French Empire or First French Empire, but more commonly known as the Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I in France...
annexed
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
and divided it in four départements, with Andorra being made part of the district of
PuigcerdàPuigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdagne, in the Girona province, in Catalonia, Spain, located at 1,202 metres above the sea, by the river Segre, right by the border with France. Population 6,356 .- History :...
(département of
SègreSegre may be* Beniamino Segre , Italian geometer* Corrado Segre , Italian geometer distantly related to Beniamino* Emilio Segrè , Italian American physicist* Segre River, a river in Catalonia...
).
Andorra declared war on Imperial Germany during
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, but did not actually take part in the fighting. (It technically remained in an official state of belligerency until 1957 as it was not included in the
Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
.)
In 1933, France occupied Andorra as a result of social unrest before elections. On July 12, 1934, adventurer
Boris SkossyreffBoris Skossyreff was an adventurer who attempted to seize power in the European state of Andorra during the early 1930s. Russian sources give his name in Cyrillic as Борис Скосырев, for which the modern English transliteration would be Skosyrev.In January 1919, a Boris Skossyreff - aged 22 and a...
issued a proclamation in Urgell, declaring himself Boris I, sovereign prince of Andorra, simultaneously declaring war on the Bishop of Urgell. He was arrested by Spanish authorities on July 20 and ultimately expelled from Spain. From 1936 to 1940, a French detachment was garrisoned in Andorra to prevent influences of the
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
and Franco's Spain. Francoist troops reached the Andorran border in the later stages of the war. During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Andorra remained neutral and was an important smuggling route between
Vichy FranceVichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944. This government, which succeeded the Third Republic, officially called itself the French State , in contrast with the previous designation, "French Republic." Marshal...
and Spain.
Given its relative isolation, Andorra has existed outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to countries other than France and Spain. In recent times, however, its thriving tourist industry along with developments in transport and communications have removed the country from its isolation. Its political system was thoroughly modernised in 1993, the year in which it became a member of the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
and the
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
.
Politics
Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality with the
President of FranceThe President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....
and the Bishop of Urgell (
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
, Spain), as
co-princes, in a
duumvirateA duumvirate is an alliance between two equally powerful political or military leaders. The term can also be used to describe a state with two different military leaders who both declare themselves to be the sole leader of the state....
. The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a
parliamentaryA parliamentary system is a system of government where in the ministers of the executive branch are drawn from the legislature, and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined...
representative democracyElectoral democracies require a majority of the votes cast. Many representative democracies are constitutional republics in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law".- Criticisms :...
, whereby the Prime Minister of Andorra is the
head of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc...
, and of a pluriform multi-party system.
The current Prime Minister is
Jaume BartumeuJaume Bartumeu Cassany is an Andorran lawyer and politician currently serving as head of government. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party in June 2000, in which he held the position of first secretary between 2000 and 2004...
of the Social Democratic Party (PS).
Executive powerExecutive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counterterrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.
The Parliament of Andorra is known as the General Council. The General Council consists of between 28 and 42 Councilors, as the members of the legislative branch are called. The Councilors serve for four-year terms and elections are held between the thirtieth and fortieth days following the dissolution of the previous Council. The Councilors can be elected on two equal constituencies. Half are elected in equal number from each of the seven administrative parishes and the other half of the Councilors are elected from a single national constituency. Fifteen days after the election, the Councilors hold their inauguration. During this session, the Syndic General, who is the head of the General Council, and the Subsyndic General, his assistant, are elected. Eight days later, the Council convenes once more. During this session the Head of Government, the Prime Minister of Andorra, is chosen from among the Councilors.
Candidates for the prime-ministerial nomination can be proposed by a minimum of one-fifth of the Councilors. The Council then elects the candidate with the absolute majority of votes to be Head of Government. The Syndic General then notifies the Co-princes who in turn appoint the elected candidate as the Prime Minister of Andorra. The General Council is also responsible for proposing and passing laws. Bills may be presented to the Council as Private Members' Bills by three of the Local Parish Councils jointly or by at least one tenth of the citizens of Andorra.
The Council also approves the annual budget of the principality. The government must submit the proposed budget for parliamentary approval at least two months before the previous budget expires. If the budget is not approved by the first day of the next year, the previous budget is extended until a new one is approved. Once any bill is approved, the Syndic General is responsible for presenting it to the Co-princes so that they may sign and enact it.
If the Head of Government is not satisfied with the Council, he may request that the Co-princes dissolve the Council and order new elections. In turn, the Councilors have the power to remove the Head of Government from office. After a motion of censure is approved by at least one-fifth of the Councilors, the Council will vote and if it receives the absolute majority of votes, the Prime Minister is removed.
Law and criminal justice
The judiciary is composed of the Magistrates Court, the Criminal Law Court, the High Court of Andorra, and the Constitutional Court. The High Court of Justice is composed of five judges: one appointed by the Head of Government, one each by the Coprinces, one by the Syndic General, and one by the Judges and Magistrates. It is presided over by the member appointed by the Syndic General and the judges hold office for six-year terms. The Magistrates and Judges are appointed by the High Court, and so is the President of the Criminal Law Court. The High Court also appoints members of the Office of the Attorney General. The Constitutional Court is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and reviewing all appeals of unconstitutionality against laws and treaties. It is composed of four judges, one appointed by each of the Coprinces and two by the General Council. They serve eight-year terms. The Court is presided over by one of the Judges on a two-year rotation so that each judge at one point will be the leader of the Court.
Foreign relations and defence
Responsibility for defending Andorra rests with Spain and France.
Geography
Image:Andorramap.png|thumb|250px|Map of Andorra with its seven parishes labeled (enlarge map)
rect 34 350 121 404 Andorra la VellaAndorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
rect 443 148 519 172 CanilloCanillo is one of the parishes of Andorra. Canillo is also the name of the main town of the parish. Canillo has a gondola link to the main ski resort of Grandvalira...
rect 437 363 520 389 EncampEncamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira River , and connected by a 6.2 km-long cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of...
rect 352 443 464 498 Escaldes-EngordanyEscaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
rect 36 223 155 247 La MassanaLa Massana is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. . La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish...
rect 284 78 354 103 OrdinoOrdino is the most northerly parish in the Principality of Andorra. Ordino is also the name of the main town of the parish. The main other settlements are El Serrat, Ansalonga, Sornàs, La Cortinada, Llorts, Segudet, and Arans. It is home to the Sorteny National Park...
rect 208 567 304 618 Sant Julià de LòriaSant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish. Other settlements in the parish include Bixessarri, Alixàs, Aixovall, Certers, Llumeneres, Nagol, Aixirivall, Auvinyà, Juberri, Fontaneda, and...
rect 651 54 745 83 FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
rect 484 583 560 619 SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
Parishes
Andorra consists of seven parishes:
- Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
- Canillo
Canillo is one of the parishes of Andorra. Canillo is also the name of the main town of the parish. Canillo has a gondola link to the main ski resort of Grandvalira...
- Encamp
Encamp is one of the parishes of Andorra, located on the Valira River , and connected by a 6.2 km-long cable car to Lake Engolasters. It is also the name of the main town in the parish. Other settlements include Vila, El Pas de la Casa, Grau Roig, el Tremat, la Mosquera, and Les Bons. As of...
- Escaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
- La Massana
La Massana is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. . La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish...
- Ordino
Ordino is the most northerly parish in the Principality of Andorra. Ordino is also the name of the main town of the parish. The main other settlements are El Serrat, Ansalonga, Sornàs, La Cortinada, Llorts, Segudet, and Arans. It is home to the Sorteny National Park...
- Sant Julià de Lòria
Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish. Other settlements in the parish include Bixessarri, Alixàs, Aixovall, Certers, Llumeneres, Nagol, Aixirivall, Auvinyà, Juberri, Fontaneda, and...
Physical geography
Due to its location in the eastern
PyreneesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of with the highest being the
Coma PedrosaComa Pedrosa is the highest point in the principality of Andorra. Located in the northwest of the tiny Pyreneean nation, it rises to a height of 2942 metres . The nearest town is Arinsal, La Massana....
at . These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the
Valira river, leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra's lowest point of ). Andorra's surface area is .
PhytogeographicallyPhytogeography, also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species, or more generally, plants...
, Andorra belongs to the Atlantic European province of the
Circumboreal RegionThe Circumboreal Region is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom in Eurasia and North America, as delineated by such geobotanists as Josias Braun-Blanquet and Armen Takhtajan...
within the
Boreal KingdomThe Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom is a floristic kingdom identified by botanist Ronald Good , which includes the temperate-to-arctic portions of North America and Eurasia. Its flora is inherited from the ancient supercontinent of Laurasia...
. According to the
WWFThe World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada...
, the territory of Andorra belongs to the ecoregion of Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests.
Climate
Andorra has a temperate climate similar to that of its neighbours, but its higher altitude means there is, on average, more snow in winter, lower humidity, and it is slightly cooler in summer. There are, on average, 300 days per year of sunshine.
Economy
TourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of
GDPThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is a basic measure of a country's economic performance and is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year...
. 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 adjoining France and Spain have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower
tariffA tariff is a duty imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary.-History:...
s.
The banking sector, with its
tax havenA tax haven is a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all.Individuals and/or Corporate entities can find it attractive to move themselves to areas with reduced or nil taxation levels. This creates a situation of tax competition among governments...
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. Some tobacco is grown locally. The principal livestock activity is domestic sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra's natural resources include hydroelectric power, mineral water, timber, iron ore, and lead.
Andorra is not a member of the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
, but enjoys a
special relationshipThere are a number of microstates in Europe; due to their size they are often closely linked with another larger state. Currently, the European microstates have special relations with the European Union....
with it, such as being treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. Andorra lacks a
currencyIn economics, the term currency can refer either to a particular currency, for example the US dollar, or to the coins and banknotes of a particular currency, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
of its own and uses that of its two surrounding nations. Prior to 2002 these were the
French francThe franc was a former currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
and the Spanish
pesetaPeseta may refer to:*The Spanish peseta, the former currency of Spain*The Catalan peseta, the former currency of Catalonia*Ex gang members in Prisons in Honduras...
, which have since been both replaced by the EU's single currency, the
euroThe euro is the official currency of 16 of the 27 Member States of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone, are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain...
. Andorra is negotiating to issue its own euro coins.
Population
The population of Andorra is estimated to be 83,888 (July 2009). The population has grown from 5,000 in 1900, and reached a peak of 84,484 (estimated) in July 2008.
Andorrans who are ethnically
CatalansThe Catalans are the people from, or with origins in Catalonia, an Autonomous Community in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France –known in Catalonia proper as Catalunya Nord, and in France as the Pays Catalan– are often included in this definition.-Extended concept:The...
are a minority in their own country (31,363),; Spaniards (not from Catalonia) (27,300), Portuguese (13,794), French (5,213), Britons (1,085) and
ItaliansThe Italian people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common Italian culture, descent, and speaking the Italian language as a mother tongue...
make up 67.7% of Andorra's population.
Languages
The national language is
CatalanCatalan is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencià , as well as in the city of Alghero on the Italian island of...
, a Romance language. Most Andorrans also speak Spanish, French or both. Andorra is one of only four European countries (together with France, Monaco, and Turkey) that have never signed the
Council of Europe Framework Convention on National MinoritiesThe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed on February 1995 by 22 member States of the Council of Europe ....
.
Religion
The population of Andorra is predominantly
Roman CatholicCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
. Their patron saint is
Our Lady of MeritxellOur Lady of Meritxell is an Andorran Roman Catholic statue depicting an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Meritxell is the patron saint of Andorra. The original statue dates from the late 12th century. However, the chapel in which it was housed burned down on September 8 and 9, 1972, and...
.
Education
Children between the ages of 6 and 16 are required by law to have full-time education. Education up to secondary level is provided free of charge by the government.
There are three systems of schools – Andorran, French and Spanish – which use Catalan, French and Spanish, respectively, as the main language of instruction. Parents may choose which system their children attend. All schools are built and maintained by Andorran authorities, but teachers in the French and Spanish schools are paid for the most part by France and Spain. About 50% of Andorran children attend the French primary schools, and the rest attend Spanish or Andorran schools.
In July 1997, the Andorran Government passed a law on universities and shortly afterward, the University of Andorra was established. The geographical complexity of the country as well as the small number of students prevents the University of Andorra from developing a full academic programme, and it serves principally as a centre for virtual studies, connected to Spanish and French universities. The only two graduate schools in Andorra are the Nursing School and the School of Computer Science.
Healthcare
Healthcare in Andorra is provided to all employed persons and their families by the government-run social security system,
CASSCASS enables the United States Postal Service to evaluate the accuracy of software that cleans and matches addresses...
(Caixa Andorrana de Seguretat Social), which is funded by employer and employee contributions in respect of salaries. The cost of healthcare is covered by CASS at rates of 75% for out-patient expenses such as medicines and hospital visits, 90% for hospitalisation, and 100% for work-related accidents. The remainder of the costs may be covered by private health insurance. Other residents and tourists require full private health insurance.
The main hospital, Meritxell, is in
Escaldes-EngordanyEscaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
. Its services include 24-hour accident and emergency, anatomy, angiology, pathology, anesthesiology, clinical cardiology, clinical biochemistry, clinical neurology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, geriatrics, hematology, immunology, intensive care, internal medicine, medical oncology, microbiology, nephrology and dialysis, neurophysiology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaringology, orthopedics, pediatrics, physiotherapy, neonatology, plastic surgery, general surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, thoracic surgery, trauma surgery, cardiovascular surgery, parasitology, psychiatry, radiodiagnostics, radiotherapy, urology, and venerealogy.
There are also 12 primary health care centres in various locations around the Principality.
Transport
Andorra has a road network of , of which is unpaved. The two main roads out of
Andorra La VellaAndorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
are the CG-1 to the Spanish border, and the CG-2 to the French border via the Envalira Tunnel near
Pas de la CasaEl Pas de la Casa is a ski resort , town, and mountain pass in Andorra, lying on the border with France. Literally "the pass of the house", the pass marks the watershed of the Pyrenees and at an elevation of 2408 m, is one of the highest points on the European road network...
. In winter, the main roads in Andorra are usually quickly cleared of snow and remain accessible, but the main road out of Andorra on the French side (
RN-20The Route nationale 20 is a trunk road between Paris and the frontier with Spain heading south through the heart of France and passing through the Cathedral City of Orléans and Toulouse. The road forks at Col de Puymorens with one branch being the Route nationale 22 which leads to Andorra...
/
22The Route nationale 22 is a highway in southern France.The road is a branch of the N20 connecting l'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre to Pas de la Casa, the French mountain pass into the Principality of Andorra. It runs parallel to the RN 320 which crosses Col de Puymorens. The roads follow the same route...
) is less frequently cleared and is sometimes closed by avalanches. Other main roads out of Andorra La Vella are the CG-3 and CG-4 to Arcalis and Pal, respectively.
Bus services cover all metropolitan areas and many rural communities, with services on most major routes running half-hourly or more frequently during peak travel times. There are frequent long-distance bus services from Andorra to
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
and Barcelona Airport, and also to
ToulouseToulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,102,882 inhabitants as of Jan...
and Toulouse Airport, in each case taking approximately 3 hours. Bus routes also serve Girona Airport and Portugal via
LleidaLleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain.It had 131,731 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raïmat and Sucs...
. Bus services are mostly run by private companies, but some local ones are operated by the Government. The private bus companies are Autocars Nadal, Camino Bus, Cooperativa Interurbana Andorrana, Eurolines, Hispano Andorrana, and Novatel.
There are no railways, ports, or airports for fixed-wing aircraft in Andorra. There are, however, heliports in
La MassanaLa Massana is one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra. It is located in the northwest of the country. . La Massana is also the name of the main town of the parish...
,
ArinsalArinsal is a mountain resort town in La Massana parish, Andorra. It is an all-year round mountain resort located at 1500 meters above sea level, in the north of Andorra. It is connected to the Vallnord Pal-Arinsal ski resort and is at the entrance to the Coma Pedrosa Nature Reserve...
and
Escaldes-EngordanyEscaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
with commercial helicopter services. Nearby airports are located in Barcelona, Toulouse, Perpignan, Reus, and Girona. The closest public airport is Perpignan - Rivesaltes Airport, which is away and has short-haul services to several destinations in the United Kingdom and France.
La Seu d'Urgell AirportLa Seu d'Urgell airport, also known as Pirineus–Andorra airport, is located in the municipalities of Montferrer i Castellbò and Ribera d'Urgellet in northern Spain...
, a small airfield south of Andorra currently used only by private aeroplanes, is being studied by the Catalan government as a possible future airport for public aviation services.
The nearest railway stations are
L'Hospitalet-près-l'AndorreL'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre is a commune in the Ariège department in south-western France.The commune has a history of vulnerability to avalanches in winter. Avalanches hit the commune in 1895 killing 12, and again in 1906 and 1929. Avalanches have also closed the RN-20 road.-References:*...
northeast of Andorra, which links to French high-speed trains to Paris via Toulouse, and
Latour-de-CarolLatour-de-Carol is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-Transport:The village's main claim to fame is as the site of the international railway station, Latour-de-Carol Enveitg...
east of Andorra, which has a
scenic narrow-gauge trainlineThe Yellow Train line is a railway that runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent through to Mont-Louis in France. It was started in 1903 and the section to Mont-Louis was completed in 1910, followed by an extension to Latour-de-Carol in 1927....
to
Villefranche-de-ConflentVillefranche-de-Conflent is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in south of France.-The Capital of Conflent:...
connecting to Perpignan, and also a -gauge line to Barcelona operated by
Spanish RailwaysRenfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .-History:The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
.
Media and telecommunications
In Andorra, mobile and fixed telephony and internet service are operated exclusively by the Andorran national telecommunications company, SOM, also known as
Servei de Telecomunicacions d'Andorra (STA). The same company also manages the technical infrastructure for national broadcasting of digital television and radio.
By the end of 2010, it is planned that every part of the country will have Fibre-Optic to the Home for internet access at a minimum speed of 100 Mbps.
There is only one Andorran television station,
Ràdio i Televisió d'AndorraRàdio i Televisió d'Andorra, S.A. , is the public service television and radio broadcaster in the Principality of Andorra...
(RTVA).
Radio Nacional d’Andorra operates two radio stations,
Radio AndorraRadio Andorra is the name of one of the oldest French private radios, which from 1939 until 1981 had a broadcast license in Andorra.-History:Broadcasting began on 7 August 1939 by Jacques Trémoulet, who was also the owner of the broadcasting company Radiophonie du Midi, which was already broadcast...
and
Andorra Música. There are three national newspapers,
Diari D'Andorra,
El Periòdic, and
Bon Dia as well as several local newspapers.
Culture
The official and historic language is Catalan. Because of immigration, historical links, and close geographic proximity, other languages such as Spanish, French and Portuguese are also commonly spoken.
Andorra is home to folk dances like the contrapàs and marratxa, which survive in
Sant Julià de LòriaSant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish. Other settlements in the parish include Bixessarri, Alixàs, Aixovall, Certers, Llumeneres, Nagol, Aixirivall, Auvinyà, Juberri, Fontaneda, and...
especially. Andorran folk music has similarities to the music of its neighbors, but is especially
CatalanThe music of Catalonia comprises one of the oldest documented musical traditions in Europe, and has displayed a rich musical culture continuously for at least two thousand years.-History:...
in character, especially in the presence of dances such as the
sardanaThe sardana , plural sardanes, is a type of circle dance typical of Catalonia, Spain. The dance was originally typical from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity throughout Catalonia during the 20th century....
. Other Andorran folk dances include contrapàs in
Andorra la VellaAndorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
and Saint Anne's dance in Escaldes-Engordany. Andorra's national holiday is
Our Lady of MeritxellOur Lady of Meritxell is an Andorran Roman Catholic statue depicting an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Meritxell is the patron saint of Andorra. The original statue dates from the late 12th century. However, the chapel in which it was housed burned down on September 8 and 9, 1972, and...
Day, September 8.
See also
External links
Government
General information
- Country Profile at BBC News
BBC News, formerly BBC News and Current Affairs, is the department within the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the corporation's news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online....
- Andorra information from the United States Department of State
The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...
- Portals to the World from the United States Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The head...
- Andorra from UCB Libraries GovPubs
- History of Andorra: Primary Documents from EuroDocs
- Culture of Andorra - History, ethnic relations, diet, urbanism, architecture, use of space, and more.
- Andorra Web Directory - A web directory specifically for Andorra
Travel
Other