Andorra

Highways

96 km

Telecommunications

international digital microwave network; international landline circuits to France and Spain; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 17,700 telephones

Note

defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

French franc (plural - francs) and Spanish peseta (plural - pesetas); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes and 1 Spanish peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos

Economic aid

none

Electricity

35,000 kW capacity; 140 million kWh produced, 2,800 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 January (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987); Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 100.02 (January 1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38 (1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987)

Exports

$0.017 million (f.o.b., 1986) commodities: electricity partners: France, Spain

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $727 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)

Imports

$531 million (f.o.b., 1986) commodities: consumer goods, food partners: France, Spain

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

tourism (particularly skiing), sheep, timber, tobacco, banking

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Overview

The mainstay of Andorra's economy is tourism. An estimated 13 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. 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. The rapid pace of European economic integration is a potential threat to Andorra's advantages from its duty-free status.

Unemployment rate

none

Climate

temperate; snowy, cold winters and cool, dry summers

Coastline

none - landlocked

Comparative area

slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

deforestation, overgrazing

Land area

450 km2

Land boundaries

125 km total; France 60 km, Spain 65 km

Land use

arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and woodland 22%; other 20%

Maritime claims

none - landlocked

Natural resources

hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Note

landlocked

Terrain

rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Total area

450 km2

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Andorra la Vella

Constitution

none; some pareatges and decrees, mostly custom and usage

Diplomatic representation

Andorra has no mission in the US US: includes Andorra within the Barcelona (Spain) Consular District, and the US Consul General visits Andorra periodically; Consul General Carolee HEILEMAN; Consulate General at Via Layetana 33, 08003 Barcelona (mailing address APO AE 09646); telephone [34] (3) 319-9550

Elections

General Council of the Valleys: last held 11 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) number of seats by party NA

Executive branch

two co-princes (president of France, bishop of Seo de Urgel in Spain), two designated representatives (French veguer, Episcopal veguer), two permanent delegates (French prefect for the department of Pyrenees-Orientales, Spanish vicar general for the Seo de Urgel diocese), president of government, Executive Council

Flag

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 that do not have a national coat of arms in the center

Independence

1278

Judicial branch

civil cases - Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France) or the Ecclesiastical Court of the bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain); criminal cases - Tribunal of the Courts (Tribunal des Cortes)

Leaders

Chiefs of State: French Co-Prince Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981), represented by Veguer de Franca Jean Pierre COURTOIS; Spanish Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan MARTI y Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Veguer Episcopal Francesc BADIA Batalla Head of Government: Oscar RIBAS Reig (since January 1990)

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 (Consell General de las Valls)

Long-form name

Principality of Andorra

Member of

INTERPOL, IOC

National holiday

Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September

Political parties and leaders

political parties not yet legally recognized; traditionally no political parties but partisans for particular independent candidates for the General Council on the basis of competence, personality, and orientation toward Spain or France; various small pressure groups developed in 1972; first formal political party, Andorran Democratic Association, was formed in 1976 and reorganized in 1979 as Andorran Democratic Party

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

unique coprincipality under formal sovereignty of president of France and Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials called veguers

Birth rate

11 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Catalan stock; Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%

Infant mortality rate

7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

NA

Languages

Catalan (official); many also speak some French and Castilian

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

noun - Andorran(s); adjective - Andorran

Net migration rate

15 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

none

Population

54,428 (July 1992), growth rate 2.2% (1992)

Religions

virtually all Roman Catholic

Total fertility rate

1.3 children born/woman (1992)