 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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Background: |
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived
under a unique co-principality, ruled by 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. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Location: |
Southwestern
Europe, between France and Spain |
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Geographic coordinates: |
42 30 N, 1
30 E |
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Map references: |
Europe
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Area: |
total:
468 sq km
land: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
|
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Area - comparative: |
2.5 times
the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6
km, Spain 63.7 km |
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Coastline: |
0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims: |
none
(landlocked) |
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Climate: |
temperate;
snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
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Terrain: |
rugged
mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa
2,946 m |
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Natural resources: |
hydropower,
mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0%
other:
97.78% (2001) |
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Irrigated land: |
NA sq km
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Natural hazards: |
avalanches
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Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to
soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste
disposal |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none
of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note: |
landlocked;
straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
69,865 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years: 15% (male 5,478; female 4,988)
15-64 years:
71.6% (male 26,268; female 23,766)
65 years and over:
13.4% (male 4,659; female 4,706) (2004 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 39.7 years
male: 40 years
female: 39.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
1% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate: |
9.32
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate: |
5.9
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
6.6
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population:
1.09 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total:
4.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.39 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 83.5 years
male: 80.59 years
female: 86.59 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.28 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
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Ethnic groups: |
Spanish 43%,
Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
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Religions: |
Roman
Catholic (predominant) |
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Languages: |
Catalan
(official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
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Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: NA
female: NA Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long
form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
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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 |
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Capital: |
Andorra la
Vella |
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Administrative divisions: |
7 parishes
(parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo,
Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
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Independence: |
1278 (was
formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and
the Spanish bishop of Urgel) |
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National holiday: |
Our Lady of
Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
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Constitution: |
Andorra's
first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by
referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993 |
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Legal system: |
based on
French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
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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 Marc FORNE MOLNE (since
21 December 1994)
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 NA 2005)
election
results: Marc FORNE MOLNE elected executive council president;
percent of General Council vote - NA |
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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 4
March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2005)
election
results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD
23.8%, other 0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5,
independents 2 |
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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 |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic
Party or PD (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND)
[Ladislau BARO SOLO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Marc FORNE
MOLNE] (used to be Liberal Union or UL); Liberal Union or UL
[Francesc CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO
SOLO]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vicenc MATEU ZAMORA];
New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU CASSANY]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD (formerly part of National Democratic Group of AND)
[leader NA]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio Parroquial
d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO COMA]
note: there are two
other small parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
CE, ICAO,
ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V.
PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor,
New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 |
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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, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
telephone: (3493) 280-2227; FAX: (3493) 205-7705 |
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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, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center,
and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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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. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $1.3 billion (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
3.8% (2000
est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4.3% (2000)
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Labor force: |
33,000 (2001
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
0% (1996
est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342
million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
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Agriculture - products: |
small
quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
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Industries: |
tourism
(particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
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Electricity - production: |
NA kWh |
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Electricity - consumption: |
NA kWh |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2002)
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Electricity - imports: |
NA kWh; note
- most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a
small amount of hydropower |
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Exports: |
$58 million
f.o.b. (1998) |
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Exports - commodities: |
tobacco
products, furniture |
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Exports - partners: |
Spain 58%,
France 34% (2000) |
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Imports: |
$1.077
billion (1998) |
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Imports - commodities: |
consumer
goods, food, electricity |
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Imports - partners: |
Spain 48%,
France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
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Debt - external: |
NA |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
none |
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Currency: |
euro (EUR)
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Currency code: |
EUR |
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Exchange rates: |
euros per US
dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Disputes - international: |
none
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