1.
[syn: Andorra, Principality of Andorra]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Andorra
n 1: a small republic in the eastern Pyrenees between Spain and
France [syn: Andorra, Principality of Andorra]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Andorra
Introduction Andorra
--------------------
Background: Long isolated and impoverished,
mountainous Andorra has 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 Andorra
-----------------
Location: Southwestern Europe, between France
and Spain
Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 468 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% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA 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 party to: Hazardous Wastes
agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; straddles a number of
important crossroads in the Pyrenees
People Andorra
--------------
Population: 68,403 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.2% (male 5,456;
female 4,951)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 25,855;
female 23,311)
65 years and over: 12.9% (male
4,425; female 4,405) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.11% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 9.97 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 5.57 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 6.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
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: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.09 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 83.48 years
female: 86.58 years (2002 est.)
male: 80.58 years
Total fertility rate: 1.26 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Andorra
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Principality
of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March
1993) that retains as its heads 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 France and Spain)
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 Frederic de SAINT-
SERNIN (since NA); Spanish Coprince
Episcopal Monseigneur Joan MARTI
Alanis (since 31 January 1971),
represented by Nemesi MARQUES OSTE
(since NA)
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%
cabinet: Executive Council or Govern
designated by the Executive Council
president
head of government: Executive
Council President Marc FORNE Molne
(since 21 December 1994)
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
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: Democratic Party or PD (formerly
part of National Democratic Group or
AND) [leader NA]; Liberal Party of
Andorra or PLA [Marc Forne MOLNE]
(used to be Liberal Union or UL);
National Democratic Initiative or
IDN [Vincenc 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
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization CCC, CE, ECE, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS,
participation: Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN,
UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)
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
FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630
telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: 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
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
Economy Andorra
---------------
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 - $1.3
billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.8% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,000
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (2000)
Labor force: 33,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 21%,
services 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1997)
Industries: tourism (particularly skiing),
cattle raising, timber, tobacco,
banking
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA%
hydro: NA%
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
Agriculture - products: small quantities of tobacco, rye,
wheat, barley, oats, vegetables;
sheep
Exports: $58 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities: tobacco products, furniture
Exports - partners: France 34%, Spain 58% (1998)
Imports: $1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports - commodities: consumer goods, food, electricity
Imports - partners: Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3%
(1998)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: none
Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF);
Spanish peseta (ESP)
Currency code: EUR; FRF; ESP
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French
francs per US dollar - 5.8995
(1998), 5.8367 (1997); Spanish
pesetas per US dollar - 149.40
(1998), 146.41 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Andorra
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 32,946 (December 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 14,117 (December 1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with
microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges
international: landline circuits to
France and Spain
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 16,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 27,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .ad
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 24,500 (2001)
Transportation Andorra
----------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 269 km
paved: 198 km
unpaved: 71 km (1994 est.)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: none (2001)
Military Andorra
----------------
Military branches: no regular military forces, but
there is a police force
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
France and Spain
Transnational Issues Andorra
----------------------------
Disputes - international: border is undemarcated in sections