Andorra (officially Catalan Principat d'Andorra, German Principality
of Andorra) is a democratic state in the eastern Pyrenees between Spain
and France in the form of a parliamentary monarchy.
The
communities of Andorra were first mentioned in a document in 839 as a
fiefdom of the Counts of Urgell. The Pareatges Treaty of September 8,
1278 determined the division of dominion over the territory of Andorra
between Bishop Pere d'Urtx of Urgell and Count Roger Bernard III. von
Foix and is considered the founding document of the Andorran
Co-Principate that still exists today. With 468 square kilometers, the
principality is the largest of the six European mini-states. It is the
only country in the world where two foreign officials share the function
of head of state. The Bishop of Urgell and the President of France
(succeeding the Counts of Foix) reign as co-princes in a symbolic dual
power. In addition, an Andorran head of government will be elected.
Andorra is counted among the so-called tax havens. A significant number
of day visitors come for cheap alcohol and tobacco products. Andorra's
name was also famous in the region because of the two competing radio
stations based in Andorra, Radio Andorra and Sud Radio, which were
operated by foreign licensees until 1981 and broadcast
advertising-financed, mostly French-language entertainment programmes.
Tourism, especially winter sports, is the most important economic factor
today.
The Andorran government does not impose any visa requirements and
therefore all you need to enter is a passport or a national identity
card issued by a country in the European Union.
However, as the
country is only accessible via countries in the Schengen area: Spain or
France, entry is not possible without going through the Schengen area
and the Schengen visa rules can therefore be considered to apply de
facto. As Andorra is not part of the Schengen area, a multiple-entry
visa is required to re-enter the Schengen area when leaving the country.
Remember that minor travelers, whether or not accompanied by their
parents, must have their own identity document.
There are two border posts: Sant-Julia-de-Lorià towards Spain and Pas
de la Casa towards France, but the latter is sometimes closed in winter
due to snow on the road.
In theory, even if the agents do not
check you when leaving the principality, you can be stopped by the
flying customs all the way to your home. In practice, you will be more
likely to be checked only a few kilometers from the country's borders.
However, it is important to know the customs exemptions for exports. Do
not forget that the introduction of cash of an amount of €10,000 or more
must be declared when entering the Principality.
For low-value
goods such as sugar, no one will lecture you if you exceed the limit.
However, do not provoke the customs agents with your trunk copiously
filled with bottles of alcohol and cigarettes: you risk a heavy
financial penalty!!!
There is no airport in Andorra. The nearest airports are:
Perpignan (France) 128 kilometres to the east, no coach connections, but
you can take the yellow train to La tour de Carol and then l'Hospitalet.
Toulouse-Blagnac (France) 196 km further north. You can hire a car or
taxi from Toulouse airport to Andorra with Sea-Lifts
Barcelona
(Spain) 202 km further south. (3 hours by car)
Girona (Spain) 200 km
further south
There is also an airport in La Seu d'Urgell called
Pirineus Airport - La Seu d'Urgell [www.laseuairport.com] (also known as
Pirineus-Andorra Airport), but there are no scheduled flights.
From the heliports of Andorra la Vella, La Massana or Arinsal, the journey, for a maximum of 5 passengers, takes about 30 minutes and costs between 2200 (Toulouse/Andorra) and 2500 € (Barcelona/Andorra). http://www.hola-andorra.com/arinsal/francais/helifr.html
This is in all cases the only solution knowing that there is no
airport or train station in Andorra...
From France
From
Toulouse and Foix: take the N20 until approaching the Puymorens tunnel,
then the N320 and N22 until the border at Pas de la Case.
From
Perpignan: take the direction of Prades by the very picturesque N116
where you arrive directly at Bourg-Madame, follow Toulouse to reach the
border at Pas de la Case. In case of snow at the Col de Puymorens, the
ideal is to transit through Spain by following Puigcerdà and La Seu
d'Urgell via the N-260 and N-145 roads which are almost never affected
by bad weather and which are in perfect condition, along with beautiful
Pyrenean landscapes and some villages with sometimes remarkable local
architecture.
From Spain
From Madrid and Aragon: follow the
AP-2 toll motorway to Lérida (access via the LL-12). Take the direction
of La Seu d'Urgell and follow that of the principality by the N-145
which is in any case the only possible one.
From Barcelona: the most
practical is to follow the C-16 motorway via Manresa and Berga, do not
forget that the passage through the Cadi tunnel is also toll!
From
Girona: take the C-66 road and the A-26 expressway around Olot, then the
C-26 to Ripoll (or the N-260 for a more scenic route). Turn off onto the
N-152 via the Col de Toses, again on a steep road, to Puigcerdà where
you follow the direction of Andorra.
From Valencia and the rest of
the Mediterranean coast: arrive by the AP-7 toll motorway or the free
A-7 expressway to Reus and follow the C-14 road via Valls and Ponts
where the direction of Andorra la Vella is indicated via La Seu
d'Urgell. It is also possible to stay on the AP-7 motorway beyond Reus
and Tarragona to Martorell, follow the C-55 road near Montserrat and
join the C-16 toll motorway just before Manresa, which becomes free
after going around this town and turns into an "autovía" to Berga. Go
through the Cadí tunnel (toll and service area located on the other
side) then take the N-260 road towards La Seu d'Urgell and finally to
Andorra la Vella via the N-145 road.
There are regular services
Accessible from Perpignan with a change at Latour-de-Carol and direct from Toulouse, but does not enter the principality. The station is still located on French territory under the name "Andorre-L'Hospitalet" and there, a shuttle takes charge at certain times of travelers who wish to enter the principality.
By car
The road network is of good quality, but it is sometimes
difficult to travel by car in the Principality due to chronic traffic
jams. The road signs comply with international conventions but their
presentation sometimes reflects the French and Spanish models, depending
on which side of the Principality you are driving on. The signs have
inscriptions generally written in Catalan but they remain very easy to
understand.
On the other hand, there are variable message signs
along the main roads (always with messages written in Catalan...)
providing information on traffic conditions. In the absence of special
events, they are "transformed" into advertising campaign messages on the
theme of road safety.
In winter, the roads can be snow-covered
but most are always cleared. The border with France (at Pas de la
Casa...) is frequently closed in the event of bad weather or avalanche
risks.
Beware of the surprising driving of locals: they rarely
respect speed limits (which are only indicated on signs on a
case-by-case basis...) as well as safety distances and the priority
system, especially at roundabouts. It should be noted, however, that
road checks have been stepped up, with around ten automatic radars (duly
indicated by signs...) now lining some roads in the principality in
order to monitor and punish speeding.
At intersections, given the
traffic in the capital and surrounding areas, it is generally a traffic
officer who takes over from the traffic lights.
The roads are
classified as follows:
The national roads (white characters on a red
background) bear the prefix CG- and are numbered from 1 to 6, all
radiating from the capital. Then other less important ones and more
related to paths bear the prefix CS- with three digits, the characters
of which are in white on a green background.
No motorway or dual
carriageway worthy of the name currently exists (no space available to
build one anyway). However, a tunnel has been opened under the Col
d'Envalira and it is tolled. But it is often closed in the direction
Pas-de-la-Casa ↔ Soldeu, the price of passage for a car is €5.8. Other
tunnels, this time free, have also been built between Escaldes and La
Massana in order to relieve congestion on other old arteries.
There is no default speed limit applied in the Principality of Andorra.
The most applied are:
40 km/h in town
60 km/h to 70 km/h
outside built-up areas
90 km/h on the main roads
The service
stations are well distributed throughout the territory but become rarer
in rural areas and then become non-existent, some are open 24/24 hours
and all year round, particularly on the roads serving the main valley.
Multi-national firms as well as those from all over the peninsula are
present. International payment cards and professional accreditation
cards are generally accepted. The price per liter is almost identical
from one service station to another, except for the difference of one
euro cent... but always sold cheaper than in the two neighboring
countries.
Basic necessities (ingredients, accessories, food...)
are offered in the majority of refueling points.
By bus
Regular bus lines crisscross the entire principality at regular
intervals. Given the small size of the country, there is only one bus
company in and out of the cities but the service is of excellent
quality.
International lines to France but also to Spain and
Portugal exist. For prices and timetables, inquire at the bus station in
the capital as well as in the tourist offices.
By train
There
is no rail network within the territory. However, a project for an
overhead metro line linking the capital to La Seu d'Urgell in Spain
(where an international airport could be established...) could see the
light of day. There is no known date or route for the time being.
The official language of Andorra is Catalan (Català). Castilian
Spanish (Español Castellano) and French are also spoken very frequently.
Andorra is the only country in the world to have Catalan as its only
official language. The road signs are in Catalan and it doesn't hurt to
learn a few words. But almost everyone also speaks Spanish, and French
and Portuguese are also widely spoken. If you are planning to go there,
it is advisable to have at least some basic knowledge of Spanish, as
English is very little spoken, mostly in hotels. Bus/taxi drivers, shop
assistants or other service personnel will have a hard time
understanding if you speak English.
In summer
In the summer season, Andorra is good for hiking or
mountaineering in the Pyrenees. There are 26 hikers' huts in the
country, the huts are simple but functional and free of charge.
Climbers can also try the via ferratas in Andorra.
In the winter
Due to the high altitude of the country, winter sports are usually
possible from November to May.
Alpine skiing: The numerous ski
resorts in Andorra have merged into two large ski areas: Vallnord
(Arcalis and Arinsal-Pal) and Grandvalira (Soldeu and Pas de la Casa)
Nordic skiing: Here you will find the transnational La Rabassa ski area.
From the start, Andorra used the euro of its neighboring countries.
Andorran euro coins have only been around since 2014, and because of
their small mintage, they mainly go to collectors.
Andorra has
VAT due to tax law. (IGI) is 4.5%, some significantly cheaper prices
than surrounding countries. Therefore, all big and small brands are
represented. Especially in Andorra la Vella. The import and export
restrictions for tobacco products, coffee products, fuel and alcoholic
beverages must be observed.
Since 2019, the minimum cigarette price
has been set at 65% of the price in neighboring countries, which is
intended to reduce smuggling.
Retail opening times
Most retail
shops in Andorra are open at the following times:
Monday to
Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m
Sunday:
09:30 a.m. to 07:00 p.m
In recent years, tapas bars have appeared in the principality...
Cafeterias are easier to find and the McDonald's chain is of course
established there.
Escudella De Pages (Catalan peasant soup) or
Escudella i Carn d'Ollais is often considered the national dish. It is
sometimes prepared with pilotas (giant spicy meatballs).
Trinxat
, made with cabbage, potato and bacon in loaches, is the other typical
dish of the country's gastronomy and can be tasted in most of the
traditional cuisine restaurants in Andorra, many of which are rustic
huts now converted into restaurants.
Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic...) from all the multinational
brands are generally available in bars and shopping malls.
You
will find Estrella Damm, a beer from Barcelona, all over the country.
1 Destil.leries Andorra (Distilleries El Serrat),Urb. Els Camps,
AD400, La Massana - Arinsal, ☏ +376 333 189.Producing the country's
"national spirit", Anis Andorrana, as well as a few other liqueurs, this
distillery located in Arinsal offers free tours and tastings to visitors
without an appointment and has a factory outlet. Its products can also
be purchased in other supermarkets and liquor stores throughout the
country.(updated December 2022)
Wine - The main Andorran grape
variety is Pinot Noir.
Alpha Brewery – The only brewery in the
country that produces several different styles of beer is not sold in
most stores. Small gift shops and our tourism businesses may have them.
Since July 2022, an accommodation tax will be charged. This depends
on the quality of the accommodation and is €1.05-3.14 per night for the
first 7 days of a stay. Children under 16 are exempt.
There are no
simple hotels. The mid-range is available from €60 (2022).
Camping
Campsites are plentiful along the main itinerary and very
easy to find. If you want to spend the night away from the busy roads,
you have to search a little. Some of these mostly smaller campsites are
not recommended with a mobile home. A list of the main campsites can be
found on the Andorran Tourist Board website (link below).
The Principality of Andorra is one of the few countries where
unemployment does not exist.
A large number of jobs are offered
in the tourism, hotel and ski resort sectors. Road transport companies
also recruit regularly, since goods and people can only move by land.
The Immigration Service is responsible for issuing residence and
work permits based on the demand of companies. It is therefore essential
to present an employment contract before any immigration formalities.
There is no unemployment benefit. Social security coverage is good with
regard to the health branch (reimbursement of care from 75% to 95%
depending on the acts), but pensions are so low that they do not allow
one to live in the Principality due to the high cost of housing and
everyday consumer goods (retirement at 65).
Since social
protection in terms of job security and benefits is still "embryonic" in
Andorra, it is important to agree on the terms of the employment
contract and the employer's policy, in order to avoid any
misunderstandings or unpleasant surprises later on.
Another
interesting detail: employment contracts do not require speaking
Catalan.
Statutory non-working holidays are: New Year's Day, Constitution Day,
National Day and Christmas Day.
Non-working public holidays are:
Epiphany, Carnival, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (April 10,
2023), May 1st, Labor Day, Whit Sunday (May 28th, 2023), Whit Monday,
Assumption Day, All Saints' Day, Conception of Mary, May 2nd . Christmas
Day.
Emergency numbers
Fire department: 118
Police: 110
Ambulance
service / emergency doctor: 116
There is not much threat from other people in Andorra, but stay safe
in the mountains. Don't go too high without knowing what you are doing.
See altitude sickness for more information.
Drivers are warned to
avoid returning to France if the Spanish side of the Pyrenees has been
enjoying lovely warm sunshine all day and road temperatures drop
significantly towards the evening - there is a risk of black ice from
melting ice. The weather in the French Pyrenees is often very different
to that in Andorra and the Spanish Pyrenees. Stay overnight if
necessary, as cold morning temperatures are more apparent and less
dangerous than sudden evening icing. Driving can become dangerous,
especially in winter, if you do not obey speed limits or road signs due
to the narrow roads, tight bends and mountainous terrain. From November
1st to May 15th, drivers are legally required to have winter tires or
snow chains installed. Failure to do so will result in a €180 fine from
the police.
It is one of the few states that has almost no petty
crime and few people are detained in the Principality!
No
pickpocketing or theft, and even fewer physical assaults on a street
corner. Even a car that is unlocked (the latter having been left in the
ignition) will not have had the slightest unwanted visit or even
disappeared!
The Andorran police, although not very visible, keep
a close eye on the safety and well-being of its residents and visitors.
The only hospital in Andorra is the Hospital de Nostra Senyora de
Meritxell on Avinguda Fiter i Rossell in Escaldes-Engordany. The
European health insurance card is not valid.
Smoking is
prohibited in publicly accessible indoor areas.
Due to its geographical location, Andorra has a relatively cool mountain climate. The mean temperatures in January are around -7 °C and in summer around 26 °C.
Post
The post within Andorra is free of charge, only special
services such as registered mail have to be franked. Shipping abroad can
be done with both the Spanish and French post. Both institutions have
branches in Andorra and issue their Andorran stamps. In general, the
Spanish post is cheaper, the French more expensive.
Be careful
when sending postcards. On the one hand it is often difficult to find a
post office and on the other hand you have to make sure that you have
the right stamps if you don't hand in the cards at a post office. The
stamps are therefore only allowed for one postal system at a time, so
there can be problems if you put an incorrectly stamped postcard in a
mailbox. Furthermore, some mailboxes are only narrow openings in a house
wall and are therefore difficult to identify as official mailboxes.
If you want to know something about the historical background, visit
the Postal Museum in Ordino, for which there are combined tickets with
the Casa d'Areny-Plandolit. Open Tue-Sat 10am-2pm and 3pm-6pm.
Telecommunications
Mobile phone coverage is good, but due to the
mountainous location there can be dead spots. Telecommunications are
handled by the state-owned Andorra Telecom, the mobile network is called
mobiland. Andorra is not part of the EU and therefore not part of the EU
roaming zone - making calls with your local SIM card can therefore be
very expensive. However, there is free WiFi on every corner, especially
in the cities.
The origin of the name Andorra is unknown. However, there are
different explanations:
According to one theory, the country's name
derives from the Navarro-Basque word andurrial, meaning "land covered
with bushes".
Others connect it with a word anorra, which is said to
contain the Basque word ur for "water".
The explanation that
Charlemagne named the region in reference to the biblical valley of En
Dor or Andor in Canaan, where the Midianites were defeated, is to be
regarded as a legend.
The earliest evidence of human life in Andorra dates back to the last
Ice Age. The first Neolithic buildings can be found in the necropolis of
Feixa del Moro and at the Abri Balma de la Margineda. Pieces of pottery,
necklaces and other items are evidence of settlement before the Bronze
Age. Other archaeological finds are the stone engravings of Ordino, cave
drawings of La Roca de les Bruixes.
The inhabitants of the
valleys of Andorra were probably first mentioned in a text by the Greek
historian Polybius (2nd century BC). Polybius describes how Hannibal
crossed the Pyrenees and mentions the Andosine tribes in this
connection. Under Augustus, the Pyrenees and the north of the Iberian
Peninsula finally became part of the Roman Empire. It is considered
certain that in late antiquity the remains of retreating Basque groups
mixed with Romans, Visigothic conquerors and the Celtic-Iberian
aborigines in the Andorran valleys. The valleys of Andorra were
successively and partly indirectly influenced by the Roman Empire, the
Visigoths, the Moors and the Franks. Under the Frankish domination, the
Hispanic border was established, the "Ularea", which delimited the
Andorran territory.
According to legend, Charlemagne founded Andorra in 788 in gratitude
for the help of its inhabitants in fighting the Moors. He is said to
have granted the people of Andorra independence. In fact, however, the
country belonged to the Spanish March founded by Charlemagne, an area
that he had wrested from the Moors.
The municipalities of Andorra
were first mentioned in 839 in the document sanctioning Urgell as a fief
of the Count of Urgell. A letter from Charles the Bald to Sunifred I of
Barcelona in 843 defines Andorran territory as belonging to the Count of
Urgell, and the Act of Dedication of La Seu d'Urgell Cathedral, signed
in 860, mentions that the territory Andorra is ecclesiastically
subordinate to the Diocese of Urgell.
On January 27, 1133, Count
Ermengol VI renounced. of Urgell after receiving a payment of 1200 sous
(solidi) on his dominion rights in the valleys of Andorra in favor of
the bishop of Urgell. The bishops of Urgell entrusted the defense and
jurisdiction of Andorra to the noble family of Caboet, who came from
Cabó, south of Urgell. The Caboet received their own fiefs in the valley
of Andorra and Sant Joan from the bishop, which they managed as vassals
of the bishops.
The last Caboet heiress, Arnaua, married Arnau,
Viscount of Castelbon, in 1185. He was an ardent Cathar and, in alliance
with Count Raimund Roger von Foix, who lived on the northern slope of
the Pyrenees, tried to shed his vassal status to the Bishop of Urgell.
To this end, Arnau de Castelbon married his heiress, Ermesende, to the
future Count of Foix, Roger Bernard II, in 1202, passing the Caboet
estates in Andorra to this influential family. Since the Counts of Foix
refused to enter into a vassal relationship with the bishops of Urgell,
a conflict smoldered between the two parties in the 13th century, which
was often fought out in warlike terms.
The conflict could not be
settled until 1278. At a meeting on September 8th in Lleida, Bishop Pere
d'Urtx and Count Roger Bernard III. the so-called Pareatges Treaty,
which provided for a division of rule over the disputed area. The two
parties recognized each other as equal masters of Andorra. This contract
marks the beginning of the condominium that existed until 1993 and thus
also the actual foundation of the Co-Principality of Andorra; In 1288 it
was expanded to include several articles. While the Bishop of Urgell
retained his contractual rights, those of the Counts of Foix passed to
the French crown in 1594 with the appointment of the last Count of Foix,
Henry of Bourbon, as King of France.
In 1419 the Consell de la Terra was created, a kind of primary
parliament and the most important representative body of the
Andorran population. It was the forerunner of today's Consell
General de les Valls (General Council of the Valleys) and brought
together the heads of the most important Andorran families. The
political structure that had emerged in the Middle Ages stabilized
in the 16th to 18th centuries. The political and economic power of
the country's most important families also consolidated.
At
the beginning of the 18th century, Andorra found itself in a
difficult economic and institutional situation, which was partly due
to internal Spanish conflicts. In the course of a forced
centralization policy, Spain, which had emerged in the 15th century
from a union of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, destroyed all
Catalan institutions and threatened to apply the Decretos de Nueva
Planta of 1714 to all third countries that imported goods to Spain.
The decree provided for a tax to be levied on all products imported
into Spain; it corresponded to 10% of the product value. The
Andorrans had to negotiate for years before they obtained a special
agreement, the Sentència Manutenció of 1738. This text laid down a
tax exemption for Andorran products. At the end of the 18th and 19th
centuries, Andorra was rife with conflicts and disputes, and the
situation was unstable, both economically, socially and
institutionally.
The French Revolution led to the French not
recognizing the status of co-principality, a state of affairs that
paralyzed the development of Andorra in the years that followed. The
country lost all its privileges in relation to France, including tax
exemption, the neutrality of its judiciary, and control over
internal affairs and trade. In 1806, at the request of the
Andorrans, Napoleon Bonaparte restored the status quo ante and
renewed all the privileges and institutions that had linked Andorra
to the French king. Since then, the office of French co-prince has
been held by the respective head of state of France.
The establishment of traffic and communication routes in the 20th
century fundamentally changed the face of the country, which had been
largely isolated until then. The construction of a first paved road to
Spain in 1913 and another road to France and the interior of the
Andorran valleys in 1933, electrification, connection to the Spanish and
French post offices, the introduction of radio from 1935 and the opening
of a ski station in 1934 crucial factors. Institutionally, Andorran
democracy made significant progress in 1933 with the introduction of
suffrage for all adult males. However, adulthood was not until the age
of 27. Active women's suffrage was only introduced on April 14, 1970,
passive women's suffrage on September 5, 1973.
A curiosity in the
history of Andorra happened in 1934. It was then that a Russian
nobleman, Boris Skosyrev, gained influence in Andorra and had himself
proclaimed King Boris I by the General Council on July 7th. His reign
lasted until July 21, when, through the intervention of the Bishop of
Urgell, he was arrested and expelled from the country.
Andorra
maintained neutrality during World War II.
On August 25, 1973,
the Bishop of Urgell, Joan Martí Alanís, and the French President,
Georges Pompidou, met in Cahors, France. This was the first meeting of
the Andorran co-princes since 1278.
Greater co-determination
rights were denied to the population for a long time. Although Andorra
had a representative body in the form of the General Council of the
Valleys, it did not have direct legislative power. The institutional
arrangement only changed in the 1990s. Planning for a reform of the
Andorran institutions had already been initiated in the late 1970s,
which culminated in the creation of an executive body, the government,
in 1981. At the same time, the General Council was created as a
legislative body. The rights of the two coprinces were exercised in the
early 20th century by two non-Andorran resident delegates. They sent a
bailiff to Andorra, who oversaw the legislation and administration and
annually collected a symbolic tribute, mostly in kind, for the
co-princes. On January 25, 1981, the General Council of the Valleys
passed the first constitution after 703 years of independence. This
provided for the formation of an executive council and an administrative
reform.
Until 1993 there was no clear separation of legislative, executive
and judiciary powers in Andorra. Only the constitution of May 4, 1993
established Andorra as a sovereign state with a parliamentary-democratic
system in the modern sense. The two foreign patrons and co-princes
remained head of state, but they now only have a purely representative
function. Executive power was vested in a Prime Minister responsible to
Parliament.
Today Andorra is a member of the United Nations (UN),
the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the
Council of Europe and the European Monetary Union, but not the European
Union.
Andorra is located in a high valley in the Pyrenees. The formation of
the valley dates back to the Ice Age, when glaciers widened the
originally narrow valleys and deposited the debris that they carried
with them as moraines. More than a third of Andorra lies above the tree
line. In the layers below, predominantly pine forests alternate with
meadows and pastures. The country is very mountainous. 65 mountain peaks
exceed the 2000 meter mark. The highest mountain is the Coma Pedrosa
with 2942 meters. The lowest point is 840 meters high and is at Sant
Julià de Lòria on the Spanish border. The border with France is 56.6 km
long and that with Spain 63.7 km.
Two arms of the Valira river,
the Valira del Nord and the Valira d'Orient, unite roughly in the middle
of the country to form the Valira, which flows on to Spain. The Valira
supplies part of the country's energy through hydroelectric power
stations on the river. Other important rivers are the Arinsal and the
Riu Madríu.
Andorra has a high mountain climate with Mediterranean influences. Mean monthly average temperatures range from 0.7°C in January to 16.6°C in July. The average monthly amount of precipitation is between 41.6 millimeters in February and 97.4 millimeters in May.
The lowest layers are influenced by the Mediterranean, they are
characterized by evergreen stands of oak and alternating wasteland and
heathland. This is followed by a zone of oak and pine forests, with fir
trees thriving in shady areas. In the subalpine zone between 1600 and
2000 meters, pine and spruce forests predominate, with birch, ash,
boxwood, juniper, rhododendron and heather also growing here and there.
Alpine meadows spread out above the tree line. Andorra has a rich flora
with over 1150 proven species. In the past, the vegetation was mostly
kept low by grazing animals and the south-facing valley sides were used
for terraced agriculture.
The animal world is essentially the
same as that of Central Europe - hedgehogs, moles, squirrels and
numerous species of birds, foxes, badgers, pine martens, wild boars and
rabbits are at home here and are hunted. A relative of the mole, the
Pyrenean desman, can be found on the banks of streams, where it forages
in the clear water. In the higher mountains there are chamois, mouflon,
marmots and capercaillie, but golden eagles, griffon, Egyptian and
bearded vultures also have their habitat here.
The Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror was included in the UNESCO World
Heritage list in 2004 as a cultural landscape. According to UNESCO, it
gives an impression of how people have used the scarce resources of the
High Pyrenees over the past millennia to create a sustainable living
environment that is in harmony with the mountainous landscape. The
protected area covers an area of 4247 hectares in the municipalities of
Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra la Vella and Sant Julià de Lòria.
There are two natural parks in Andorra. The Parc Natural de la Vall
de Sorteny has an area of 1080 hectares and is located in the
municipality of Ordino. The Parc Natural Comunal de les Valls del
Comapedrosa, belonging to the municipality of La Massana, includes the
Comapedrosa mountain range and has an area of 1542 hectares.
The national holiday is September 8th, the day of the Verge de Meritxell, the Virgin of Meritxell, who has been the patron saint of Andorra since ancient times. Traditionally, a procession takes place on this day. Constitution Day is celebrated on March 14th. Other holidays are January 1st (New Year) and December 25th (Christmas). Andorran culture is very strongly influenced by the Catalan cultural sphere; it has made some significant contributions to the culture of the Catalans.
Andorra has preserved some architectural treasures throughout its
thousand-year history, some of which date from the Romanesque period.
Most of the architectural heritage consists of monuments of a religious
nature in the form of buildings, sculptures and paintings. Famous
buildings include:
The church of Santa Coloma (Andorra la Vella)
The Margineda Bridge (Sant Julià de Lòria)
The church of Sant Antoni
(La Massana)
The sanctuary of Meritxell (Canillo)
One of the first writers in Andorra was Antoni Fiter i Rossell from
Ordino. In 1748 he described the settlement and feudal history of the
state and called the work Digest manual de las valls neutras de Andorra.
In 1763 the priest Antoni Puig published an edited short version which
he called Politar Andorrà. Both works are considered important.
Modern Andorran fiction developed in the second half of the 20th
century. These include works by authors such as Antoni Morell, who wrote
novels as well as prose, Robert Pastor i Castillo, who has published
Catalan poetry and essays, as well as many books in Castilian, and the
poets Josep Enric Dallerès and Albert Salvadó. Among the authors of the
younger generation are Joan Peruga Guerrero (novels), Albert Villaró
(novels and essays), Manel Gibert Vallès (poetry), the author and
diplomat Juli Minoves Triquell, and the poet Teresa Colom. The beginning
of modern Andorran literature can be dated to the state reorganization
in 1993. Morell, Salvadó and Villaró have won the Andorran Prize for
Catalan Literature, Premi Carlemany, and Salvadò, Guerrero and Triquell
have won the Premi Fiter i Rossell de novel·la literary prize. Both
prizes were established by the Andorran government.
Through his
readings in Catalan (Glossari Andorrà), which were sometimes broadcast
daily by the Andorran radio station (Radio des Vallées/Sud Radio), the
Spanish writer Josep Fontbernat i Verdaguer gained national fame and was
long considered the most important literary figure in Andorra. He left
Spain for political reasons after the end of the civil war and lived in
Andorra until his death in 1977. His main themes were Catalan and
Andorran history and the independence of the Catalan countries. At a
time when Catalan culture was being repressed by the Franco regime and
the Catalan language was being suppressed in both Spain and France
(Roussillon), his Glossari was considered an independent voice of
Catalanism.
There are no German-language travel guides about
Andorra, but various publishers have published books on the Pyrenees,
which also cover Andorra. Kurt Tucholsky described Andorra in his book
on the Pyrenees.
Typical folk dances are the Marratxa and the Contrapàs, which are
danced mainly at festivals.
The international jazz festival in
Escaldes-Engordany, in which star musicians such as Miles Davis, Fats
Domino and B. B. King have taken part, is well known across the region.
The chamber orchestra Orquestra Nacional de Cambra d’Andorra was
founded in 1992 and renamed Orquestra Nacional Clàssica d’Andorra (ONCA)
in 2006. Andorra has a national boys’ choir, Cor Nacional Dels Petits
Cantors d’Andorra, which was founded in 1991.
In 2004, Andorra
took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. The
Andorran song attracted attention, especially from the Catalan media, as
it was the first song in the history of the contest to be sung entirely
in Catalan. However, it was eliminated in the semi-finals, as were the
Andorran entries from 2005 to 2009. Andorra's best place came in 2007
thanks to the band Anonymous, who narrowly missed the final.
Andorra has several museums documenting the country's history.
The Casa de la Vall in Andorra la Vella, seat of the General Council
of the Valleys, was built in 1580 as a patrician house with a defense
tower and was acquired in 1702 by the forerunner of the General Council,
the Consell de la Terra, and converted into an administrative building
(people's representation, court and prison). Today, the courtroom, the
General Council meeting room, the Noble Hall and the kitchen, furnished
with traditional furniture, can be visited. In the General Council
meeting room there is a cabinet with seven keys, which was once used to
keep the Council's documents; each parish (commune) of Andorra had a key
to the cabinet, which could only be opened by the representatives of all
seven municipalities together. Outside the building, next to the garden,
there are several monuments, including one by Josep Viladomat.
Other museums include:
The Carmen Thyssen Andorra Museum in
Escaldes-Engordany
The Josep Viladomat Museum (in Escaldes-Engordany)
The Museum of Romanesque Art Models (in Escaldes-Engordany)
The Sant
Jordi Museum (in Ordino)
The National Automobile Museum (in Encamp)
The Tobacco Museum in the old Reig factory (in St. Julià de Lòria).
Andorran cuisine has its roots in Catalan and has been influenced by
French and Spanish cuisine. It mainly uses products from the agriculture
of the three valleys, such as bacon, fish, meat (especially rabbit, lamb
and goat), vegetables, cereals and fruit. Typical dishes include:
Rabbit with tomatoes (conill amb tomàquet)
Grilled lamb (xai
rostit)
Other dishes are more typical of the capital, Andorra la
Vella. But some of them are representative of the whole of Andorra or
even of Catalan cuisine.
Grilled and herbed snails (Caragols a la
llauna)
Duck with winter pear (ànec amb pera d’hivern)
Boar ragout
(civet de porc fer)
Kid lamb in the oven with chopped dried fruit
(cabrit al forn amb picada de fruits secs)
Andorran river trout
(truita de riu a l’andorrana)
Warm and flambéed wine (vi calent e
cremat)
Until 1981, Andorra was the headquarters of the private broadcasting
companies Radio Andorra and Sud Radio, which operated powerful medium
and short wave transmitters in Encamp and on the Pic Blanc until April
7, 1981, which could be received throughout Europe. The broadcasting
facilities were later taken over by the public broadcasting company
Ràdio i Televisió d’Andorra. There are a total of eight radio stations
(including five private ones) and the public television station Andorra
Televisió (ATV) in Andorra. Spanish and French channels can also be
received.
Three daily newspapers are published, the Diari
d’Andorra, El Periodic d’Andorra and the BonDia, which is offered free
of charge.
In the 2021 press freedom ranking - published by
Reporters Without Borders - Andorra ranked 39th out of 180 countries.
Andorra's Olympic Committee was founded in 1971 and recognized by the
International Olympic Committee in 1975. The country's athletes took
part in the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck and the Summer Olympics in
Montreal for the first time in 1976. However, no Andorran participant
has yet won an Olympic medal.
Special Olympics Andorra was
founded in 1993.
Andorra hosted the European Games of Small
States in 1991 and 2005. Soldeu was also the host of the Alpine Ski
World Cup in February 2012. A giant slalom and a slalom took place. In
2023, the Ski World Cup final also took place in Soldeu. From March 15,
2023 to March 19, 2023, the overall winners of the FIS Ski World Cup
were determined and, in addition to the large crystal globe, the small
discipline crystal globes were also awarded. It was one of Andorra's
largest international sporting events. The basketball club BC River
Andorra took part in the European Cup in 1995/96 and has been playing in
the highest Spanish league, the Liga ACB, again since 2014.
In
addition to winter sports, especially alpine skiing and cross-country
skiing, there are practically two national sports. One is rugby union
and the other is roller hockey, in which Andorra was among the world's
best for years.
Andorra's Football Federation (Federació Andorrana de Futbol),
founded in 1994, joined FIFA and UEFA in 1996. The Andorran national
football team plays its home games at the Estadi Nacional. The national
team made its international debut in November 1996 in an international
match against Estonia, which the Andorrans lost 1:6. In the FIFA world
rankings, the country is currently in 171st place with 971.54 points,
second to last in Europe, ahead of San Marino.
The highest
football league in Andorra is the Primera Divisió, which was founded in
1995. Eight teams currently compete for the championship in the league.
Since the small country only has two stadiums for the entire first and
second leagues, the Camp d’Esports d’Aixovall and the Estadi Comunal
d’Andorra la Vella, match days are often spread over the weekends. The
Copa Constitució was introduced as a national football cup back in 1990.
With six titles in the league and nine in the cup, FC Santa Coloma is
the country’s record champion and cup winner.
The Andorran
champion qualifies for the first round of the Champions League
qualification, while the runner-up enters the first round of the Europa
League qualification. The winner of the Copa Constitució also competes
there.
One of the larger football clubs in Andorra is FC Andorra
from Andorra la Vella. Unlike the other Andorran clubs, the club does
not play in its own national championship, but is represented in the
Spanish league system. In the 1980s and 1990s, it played in the Segunda
División B, the third-highest Spanish league, before being relegated by
a total of five league levels in the following years. After Gerard Piqué
acquired the club in 2018, the club gradually rose from the fifth-tier
Primera (1ª) Catalana to the Segunda División by 2022.
Andorra has been a stage location in the Tour de France several times (1964, 1993, 1997, 2009, 2016 and 2021) and the Vuelta a España (1967, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2019). A special feature was the 11th stage of the Vuelta a España 2015. This took place entirely on Andorran territory and covered 138 km and 6 mountain classifications. The stage was won by Spaniard Mikel Landa.
Rugby Union is a traditional sport in Andorra and the sport is mainly influenced by southern France, where it is very popular. The Andorran national rugby union team, nicknamed Els Isards, competes internationally in rugby union and rugby sevens. VPC Andorra XV is a rugby team from Andorra la Vella and plays in the French championship.
In 2012, the Andorran national cricket team was founded and played a home match against the Dutch Fellowship of Fairly Odd Places Cricket Club. This was the first cricket match in the history of Andorra and took place at an altitude of 1300 m. The FFOP CC scored 187 runs for five wickets while the Andorran team was bowled out for 105 runs. The Andorran selection plans to continue this sport, inviting mainly cricket clubs from the south of France.
The country's population is concentrated in the principality's largest valley, through which the Gran Valira river flows and in which two municipalities are located, including the capital, Andorra la Vella.
Due to the small country's limited agricultural potential, Andorra's
population was low. Population growth was offset by constant emigration.
For generations, only around 3,000 people lived in Andorra, and it was
not until the 19th century that the number of inhabitants rose to over
5,000. At the end of the 19th century, it approached 6,000, but fell
again in the first decade of the 20th century. Between 1860 and the
1930s, the number of emigrants was considerable. At first, Andorrans
sought seasonal work in Spain and France, and later settled there.
During the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, Andorra remained
neutral and thus became the destination of numerous refugees. By 1950,
the population had reached 6,000 again.
The population growth is
mainly due to immigration, especially from Spain and later from Portugal
and France. There are also migrant workers from countries such as
Argentina, Morocco and the Philippines. Another group of immigrants
consists of wealthy foreigners, including from Great Britain, Germany
and the Netherlands, who are attracted to the country by the low tax
liability. In 2017, 53.5% of the population was born abroad.
Andorra has one of the lowest birth rates in the world: Andorran women
give birth to an average of 1.39 children. Infant mortality is 0.6%,
child mortality 0.4%. The average life expectancy is 82.4 years and is
one of the highest in the world.
15.6% of the population is under 15
years old (6,799 male and 6,440 female).
71.4% are between 15 and 64
years old (31,545 male and 29,037 female).
13.0% are 65 years or
older (5502 of them male and 5502 female).
In 2021, 88 percent of
Andorra's inhabitants lived in cities. A quarter of the population lives
in Andorra la Vella, another almost a quarter in the neighboring
municipality of Escaldes-Engordany, which has grown together with the
capital.
The official language of Andorra is Catalan, the mother tongue of the
native Andorrans. According to a survey conducted by the Andorran Center
for Social Research (Centre de Recerca Sociològica) in 2005, 38.8% of
Andorra's inhabitants speak Catalan, 35.4% Spanish, 15.0% Portuguese and
5.4% French as their mother tongue. When asked which language they use
most often to communicate, 58.3% of respondents said Catalan, 37.3%
Spanish, 3.5% Portuguese and 2.2% French. The last question allowed
multiple answers. 902 people were surveyed.
Although Catalan is
the official language of Andorra, it is under pressure from the Spanish
and French school systems, immigration from Spain and France and the
foreign media present in Andorra. The establishment of an official
language council, the Servei de Política Lingüística, and the
strengthening of Catalan in Andorran schools and adult education are
intended to counteract this displacement. Lessons in Catalan are now
also offered in the Spanish and French school systems in Andorra.
Article 11 of the constitution guarantees freedom of religion; there
is no official religion or state church. Point 3 of the article
recognizes the traditional role of the Roman Catholic Church, its right
to hold public celebrations, as well as the legal status of its
institutions and their internal rules. The Catholic Church in Andorra is
part of the Diocese of Urgell. The bishop, who is also co-prince of
Andorra, has his seat in the town of La Seu d’Urgell, in the
northwestern part of Catalonia.
The majority of Andorrans (around
90 percent) are Roman Catholic, in addition to one percent of the
population who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and there is also a Jewish and
some Protestant community.
The educational system in Andorra includes Andorran, Spanish and
French schools, as well as a private English school (Elians). There is
also a denominational school system that follows the Spanish educational
program, but is not financially or institutionally dependent on the
Spanish state system, but is financed by the Andorran state.
The
school attendance rate in Andorra is almost 100%. Schooling in the
Andorran, Spanish and French systems is free, and attendance is
compulsory up to the age of 16. Only the private English school is not
free. The school system consists of pre-school, primary school and
secondary schools: college and high school. The education system also
includes special branches for vocational training, technical training (a
school for nurses, a school for IT, a business school for small and
medium-sized enterprises and industry) and adult education. The public
university, the Universitat d’Andorra, was founded in 1997. It is the
only public university in the country, along with the Universitat Oberta
de la Salle in La Massana, and is based in Sant Julià de Lòria. It
offers bachelor's degrees in computer science, nursing, economics and
educational sciences. In 2008, the law granted permission for a private
university.
The state awards educational grants based on need and
has set up a training grant for higher education. Various types of
scholarships are awarded for studying abroad. The National Study Prize
(Premi nacional d'estudi) awards scholarships annually to the best
students in the three school systems represented in the country. The
state also has student residences in Toulouse and Paris.
It was only the state reform with the constitution of 1993 that created the sovereign state of the Principality of Andorra.[30] According to the constitution, Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality (Article 1 paragraph 4 of the constitution).
The joint heads of state are the Spanish Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, Monseigneur Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, and the French President Emmanuel Macron. Their office is purely representative in nature, but they have a right of veto in foreign affairs. The unicameral parliament elects the head of government (Cap de Govern), who heads the executive. The current head of government has been Xavier Espot Zamora since May 16, 2019. The government directs Andorran domestic and foreign policy and heads the administration.
he Cos de Policia d’Andorra was founded in 1931 as a Servei d’Ordre
with seven employees. Today the police force employs around 280 people.
Fire brigade
The fire brigade in Andorra was founded at the end
of 1961. In 2022, around 120 professional firefighters work in four fire
stations in Santa Coloma d’Andorra, Pas de la Casa, La Massana and
Canillo. The fire brigades are equipped with 16 large fire engines, four
light auxiliary vehicles and four ambulances. The national fire brigade
association Cos de Bombers d'Andorra, founded in early 2002, represents
the Andorran fire brigades with its around 120 firefighters.
General Council of the Valleys (Parliament)
The General Council,
the Consell General de les Valls, performs the function of a national
parliament and thus the legislation in Andorra, approves the state
budget and promotes and controls the government's political measures. It
currently has 28 councillors elected for four years. 14 councillors are
elected at regional level (two councillors for each municipality), the
rest at national level. The deputies elect a Síndic and a Subsíndic as
President and Vice-President of the Consell, who together with two
secretaries, also elected from the Consell, form the parliamentary
office. The President of the Consell (President of Parliament) is
currently Vicenç Mateu Zamora, and Vice-President Mònica Bonell Tuset.
In the 2009 parliamentary elections, the Coalició Reformista (CR),
the new conservative coalition of PLA and CDA-S21, only received 32.3%
of the vote (a loss of around 20% of the vote). The Partit
Socialdemòcrata (PSD) received 45%, thus winning half of the seats.
Andorra pel Canvi (ApC), a successor party to the social-liberal
Renovació Democràtica (RD), won three seats in the General Council with
18.9% of the vote. The Greens failed to gain a seat in the General
Council for the second time since 2005, with 3.2%. This meant that the
PSD, led by Jaume Bartumeu Cassany, replaced the CR in government for
the first time - but in votes it was dependent on at least one
additional vote from other parties represented in the General Council or
had to enter a coalition with ApC.
After repeated boycotts of
passing a state budget, Bartumeu dissolved the General Council at the
beginning of 2011 and called new elections for April 3, 2011. In this
election, the liberal-conservative Demòcrates per Andorra (DPA) won with
55.2% of the vote and received 20 seats. The Partit Socialdemòcrata
(PSDA) was the second strongest party (34.8%) and received six seats.
The remaining two seats went to the Unió Laurediana (UL), which only ran
in the Sant Julià de Lòria constituency, where 61.6% of voters voted for
it; for the whole of Andorra, this was 8.6%. Andorra pel Canvi (6.7%)
and the Greens (3.3%) did not enter the General Council. Voter turnout
was 74.12% of those eligible to vote. Of the 28 elected representatives,
15 seats are held by women (54% of seats). This makes Andorra the first
European country in which women form the majority in parliament, and the
second country in the world after Rwanda (since 2008). The Demòcrates
per Andorra provide the head of government, Antoni Martí.
In the
2015 election, the DPA and the PSDA lost significantly, but the DPA
managed to maintain its absolute majority. The liberal PLA received 27%.
The UL ran in coalition with the PSDA this time.
The DPA lost its
majority in the 2019 election and had to look for a coalition partner,
but remained the strongest party (around 35%) despite slight losses. The
PSDA achieved around 30%, while the PLA lost significantly in votes,
only receiving 12.5% of all votes cast. Unió Laurediana (UL) ran
nationwide for the first time and achieved over 10%. The populist party
AS also ran for the first time and received 4.6%. The left-wing SiP lost
significantly, reaching 5.9%.
Andorra has a multi-party system dominated by a right-left axis.
Traditionally, the right is represented by the Partit Liberal d’Andorra
and the left by the Partit Socialdemòcrata. There are other parties,
including the environmental party Verds d’Andorra, the Andorra pel Canvi
(ApC – For Change in Andorra) and the local party Unió Laurediana from
Sant Julià de Lòria. Government power in Andorra is mainly in
conservative hands, with the exception of the cabinet from 2009 to 2011,
when the Social Democrats ruled.
Three parties are currently
represented in the General Council. These include the Demòcrates per
Andorra (DA – Democrats for Andorra), the Partit Socialdemòcrata (PS –
Social Democratic Party) and the Unió Laurediana.
For Andorran citizenship, the jus sanguinis is primarily applied,
i.e. children of Andorran citizens are entitled to citizenship.
In the old days, naturalization was carried out according to customary
law (cotoume) by sovereign decision of the codominants. Since May 23,
1775, the General Council decided, and in cases of medium importance the
respective municipal council. Foreign women marrying into the country
had the option of declaring to a notary within one year of the marriage
whether they wanted to take on their husband's nationality.
The
first nationality law was passed on June 17, 1939. The only way for men
to acquire citizenship was to marry an Andorran woman; the marriage had
to be Catholic and ecclesiastical to be valid. The woman had to be the
owner of inherited property (pubilla). The reason for naturalization was
not marriage, but the acquisition of land by the new husband (who owned
the land before gender equality) and the resulting admission to
community citizenship. The consent of the codominants was always
necessary, and the new citizen had only limited political rights.
Until the second half of the 20th century, resident descendants of
foreigners without land ownership were only naturalized in the third
generation (“accrual possession”), provided that all three were of good
repute. However, the 1939 law was amended on December 26, 1941, so that
children of good repute and good Catholics of residents who had been
residents for at least 20 years could be naturalized.
Reasons for
loss included the acceptance of a foreign citizenship and long-term
residence abroad. A child of an Andorran not living in the country lost
citizenship one month after their 21st birthday if they did not take up
residence in the country. Women who married foreigners could opt for
their husband's nationality.
Reformed law since 1995
Andorran
citizenship and thus - depending on age - the active and passive right
to vote is relatively difficult to obtain. The strict citizenship law
places high demands on naturalization. Multiple citizenship is still not
permitted. Only a minority of Andorra's population is also a citizen of
the country.
Children born in Andorra to foreigners who were
either born in Andorra themselves or have lived there for at least ten
years can also become citizens. Anyone born in Andorra without
citizenship can obtain Andorran citizenship under certain conditions.
Naturalization is generally only possible after giving up existing
citizenship and a certain length of stay in Andorra. This is 20 years
and can be reduced to 15 years if the grandparents came from Andorra,
and to ten years if the person attended school and completed vocational
training in Andorra.
An exception to these rules applies to the
two heads of state.
In the 19th and 20th centuries
The French Cour de Cassation was
already of the opinion in its ruling on May 9, 1845 that Andorra was a
national country in terms of procedural law and that France had police
powers. This claim, e.g. the right to pursue, was extended by a ruling
on May 12, 1859 and confirmed by the Tribunal correctionel de Toulouse
on November 22, 1905.
Traditionally, the municipal councils were
also responsible for the police. The decree of July 11, 1931 created a
proper police force for the first time. Each municipality had one
full-time police officer and six auxiliary police officers who were
called in when needed.
The constitution is the supreme norm of the legal system. It is binding on all batlles (first instance judges), judges and courts that administer justice and apply the laws in accordance with the principles of the constitution. In exercising their jurisdiction, the Batlles and judges of all judicial bodies and the Supreme Court are independent.
Traditionally, two Batlles were appointed for three years for civil
law issues. Criminal cases were judged in the first instance by the
bailiffs. The codominants alternately appointed a judge responsible for
appeals for life. Two assessors without voting rights took part in his
hearings. The third, i.e. revision, instance was a judge appointed by
the bishop, for France this has been the Court of Appeal in Perpignan
since 1888.
Today's court instances are:
the Batllia d'Andorra
(first instance court for minor offenses),
the Tribunal de Corts
(court of appeal for minor offenses and first instance court for more
serious cases),
the Tribunal Superior d'Andorra (Supreme Court).
The constitutional court is the Tribunal Constitucional d'Andorra.
The administration of justice is carried out by the Consell Superior
de la Justicia d’Andorra (Supreme Council of Justice), and criminal
prosecution is carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Ombudsman
The Ombudsman has defended and monitored the rights and
freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution since 1998. He handles private
complaints and claims concerning violations of rights by the public
administration. He can also make recommendations, remind people of
duties and legal obligations and propose new measures to be implemented.
Andorra maintains diplomatic relations with all European countries
except Belarus. Embassies are located in Paris, Madrid, Brussels and
Lisbon. Diplomatic missions are located in Strasbourg at the Council of
Europe, in Geneva for the United Nations organizations, in New York at
the United Nations headquarters and in Vienna for the international
organizations based there.
Relations between Andorra and Germany
are traditionally friendly and free of problems. In 1994, Germany was
the fourth state to finally recognize Andorra as sovereign and
independent after the adoption of the new constitution in 1993. The
German ambassador in Spain is also accredited in Andorra. Consular
services are provided by the German consulate general in Barcelona.
Switzerland concluded an agreement on passenger traffic with Andorra
in 1961. The Swiss ambassador in Madrid is responsible for diplomatic
business. Consular matters are handled from Barcelona. Switzerland has
also been represented in Andorra by an honorary consul since 2001. The
permanent diplomatic mission to the United Nations in Geneva is not an
embassy, but Andorra's ambassador to Switzerland, Lluís Viu Torres, is
based there. He is also accredited as ambassador to Liechtenstein,
Monaco and San Marino.
Andorra also has traditionally friendly
relations with Austria. The Austrian ambassador in Madrid is also
accredited to Andorra. In December 2009, Andorra concluded a bilateral
tax information agreement with Austria. Andorra's foreign mission
responsible for Austria is based in Vienna. Marta Salvat is accredited
as an attaché and also represents Andorra at international organizations
in Vienna.
Outside Europe, Andorra has diplomatic relations with
numerous countries, but only a few countries have accredited
ambassadors. In Africa it is Morocco, Asia is only represented by
Russia's share of that continent, and in North America it is the United
States, Canada and Mexico, but there is only one embassy in New York.
The ambassador there, Narcís Casal de Fonsdeviela, is accredited
ambassador to the United States, Canada and Mexico and Andorra's
representative to the United Nations.
The Transpyrenean regional cooperation body, Communauté de travail des Pyrénées, in which the French regions of Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Spanish autonomous regions of Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and the Basque Country cooperate with Andorra, is important for the development of transport infrastructure, energy supply and numerous other areas. The cooperation began in 1983.
Some associations have condemned the current rules applied in controlling immigrants. They state that work permits are refused to those who suffer from alcoholism or other substance addictions, as well as to those who suffer from diseases that require quarantine according to the WHO criteria. It is also refused to people suffering from psycho-mental illnesses that pose a threat to public safety and order, or to carriers of infectious diseases such as hepatitis or HIV/AIDS that pose a threat to public health. It is also refused to people who, due to a physical or mental disability, are unsuitable for the type of work for which a work permit is requested. Prostitution is illegal.
The laws on homosexuality in Andorra are liberal, and the social climate in the country allows homosexuals to develop freely in public life. Homosexuality was made a criminal offence in 1970. The age of consent is uniformly 14 years. In Andorra, there are anti-discrimination laws to protect sexual identity in labor and civil law. Andorra has legally recognised same-sex partnerships nationwide by introducing registered partnerships since 2005. However, marriage has not yet been opened up as in neighbouring Spain and Catalonia. The Partit Socialdemòcrata, which governed from 2009 to 2011, announced in its 2009 election campaign that it would open up marriage to same-sex couples. Andorra is one of the generally tolerant countries when it comes to homosexuality, which is largely respected and accepted by the population. Due to the small population of the country, there is only a small LGBT community in the capital, Andorra la Vella.
The flag of Andorra is a tricolour in blue, yellow and red with the
coat of arms of Andorra on the yellow stripe. The national coat of arms
of Andorra was adopted in 1969 and confirmed in 1996.
Blazon:
"Quartered, in 1 in red a golden mitre with silver border, covering a
golden bishop's staff at an angle to the left, in 2 in gold three red
poles, in 3 in gold four red poles and in 4 in gold two red cows with
blue arms, each wearing a blue bell collar." The coat of arms is set in
a golden shield frame decorated with volutes, which bears the motto
Virtus Unita Fortior (Latin: united bravery is stronger) below the coat
of arms.
Explanation of the coat of arms: The mitre and crosier
represent the Bishop of Urgell, the three red poles represent the Counts
of Foix, the four red poles come from the coat of arms of Catalonia and
the two red bulls from the coat of arms of Béarn.
El Gran
Carlemany (Catalan for "The Great Charlemagne") is the national anthem
of Andorra. The lyrics are by Joan Benlloch i Vivo (1864-1926), the
music by Enric Marfany Bons (1871-1942). It was declared the national
anthem in 1914.
The white daffodil, also called poet's daffodil
(botanical name Narcissus poeticus, Catalan grandalla), grows wild and
is considered the national flower. The flowers have six petals, which
corresponds to the number of original parishes in the country.
In
2007, the government established the Orde de Carlemany ("Order of
Charlemany"), along with the Premi Carlemany ("Charlemagne Prize") for
Catalan literature, literature in general, art, science and humanitarian
work.
Andorra has no standing military. The Sometent is a militia formation whose primary task is disaster protection, national defence is the responsibility of Spain and France.
Andorra is made up of seven parròquies (sg. parròquia, literally parishes, actually municipalities). Some parròquies are further subdivided into quarters or neighbourhoods. The Comuns are the bodies that represent and manage the municipalities, approve and execute the municipal budget, decide and implement their public policies and manage all municipal property. They receive funding from the general state budget to ensure their financial independence.
The United Nations Development Programme classifies Andorra as a country with very high human development.
The small principality has practically no natural resources, except
water and granite slate (for domestic needs). Despite its mountainous
location, Andorra used to be an agricultural state, but over the years
agriculture has been largely limited to livestock farming and tobacco
cultivation and processing, as well as potato cultivation for domestic
needs. Only 2% of Andorra's undeveloped land is suitable for
agricultural purposes. The principality was long the showcase of Europe
for Spain, but when Spain joined the European Economic Community in
1986, economic policy had to be changed.
Andorra lives mainly
from tourism (more than three million visitors in 2016), for example
through winter sports. There are around 700 hotels and sports and
holiday centres. The sale of hydroelectric power to the neighbouring
region of Catalonia is also a significant source of income. The 1929
concession to use this resource to generate electricity has led to the
construction of major roads and the establishment of an electricity
network. Banking is also very well developed. Another source of income
is the concession fees of local broadcasters. Andorra grants its
residents a largely tax-free status.
The low sales tax makes the
state attractive for luxury goods (gold, jewelry, leather goods,
clothing, cosmetics). Andorra is a state that lives mainly from services
and tourism. There is little industry, but the new strategy of
diversifying the economy may lead to powerful and specialized small and
medium-sized companies - for example in the pharmaceutical or optical
sectors (glass eyes) - settling in Andorra in the future.
On
January 28, 2016, the EU Commission proposed measures to combat tax
evasion. Andorra, among others, appeared temporarily on a black list of
tax havens. Andorra was no longer included in later versions of the
list.
Relations with the European Union are governed by a trade agreement
signed on 28 June 1990, which provides for a customs union for
industrial products and special arrangements for agricultural products.
This framework agreement, which is not subject to time limits, entered
into force on 1 January 1991. The customs provisions, which are also not
subject to time limits, have been in force since 1 July 1991. The
agreement was extended in 1995, when Andorra applied for the unlimited
privilege of direct reimbursement of the common external tariff. Imports
mainly consist of consumer goods of all kinds, while exports include
electrical energy, livestock, sheepskins, ceramics and wood. The
Andorran economy is highly dependent on Spain. In 2014, Andorra imported
mainly from Spain (61.74% of the total value of imports), followed by
France (15.53%), the People's Republic of China (4.14%) and Germany
(3.85%). Spain was also the main buyer of Andorran products in 2014
(58.98% of the total value of exports), followed by France (17.86%) and
Norway (5.53%).
Andorra was known as a tax haven; until the end
of 2014 there was no general income or inheritance tax. In 2011, a 5%
profit tax on economic activities came into force. A tax of the same
amount is levied on corporate profits. Since January 1, 2006, VAT has
been levied on most goods and services. As of 2019, the standard rate is
4.5%. For certain sectors, there are different tax rates of 1%, 2.5% and
9.5%. The favorable tax conditions are also used by "letterbox
companies". Tourists also enjoy low prices for spirits, tobacco and
cosmetics, as all goods are duty-free in Andorra. However, anything that
is not for immediate consumption should be declared when purchasing, as
otherwise there may be difficulties when exporting the products.
The national budget in 2009 included expenditures of the equivalent
of 650 million US dollars, compared to revenues of the equivalent of 513
million US dollars. This resulted in a budget deficit of 3.6% of gross
domestic product.
The national debt in 2009 was 1.189 billion US
dollars, or 31.3% of GDP.
In 2006, government expenditures in the
following areas, as a percentage of GDP, were:
Health: 7.4%
Education: 2.3%
Military: 0.0% (Andorra has no military, national
defense is handled by France and Spain)
Andorra generates some of its own electricity. However, production is
not sufficient to meet domestic needs. Therefore, electricity is
imported in addition to petroleum products.
In 1929, the Consell
General of the Forces Hidroelèctriques d’Andorra company, which
represented Franco-Spanish interests, approved the construction of a
hydroelectric power plant. In return, the company undertook to build
several roads. Construction of the plant in Encamp began in 1931 and it
went into operation in 1934. The electricity was exported to France and
Spain. Now that domestic consumption has also increased, the country's
own production can no longer meet the demand for electricity. While
domestic electricity production in 2009 totaled 101,011 MWh (85% from
hydropower), 497,732 MWh had to be imported. Andorra's own energy
production covers 17% of consumption. The energy company was taken over
by the Andorran government in 1988 and renamed Forces Elèctriques
Andorra. Since then, it has been responsible for the production and
distribution of electricity in the country.
Andorra is not a member of the European Union, but it enjoys a
special status in relation to the EU. The country did not have its own
currency until 2014. During the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939,
however, Andorra briefly had its own currency, the pesseta. Before
January 1, 2002, the French franc and the Spanish peseta were the only
official means of payment. After that, these were replaced by the euro,
as in France and Spain. Andorra did not have its own euro coins at
first, but according to the currency agreement reached with the EU on
June 30, 2011, after the agreement has been ratified, it can issue
national euro coins with an initial face value of 2.342 million euros
per year from July 1, 2013. At the beginning of 2014, the euro became
the country's official currency. The first coins were issued at the end
of 2014.
Primarily for collectors' purposes, the Servei
d'Emissions de la Vegueria Episcopal (Mint of the Episcopal Co-Prince)
issues coins in the artificial currency Diner (1 Diner = 100 Cèntims)
[els diners is Catalan for "money"]. These have been available since
1983 in denominations ranging from 1 Cèntim to 250 Diners. The
conversion rate is ESP 100 (0.60 EUR) or 5 FRF (~125 ESP or 0.75 EUR) to
a Diner. In Andorra, monetary amounts are usually shown twice, in Diners
and in Euros.
Tourism and the trade associated with it are the mainstays of the
Andorran economy (≈ 80% of the gross national product). Andorra's
duty-free shops attract millions of tourists every year. Most tourists
are day visitors. The number of overnight stays and day tourists has
been declining in recent years.
Tourists are attracted by
Andorra's low tax rates and the possibility of free trade. In 2009, 57%
of visitors were Spanish, 40% were French. Duty-free tourism was
particularly important before Spain joined the EU in 1986, but visitors
returning to France and Spain can still take home a free allowance of
tobacco, alcohol, perfume, food and industrial products (especially
small electronics) that is greater than many non-EU states (as of 2007).
This means that trade plays a large role in Andorra in terms of
employment and turnover.
Most visitors (80%) are day tourists
from Spain and France. The state has hundreds of hotels and other
accommodation options, as well as thermal springs in Escaldes-Engordany.
In 2009, there were 720 establishments in the hotel and catering sector
in Andorra and 1.8 million guests stayed overnight in the state. The
tourism industry has a high season in both summer and winter. Andorra is
the largest winter sports destination in the Pyrenees.
Andorra has roads with a total length of 269 kilometers, of which 198
kilometers are asphalted and 71 kilometers are unpaved. The state road
network consists of six main roads (Catalan carreteres generals,
abbreviation CG) and secondary roads (carreteres secundàries, CS). All
border crossings are on main roads. The main connection to Spain is via
the CG 1 through the Valira valley south of Sant Julià de Lòria, other
border crossings are on the CG 4 towards the Spanish village of Tor and
on the CG 6. This is the only road to the Spanish Os de Civís, a
functional exclave. The only border crossing to France is east of Pas de
la Casa on the CG 2, which leads over the highest Pyrenean pass, Port
d’Envalira, at 2408 meters, which was closed in the winter months well
into the 20th century. As an alternative to the pass road, the 2850 m
long Tùnel d’Envalìra was inaugurated in 2002. Construction of a second
road connection with a tunnel (Port du Rat) to France began in the
1980s, which now ends northwest of the Andorran town of El Serrat
because work on the French side was stopped due to environmental
concerns.
Andorra has no airport or rail transport on its
territory. Since 2014, Andorra – La Seu d’Urgell in Catalonia has been
recognized as Andorra’s airport. International bus connections exist to
L’Hospitalet-près-l’Andorre (from there there is a rail connection to
Toulouse, Paris and Barcelona), to Toulouse-Blagnac airport and to
Barcelona. The intercommunal bus network Clipol connects most Andorran
municipalities with the larger towns in the country. Eight bus lines run
during the day from Andorra la Vella. Taxi ranks are only available in
Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany. Taxis can be ordered from
anywhere in Andorra using the taxi radio.
Right of way applies, except on main roads; in the mountains, traffic
going uphill has priority over traffic going downhill. At most
roundabouts, the vehicle in the roundabout has right of way. Right of
way to the roundabout is when there is a white, triangular road sign
with a red border and three black arrows in a circle in front of it.
Using a mobile phone in the car is prohibited (except with a hands-free
system).
The general speed limit is 40 km/h in town and 90 km/h
outside town. There are no motorways in Andorra.