Published on March 9, 2010

Country Report

Andorra

Introduction

Background: 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 Spanish bishop of Seu d'Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. For decades Andorra enjoyed its status as a small refuge of fiscal and banking freedom and benefitted from Spanish and French tourists attracted to the country's duty-free shopping. The situation has changed in recent years as Andorra started to tax foreign investment and other sectors. Tourism accounts for over 80% of Andorra's gross domestic product.

Geography

Location: Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E

Area:
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km
water: 0 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: 2.13%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.87% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

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 agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees

People

Population: 83,888 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 6,710/female 6,305)
15-64 years: 72.2% (male 31,604/female 28,925)
65 years and over: 12.3% (male 5,113/female 5,231) (2009 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.4 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 39.1 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.135% (2009 est.)

Birth rate: 10.35 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate: 5.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 82.51 years
male: 80.33 years
female: 84.84 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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, Portuguese

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2006)

Education expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2006)

Government

Country 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 coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces' representatives

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 suzerainty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Urgel)

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; effective 28 April 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 Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by Christian FREMONT (since September 2008) and Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan-Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003); represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since 30 July 2003)
head of government: Executive Council President Jaume BARTUMEU Cassany (since 5 June 2009)
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 26 April 2009 (next to be held in April-May 2013)
election results: Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA

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 seven parishes; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 26 April 2009 (next to be held in March-April 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - PS 45%, Reformist Coaliton 32%, Andorra for Change 19%, Andorran Green 4%; seats by party - PS 14, Reformist Coalition 11, Andorra for Change 3

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: Andorra for Change [Juan Eusebio NOMEN CALVET]; Greens of Andorra [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ]; New Center [Vicenc MATEU] (formerly Andorran Democratic Center Party); Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Joan Gabriel i ESTANY] (formerly Liberal Union or UL); Reformist Coalition (includes the Liberal Party and New Center) [Joan Gabriel i ESTANY]; Social Democratic Party or PS [Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY] (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND)

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: CE, FAO, ICAO, 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: Ambassador Narcis CASAL de FONSDEVIELA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th 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 Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (93) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175

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; 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

Economy

Economy - overview: Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 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 partial "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): $3.66 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $NA

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $42,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Labor force: 42,230 (2007)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 20.8%
services: 79% (2007)

Unemployment rate: 0% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $496.9 million
expenditures: $496.8 million (2007)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products: small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep

Industries: tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking, tobacco, furniture

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: NA kWh

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

Exports: $117.1 million (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities: tobacco products, furniture

Imports: $1.789 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities: consumer goods, food, electricity

Debt - external: $NA

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7306 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 37,400 (2008)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 64,200 (2008)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges
international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain

Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 0 (easy access to radio and television broadcasts originating in France and Spain) (2009)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (2009)

Internet country code: .ad

Internet hosts: 23,421 (2009)

Internet users: 59,100 (2008)

Transportation

Roadways:
total: 320 km (2008)

Military

Military branches: no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra (2008)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,685 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,617
females age 16-49: 17,613 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 402
female: 373 (2009 est.)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none