2000 Edition

Background

Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra has achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Area

land

468 sq km

total

468 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m

lowest point

Riu Runer 840 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

42 30 N, 1 30 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km

total

120.3 km

Land use

arable land

4%

forests and woodland

35%

other

16% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

45%

Location

Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

snowslides, avalanches

Natural resources

hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Terrain

rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Age structure

0-14 years: 15% (male 5,382; female 4,883) 15-64 years: 72% (male 25,463; female 22,837) 65 years and over: 13% (male 4,160; female 4,099) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

10.58 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998)

Infant mortality rate

4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Catalan (official), French, Castilian

Life expectancy at birth

female

86.56 years (2000 est.)

male

80.56 years

total population

83.46 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

100%

Nationality

adjective

Andorran

noun

Andorran(s)

Net migration rate

6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

66,824 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.22% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic (predominant)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female

total population

1.1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria

Capital

Andorra la Vella

Constitution

Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993

Country name

conventional long form

Principality of Andorra

conventional short form

Andorra

local long form

Principat d'Andorra

local short form

Andorra

Data code

AN

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, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: (3493) 280-2227; FAX: (3493) 205-7705

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Juli MINOVES-TRIQUELL (also Permanent Representative to the UN)

telephone

(212) 750-8064

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president

chief of state

French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Mr. Frederic de SAINT-SERNIN (since NA); Spanish Coprince Episcopal Monseigneur Joan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Mr. Nemesi MARQUES OSTE (since NA)

election results

Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - 64%

elections

Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)

head of government

Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994)

FAX

(212) 750-6630

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; 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

Government type

parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its heads 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

Independence

1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain)

International organization participation

CCC, CE, ECE, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO

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

Legal system

based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - UL 57%, AND 21%, IDN 7%, ND 7%, other 8%; seats by party - UL 16, AND 6, ND 2, IDN 2, UPO 2

elections

last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2001)

National holiday

Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September (1278)

Political parties and leaders

Liberal Party of Andorra (Partit Liberal d'Andorra) or PLA ; Liberal Union or UL [Francesc CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND ; National Democratic Initiative or IDN ; New Democracy or ND ; Unio Parroquial d'Ordino or UPO

note

there are two other small parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep

Budget

expenditures

$342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

revenues

$385 million

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes; 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos; the French and Spanish currencies are used

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - recipient

none

Economy - overview

Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 9 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 "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited by a scarcity of arable land, and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing 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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh (1998 est.)

Electricity - exports

NA kWh

Electricity - imports

NA kWh; note - imports electricity from Spain and France

Electricity - production

116 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

NA%

hydro

NA%

nuclear

NA%

other

NA%

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995); Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 143.39 (January 1999), 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996), 124.69 (1995)

Exports

$58 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

tobacco products, furniture

Exports - partners

France 34%, Spain 58% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $18,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports - commodities

consumer goods, food, electricity

Imports - partners

Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.62% (1998)

Labor force

30,787 salaried employees (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 72%, other 6% (1998)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

0%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

16,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges

international

landline circuits to France and Spain

Telephones - main lines in use

31,980 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8,618 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1997)

Televisions

27,000 (1997)

Airports

none

Highways

paved

198 km

total

269 km

unpaved

71 km (1994 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

0 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Disputes - international

none

ANGOLA