Wikipedia

Andorra

sovereign microstate between France and Spain, in Western Europe

Andorra (/ænˈdɒrə/ (audio speaker iconlisten)), officially the Principality of Andorra, is a landlocked sovereign country located in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains of Southern Europe and bordered by Spain and France.[14]

Principality of Andorra[1]
Principat d'Andorra  (Catalan)a[1]
Principado de Andorra  (Spanish)b[2]
Motto: Virtus Unita Fortior
"United virtue is stronger"[3]
Anthem: El Gran Carlemany  (Catalan)
"The Great Charlemagne"
Location of  Andorra  (centre of green circle) on the European continent  (dark grey)  —  [Legend]
Location of  Andorra  (centre of green circle)

on the European continent  (dark grey)  —  [Legend]

Capital
and largest city
Andorra la Vella
42°30′N 1°31′E / 42.500°N 1.517°E / 42.500; 1.517
Official languagesCatalan[1]b
Ethnic groups
(2017)
  • 48.8% Andorra Catalans
  • 25.1% Spaniard
  • 12% Occitan
  • 4.4% French
  • 9.7% others
Religion
Roman Catholicism[4][5]
Demonym(s)Andorran
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary semi-elective diarchy
Xavier Espot Zamora
Roser Suñé Pascuet
LegislatureGeneral Council
Independence
• from Aragon
8 September 1278[6][7]
• from the French Empire
1814
2 February 1993
Area
• Total
467.63 km2 (180.55 sq mi) (178th)
• Water (%)
0.26 (121.4 ha)c
Population
• 2020 estimate
Increase 77,543[8] (203rd)
• Density
179.8/km2 (465.7/sq mi) (71st)
GDP (nominal)2018 estimate
• Total
$3.237 billion[9]
• Per capita
$42,035
Gini (2003)27.21d
low
HDI (2019)Increase 0.868[10]
very high · 36th
CurrencyEuro (€)e (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+01 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+02 (CEST)
Driving sideright[11]
Calling code+376
ISO 3166 codeAD
Internet TLD.adf
  1. Constitution of Andorra. In Spanish: Principado de Andorra, in French: Principauté d'Andorre.
  2. Spanish, Provençal and French are spoken by a significant minority
  3. (in French) Girard P & Gomez P (2009), Lacs des Pyrénées: Andorre.[12]
  4. Informe sobre l'estat de la pobresa i la desigualtat al Principal d'Andorra (2003)[13]
  5. Before 1999, the French franc and Spanish peseta; the coins and notes of both currencies, however, remained legal tender until 2002. Small amounts of Andorran diners (divided into 100 centim) were minted after 1982.
  6. Also .cat, shared with Catalan-speaking territories.
The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for: Andorra.

There are about 79,000 people living in the country. The capital is Andorra la Vella. It is ruled by a Spanish Bishop and the French President, who both hold the title of Co-Prince. Andorra's government is a parliamentary democracy.

Andorra is a rich country mostly because of tourism. There are about 10.2 million visitors each year.[15]

The official language is Catalan, although Spanish and French are also used.

It is not a member of the European Union. The euro is the money used.

History

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It is said that Charles the Great (Charlemagne) gave the Andorran people their country in return for fighting against the Moors.

Before 1095, Andorra did not have any type of military protection. The Lord of Caboet and the Bishop of Urgell decided to rule Andorra together. Andorra's first legislature was made in 1419.

Over time, the descendants of the Lord of Caboet eventually became the Kings of France. When France, became a republic, the French King's position as Co-Prince was taken by the President of France.

Andorra declared war on Imperial Germany during World War I. It did not do any fighting. They stayed against Germany until 1957 because they were not in the Treaty of Versailles.

Geography

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Andorra is in the Pyrenees mountain range. The highest mountain is Coma Pedrosa.

Cities

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The largest cities in Andorra are:

No. Name Population
1 Andorra la Vella 22,440
2 Escaldes-Engordany 14,599
3 Encamp 11,688
4 La Massana 10,174
5 Sant Julià de Lòria 9,375
6 Ordino 4,942
7 Canillo 4,325

For other locations in Andorra, see List of cities in Andorra.

Politics

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The politics of Andorra are very unique in comparison to the rest of the world. There are two heads of state, the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France, who hold the title of Co-Prince. This is because of an ancient treaty which said the Bishop of Urgell and the French leader would be the Co-Princes.

There is also an elected legislature named the General Council. It has between 28 and 42 members. The head of government is a member of the Council who is elected to the position by the Council.

Andorra doesn't have an Army.[16] France and Spain help to defend Andorra. The country has a police force of 295.

Religion

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The population of Andorra is mostly (90%) Roman Catholic.[17] Their patron saint is Our Lady of Meritxell.

Education

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Children between the ages of 6 and 16 must have full-time education. Education up to secondary level is paid by the government.

The University of Andorra (UdA) is the state public university. It is the only university in Andorra.

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Constitution of the Principality of Andorra" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2019.
  2. ↑ About 45% or 40,000 in Andorra speak Spanish.
  3. ↑ "Andorran Symbols". WorldAtlas. 29 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Religion and Contemporary Politics: A Global Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. 2019. ISBN 9781440839337.
  5. ↑ Temperman, Jeroen (2010). State–Religion Relationships and Human Rights Law: Towards a Right to Religiously Neutral Governance. BRILL. ISBN 9789004181496. ... guarantees the Roman Catholic Church free and public exercise of its activities and the preservation of the relations of special co-operation with the state in accordance with the Andorran tradition. The Constitution recognizes the full legal capacity of the bodies of the Roman Catholic Church which have legal status in accordance with their own rules.
  6. ↑ "Història d'Andorra". Cultura.ad (in Catalan). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "Andorra". Enciclopèdia.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  8. ↑ "Population on 31 December". Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Data in GDP from the World Bank
  10. ↑ Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2020. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-92-1-126442-5. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "What side of the road do they drive on in Andorra". Retrieved 19 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  12. ↑ "Andorra en xifres 2007: Situació geogràfica, Departament d'Estadística, Govern d'Andorra" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Informe sobre l'estat de la pobresa i la desigualtat al Principal d'Andorra (2003)" (PDF). Estadistica.ad. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  14. ↑ "Andorra". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  15. ↑ Estadistica.ad Archived 2018-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Departament d'Estadística, Govern d'Andorra. (in Catalan)
  16. ↑ "Europe :: Andorra — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  17. ↑ "CIA – The World Fact Book – Andorra". Archived from the original on 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2012-04-22.

Other websites

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