Andorra
Principality of AndorraPrincipat d'Andorra
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a co-principality
Andorra as the 2015 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 116 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The landlocked Principality of Andorra is one of the smallest states in Europe, nestled high in the Pyrenees between the French and Spanish borders. 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 Bishop of Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the introduction of a modern, constitution; the co-princes remained as titular heads of state, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy.
Andorra has become a popular tourist destination visited by approximately 10 million people each year drawn by the winter sports, summer climate, and duty-free shopping. Andorra has also become a wealthy international commercial center because of its mature banking sector and low taxes. As part of its effort to modernize its economy, Andorra has opened to foreign investment, and engaged in other reforms, such as advancing tax initiatives aimed at supporting a broader infrastructure. Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Andorra enjoys a special relationship with the EU and uses the euro as its national currency.
Geography
Southwestern Europe, Pyrenees mountains, on the border between France and Spain
18 fieldsLand use
- agricultural land:
- 43.4%;
- arable land 5.5%;
- permanent crops 0%;
- permanent pasture 37.9%
- forest:
- 34%
- other:
- 22.6% (2011 est.)
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:
- Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People and Society
27 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2015 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2015 est.)
Male · female(2015 est.)
Ethnic groups(2012 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 1.16 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.06 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a co-principality; French Co-prince Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); Head of Government (or Cap de Govern) Antoni MARTI PETIT (since 12 May 2011)
21 fieldsCountry 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 co-principality;
- the two princes are the President of France and Bishop of Urgell, whose diocese is located in neighboring Spain;
- both co-princes maintain offices and representatives in Andorra
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 sovereignty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- the mother must be an Andorran citizen or the father must have been born in Andorra and both parents maintain permanent residence in Andorra
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 25 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- French Co-prince Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012);
- represented by Thierry LATASTE (since 5 January 2015) and Spanish Co-prince Archbishop Joan-Enric VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003);
- represented by Josep Maria MAUN (since 20 July 2012)
- head of government:
- Head of Government (or Cap de Govern) Antoni MARTI PETIT (since 12 May 2011)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council designated by Head of Government
- elections/appointments:
- head of government indirectly elected by the General Council (Andorran parliament), formally appointed by the co-princes for a 4-year term;
- election last held on 31 March 2015 (next to be held in April 2019);
- the leader of the majority party in the General Council is usually elected head of government
- election results:
- Antoni MARTI PETIT (DA) elected head of government; percent of General Council vote - 79%
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de les Valls (a minimum of 28 seats; 14 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies (parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms);
- note - each voter casts two separate ballots - one for a national list and one for a parish list
- elections:
- last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in April 2019)
- election results:
- seats by party - percent of vote by party: DA 34.5%, PLA 25.0%, PS-VA-IC-independent coalition 21.3%, SDP 9.6%, invalid votes 9.5%;
- seats by party:
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de la Justicia d'Andorra (consists of the court president and 8 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers);
- Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 4 magistrates)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the Supreme Council of Justice, a 5-member judicial policy and administrative body appointed 1 each by the co-princes, 1 by the General Council, 1 by the executive council president, and 1 by the courts;
- judges serve 6-year renewable terms;
- Constitutional magistrates appointed 2 by the co-princes and 2 by the General Council;
- magistrates' appointments limited to 2 consecutive 8-year terms
- subordinate courts:
- Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts
Political parties and leaders
- Citizens' Initiative or IC [Sergi RICART] (including PS, VA, IC, and independents)
- Democrats for Andorra or DA [Antoni MARTI PETIT]
- Greens of Andorra or VA [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ, Juli FERNANDEZ BLASI]
- Liberal Party or PLA [Josep PINTAT FORNE]
- Social Democratic Party or PS [Vincenc ALAY FERRER]
- Social Democratic Progress Party or SDP [Victor NAUDI ZAMORA]
note: there are also several smaller parties at the Parish level (one is Lauredian Union)
International organization participation
CE, FAO, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), 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:
- assador Elisenda VIVES BALMANA (since 22 September 2015)
- chancery:
- 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th 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 US Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain);
- mailing address: ;
- telephone: [34] (93) 280-2227;
- FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175
Flag description
- three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red, with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band;
- the latter band is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of band widths is 8:9:8;
- the coat of arms features a quartered shield with the emblems of (starting in the upper left and proceeding clockwise): ;
- the motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength United is Stronger);
- the flag combines the blue and red French colors with the red and yellow of Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection
note: 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
National anthem
- name:
- "El Gran Carlemany" (The Great Charlemagne)
- lyrics/music:
- Joan BENLLOCH i VIVO/Enric MARFANY BONS
note: adopted 1921; the anthem provides a brief history of Andorra in a first person narrative
Economy
26 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2011 est.)
Economy - overview
Tourism, retail sales, and finance are the mainstays of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounting for more than three-quarters of GDP. Andorra's duty-free status for some products and its summer and winter resorts attract millions of visitors annually, although the economic downturn in neighboring countries has curtailed the number of tourists.
Andorra's comparative advantage as a tax haven eroded when the borders of neighboring France and Spain opened; its bank secrecy laws have been relaxed under pressure from the EU and OECD. Agricultural production is limited - only 5% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported, making the economy vulnerable to changes in fuel and food prices.
The principal livestock is sheep. Manufacturing output and exports consist mainly of perfumes and cosmetic products, products of the printing industry, electrical machinery and equipment, clothing, tobacco products, 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.
Andorra uses the euro and is effectively subject to the monetary policy of the European Central Bank. Slower growth in Spain and France has dimmed Andorra's economic prospects. Since 2010, a drop in tourism contributed to a contraction in GDP and a sharp deterioration of public finances, prompting the government to begin implementing several austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit, including levying a special corporate tax.
The Government is also planning to institute an income tax at the behest of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The new tax will apply to anyone who lives in the principality for at least 183 days in a calendar year. The first $30,000 of income will be tax free, with the next $20,000 taxed at 5%. The balance of income exceeding the initial $50,000 will be taxed at 10%, which is still less than in most West European countries.
Andorra’s Government also relaxed its residency and investment laws in 2012 to make the country more attractive to foreign investors. A person now must spend 90 days a year in the principality to qualify for residency, compared with the previous 180-day requirement. Foreigners now have the same property ownership rights as citizens.
In addition, three new categories of residency permits were introduced. Anyone who is retired or at least not working in Andorra can obtain a permit in the first category by making a financial investment in the country of at least €400,000, which can include a property purchase.
Agriculture - products
small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables, tobacco; sheep, cattle
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.75 (2014 est.) · 0.76 (2013 est.) · 0.78 (2012 est.) · 0.72 (2011 est.) · 0.76 (2010 est.)
Energy
8 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 520,000 kW(2010 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels
61.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
23.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Communications
8 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2014 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- modern automatic telephone system
- domestic:
- modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges
- international:
- country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain (2012)
Broadcast media
- 1 public TV station and 2 public radio stations;
- about 10 commercial radio stations;
- good reception of radio and TV broadcasts from stations in France and Spain;
- upgraded to terrestrial digital TV broadcasting in 2007;
- roughly 25 international TV channels available (2012)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 0 (easy access to radio and television broadcasts originating in France and Spain) (2009)
Transportation
1 fieldMilitary
No regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra (2011)
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Andorra.” The World Factbook 2015. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/andorra/2015.