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| Andorra | Communications | Back to Top |
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: landline circuits to France and Spain
| Andorra | Culture | Back to Top |
Andorra's independence is traditionally ascribed to Charlemagne, who recovered the region from the Muslims in AD 803, and to his son Louis I the Pious, who granted the inhabitants a charter of liberties. Charlemagne's grandson, Charles II, granted Andorra to the counts of Urgel, from whom it passed to the bishops of Urgel. Andorra's seven-century-old dual allegiance to two princes, one in Spain and one in France, originated in the late 13th century in a proprietary quarrel between the Spanish bishops of Urgel and the French heirs to the countship of Urgel. Andorra was subsequently governed jointly by representatives of the Spanish bishop of Urgel and of the French head of state, each of whom received an annual payment of a token tribute. This feudal system of government, the last in Europe, remained intact until 1993, when a constitution was adopted that greatly reduced the power of the coprinces and established separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
Andorra consists of a cluster of mountain valleys whose streams unite to form the Valira River. With only about 2 percent of the land cultivable, the traditional economy centred on the pasturing of sheep and the harvesting of modest quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, olives, grapes, and potatoes. Industry was limited to processing these products and to handicrafts. From the 1950s tourism became one of Andorra's chief industries, exploiting the scenic attractions of the mountains and the area's excellent opportunities for winter sports. Because of the lack of customs duties and low or nonexistent taxes, Andorra in the late 20th century also became an important international centre of retail trade that attracted millions of shoppers from all over Europe with its duty-free imported consumer goods. There is no national monetary unit, and both French and Spanish currencies are used. No railway system exists, but good roads link Andorra with France and Spain.
The coprincipality has traditionally had a strong affinity with the region of Catalonia in northern Spain. Andorra's official language is Catalan; its institutions are based in Catalonian law, and a large proportion of the Spanish immigrants (or their descendants) in Andorra are Catalan. Most Andorrans are Roman Catholic, and the principality is part of the diocese of the See of Urgel. Nearly two-thirds of the population is urban.
| Andorra | Defence | Back to Top |
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
| Albania | International Disputes | Back to Top |
None
| Andorra | Economy | Back to Top |
Andorra’s economy was formerly based on pastoral farming and the processing of tobacco and timber. Tourism has boomed since the 1950s and now dominates the principality’s economic life. Tourists are drawn by the winter ski facilities, the cool summer climate, and the availability of duty-free goods. The Andorran government collects revenue through a small number of taxes and the sale of postage stamps. Immigration and investment have been encouraged by low tax rates.
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 output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.
| Andorra | Government | Back to Top |
Until recently, Andorra's political system had no clear division of power among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. A Constitution ratified and approved in 1993 changed this, however. The Constitution establishes Andorra as a sovereign parliamentary democracy that retains the two Co-princes as its heads of state. The fundamental impetus for this political transformation was a recommendation by the Council of Europe in 1990 that, if Andorra wished to attain full integration into the European Union (EU), it should adopt a modern Constitution that guarantees the rights of those living and working there. Under the 1993 Constitution, the Co-princes continue as heads of state, but the head of government retains executive power. The two Co-princes serve equally with limited powers that do not include veto over government acts. They are represented in Andorra by a delegate. Each Co-prince, the President of France and the Bishop of Seu d'Urgell, maintain supreme authority in approval of all international treaties with France and Spain, as well as those dealing with internal security, defense, Andorran territory, diplomatic representation, and judicial or penal cooperation. Although some view the institution as an anachronism, the majority sees them as both a link with Andorra's traditions and a way to balance the power of Andorra's two much larger neighbors. Andorra's main legislative body is the 28-member General Council (Parliament). The sindic (president), the subsindic, and the members of the Council are elected in the general elections held every 4 years. The Council meets throughout the year on certain dates set by tradition or as required. The most recent general elections took place in March 2001. At least one representative from each parish must be present for the General Council to meet. Historically, within the General Council, four deputies from each of the seven individual parishes have provided representation. This system allowed the smaller parishes, that have as few as 562 voters, the same number of representatives as larger parishes, which have up to 4,000 voters. To readjust the imbalance this system caused, a provision in the new Constitution introduces a modification of the structure and format for electing the members of the Council; under this new format, half of the representatives are to be chosen by the traditional system, while the other half are selected from nationwide lists. A sindic and a subsindic are chosen by the General Council to implement its decisions. They serve 4-year terms and may be reappointed once. They receive an annual salary. Sindics have virtually no discretionary powers, and all policy decisions must be approved by the Council as a whole. Every 4 years, after the general elections, the General Council elects the head of government who, in turn, chooses the other members of the Executive Council. The current council has 10 ministers. The judicial system is independent. Courts apply the customary laws of Andorra, supplemented with Roman law and customary Catalan law. Civil cases are first heard by the batlles court--a group of four judges, two chosen by each Co-prince. Appeals are heard in the Court of Appeals. The highest body is the five-member Superior Council of Justice. Andorra has no defense forces and only a small internal police force. All able-bodied men who own firearms must serve, without remuneration, in the small army, which is unique in that all of its men are treated as officers. The army has not fought for more than 700 years, and its main responsibility is to present the Andorran flag at official ceremonies.
| Andorra | History | Back to Top |
Andorra is the last independent survivor of the March states, a number of buffer states created by Charlemagne to keep the Muslim Moors from advancing into Christian France. Tradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. In the 800s, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, named the Count of Urgell Overlord of Andorra. A descendant of the Count later gave the lands to the diocese headed by Bishop of Seu d'Urgell. In the 11th century, fearing military action by neighboring lords, the bishop placed himself under the protection of the Lord of Caboet, a Spanish nobleman. Later, the Count of Foix, a French noble, became heir to Lord Caboet through marriage, and a dispute arose between the French Count and the Spanish bishop over Andorra. In 1278, the conflict was resolved by the signing of a pareage, a feudal institution recognizing the principle of equality of rights shared by two rulers. This pareage provided that Andorra's sovereignty would be shared between the Count of Foix and the Bishop of Seu d'Urgell of Spain. The pareage gave the small state its territory and political form. Over the years, the title was passed between French and Spanish rule until, in the reign of the French king Henry IV, an edict in 1607 established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Seu d'Urgell as Co-princes of Andorra. Given its relative isolation, Andorra has existed outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to countries other than France and Spain. In recent times, however, its thriving tourist industry along with developments in diplomatic activity, transportation, and communications have removed the country from its isolation.
| Andorra | Introduction | Back to Top |
Officially Principality of Andorra, parliamentary principality, south-western Europe, situated high in the eastern Pyrenees mountains, bordered on the north and east by France, and on the south and west by Spain. Also called Valleys of Andorra, the country is one of the smallest in the world with an area of about 468 sq km (181 sq mi) and a population of 63,859 (1995). The overall population density in 1995 was about 136 people per sq km (353 per sq mi); over 60 per cent of the population is urban. The capital is Andorra la Vella (population, 1995 government estimate, 21,984).
Official Name- Principality of Andorra| Andorra | Land | Back to Top |
N/A
| Andorra | Legal | Back to Top |
Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Frederic de SAINT-SERNIN (since NA); Spanish Coprince Episcopal Monseigneur Joan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Nemesi MARQUES OSTE (since NA) head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994) cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - 64% 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) elections: last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2001) 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 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
| Andorra | organization | Back to Top |
CCC, CE, ECE, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO
| Andorra | People | Back to Top |
Andorrans live in seven valleys that form Andorra's political districts between France and northeast Spain. Andorrans are a minority in their own country; Spanish, French, and Portuguese citizens make up 64.01% of the population. The national language is Catalan, a romance language related to the Provençal group. French and Spanish also are spoken. Education law requires school attendance for children up to age 16. A system of French, Spanish, and Andorran public schools provide education up to the secondary level. Schools are built and maintained by Andorran authorities, but teachers are paid for the most part by France or Spain. About 50% of Andorran children attend the French primary schools; the rest attend Spanish or Andorran schools. Andorran schools follow the Spanish curriculum, and their diplomas are recognized by the Spanish education system. In July 1997, the University of Andorra was established. Due to its small student body, the University of Andorra is unable to develop a full academic program, and it serves principally as a center for virtual studies, connected to Spanish and French universities. There are two graduate schools in Andorra--the Nursing School and the School of Computer Science.
| Andorra | Politics | Back to Top |
Liberal Union or UL [Marc Forne MOLNE] (renamed Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA); National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO SOLA]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vincenc MATEU Zamora]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU Cassany]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio Parroquial d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO Coma]
| Andorra | Provinces | Back to Top |
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
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