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The World Factbook 2002

         
  Andorra  
Flag of Andorra
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


Map of Andorra

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   Introduction    Andorra
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Andorra
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
42 30 N, 1 30 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing
total: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 468 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 98% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
avalanches
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees
   People    Andorra
Population:
Definition Field Listing
68,403 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 15.2% (male 5,456; female 4,951)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 25,855; female 23,311)
65 years and over: 12.9% (male 4,425; female 4,405) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.11% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
9.97 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
5.57 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
6.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing
4.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 83.48 years
female: 86.58 years (2002 est.)
male: 80.58 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.26 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic (predominant)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Catalan (official), French, Castilian
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: NA%
female: NA%
   Government    Andorra
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
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
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Andorra la Vella
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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)
elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA%
cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president
head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994)
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD 23.8%, other 0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5, independents 2
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Democratic Party or PD (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [leader NA]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Marc Forne MOLNE] (used to be Liberal Union or UL); National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vincenc MATEU Zamora]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU Cassany]; Social Democratic Party or PSD (formerly part of National Democratic Group of AND) [leader NA]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio Parroquial d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO Coma]
note: there are two other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
CCC, CE, ECE, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V. PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630
telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
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
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Andorra
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
3.8% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing
4.3% (2000)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
33,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing
0%
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco, banking
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: NA%
other: NA%
nuclear: NA%
hydro: NA%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
NA kWh
note: most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$58 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
tobacco products, furniture
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
France 34%, Spain 58% (1998)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
consumer goods, food, electricity
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (1998)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
none
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR); French franc (FRF); Spanish peseta (ESP)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
EUR; FRF; ESP
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997); Spanish pesetas per US dollar - 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Andorra
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
32,946 (December 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
14,117 (December 1998)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges
international: landline circuits to France and Spain
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
16,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0 (1997)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
27,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.ad
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
24,500 (2001)
   Transportation    Andorra
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 269 km
paved: 198 km
unpaved: 71 km (1994 est.)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
none
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
none (2001)
   Military    Andorra
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces, but there is a police force
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
   Transnational Issues    Andorra
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
border is undemarcated in sections

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002


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