Andorra

noun:

Andorran(s)

adjective:

Andorran

total:

48.8 years (2024 est.)

male:

48.7 years

female:

48.8 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.03 male(s)/female

total population:

1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

83.8 years (2024 est.)

male:

81.6 years

female:

86.2 years

total:

10.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

4.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

31.8% (2020 est.)

male:

35.3% (2020 est.)

female:

28.3% (2020 est.)

• deforestation;
• overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion;
• air pollution;
• wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

urban population:

87.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

8.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

0.47 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

0.05 megatons (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Principality of Andorra

conventional short form:

Andorra

local long form:

Principat d'Andorra

local short form:

Andorra

etymology:

• the origin of the country's name is obscure;
• the name may derive from the Arabic "ad-darra" meaning "the forest," a reference to its location as part of the Spanish March (defensive buffer zone) against the invading Moors in the 8th century;
• an alternate explanation is that the name originates from a Navarrese word "andurrial" meaning "shrub-covered land"

• parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains its chiefs of state in the form of a co-principality;
• the two princes are the President of France and Bishop of Seu d'Urgell, Spain

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

etymology:

translates as "Andorra the Old" in Catalan

history:

drafted 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 28 April 1993

amendments:

• proposed by the coprinces jointly or by the General Council;
• passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the General Council, ratification in a referendum, and sanctioning by the coprinces

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

chief of state:

• Co-prince Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017);
• represented by Patrick STROZDA (since 14 May 2017);
• and Co-prince Archbishop Joan-Enric VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003);
• represented by Eduard Ibanez PULIDO (since 27 November 2023)

head of government:

Prime Minister Xavier Espot ZAMORA (since 16 May 2019)

cabinet:

Executive Council composed of head of government and 11 ministers designated by the 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 2 April 2023 (next to be held in April 2027);
• the leader of the majority party in the General Council is usually elected head of government

election results:

2023: Xaviar Espot ZAMORA (DA) reelected head of government; percent of General Council vote - 57.1%; 2019: Xaviar Espot ZAMORA (DA) elected head of government; percent of General Council vote - 60.7

description:

unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de les Valls (28 seats; 14 members directly elected in two-seat constituencies (7 parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 2 April 2023 (next to be held in April 2027)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - DA, CC, L'A & ACCIO alliance 43.6%, C 21.4%, AE 16%, PS & SDP alliance 21.1%;
• seats by party/coalition - DA, CC, L'A & ACCIO alliance 17, C 5, AE 3, PS & SDP alliance 3;
• composition - men 14, women 14, percentage women 50%

note: voters cast two separate ballots -- one for the national election and one for their parish

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 coprinces, 1 by the General Council, 1 by the executive council president, and 1 by the courts;
• judges serve 6-year renewable terms;
• Constitutional magistrates - 2 appointed by the coprinces 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

• Action for Andorra or ACCIO
• Committed Citizens or CC
• Concord or C
• Democrats for Andorra or DA
• Forward Andorra or AE
• Liberals of Andorra or L'A
• Social Democratic Party or PS
• Social Democracy and Progress or SDP

chief of mission:

• Ambassador (vacant);
• Chargé d'Affaires Joan FORNER ROVIRA (since 20 August 2024);
• note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

chancery:

2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 750-8064

FAX:

[1] (212) 750-6630

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.exteriors.ad/en/embassies-of-andorra/andorra-usa-embassy

embassy:

• 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:
  • Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada,
  • 23,
  • 08034 Barcelona,
  • Espana
  ;
• telephone: [34] (93) 280-22-27;
• FAX: [34] (93) 280-61-75;
• email address: [email protected]

• 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 2 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):
  • Urgell,
  • Foix,
  • Bearn,
  • and Catalonia
  ;
• 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

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

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley

• high GDP;
• low unemployment;
• non-EU Euro user;
• co-principality duty-free area between Spain and France;
• tourist hub but hit hard by COVID-19;
• modern, non-tax haven financial sector;
• looking for big tech investments;
• new member of SEPA and IMF

Fitch rating:

A- (2022)

Moody's rating:

Baa2 (2022)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB+ (2023)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

0.5% (2023 est.)

industry:

11.4% (2023 est.)

services:

78.6% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

general assessment:

Andorra has a modern telecommunications system with microwave radio relay connections between the exchanges and land line circuits to France and Spain (2023)

domestic:

about 63 per 100 fixed-line, 110 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

international:

• country code - 376;
• landline circuits to France and Spain;
• modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges (2023)

• 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 (2019)