The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Andorra

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Andorra

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Map

Location: 42 30 N, 1 30 E -- Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

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

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Geography

Location: Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain
Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 450 sq km
land area: 450 sq km
comparative area: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 125 km
border countries: France 60 km, Spain 65 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers
Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
lowest point: Riu Valira 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m
Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 56%
forest and woodland: 22%
other: 20%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion
natural hazards: snowslides, avalanches
international agreements: NA
Geographic note: landlocked

People

Population: 72,766 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16% (male 5,829; female 5,851)
15-64 years: 73% (male 28,724; female 24,757)
65 years and over: 11% (male 3,718; female 3,887) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.96% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 10.2 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 2.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 22.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 0.96 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.11 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 2.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 90.94 years
male: 86.47 years
female: 95.2 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.14 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran
Ethnic divisions: Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)
Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian
Literacy: NA

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
Data code: AN
Type of government: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials called veguers
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence: 1,278
National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September
Constitution: Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; adopted 14 March 1993
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:
chiefs of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) and Spanish Episcopal Coprince Monseigneur Juan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January 1971); each coprince is represented by a veguer (current names NA)
head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne (since 21 December 1994) was elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces
cabinet: Executive Council was designated by the executive council president
Legislative branch: unicameral
General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de las Valls: elections last held 12 December 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) AND 8, UL 5, ND 5, CNA 2, IDN 2, other 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France) for civil cases, two civil judges appointed by the veguers, one appeals judge appointed by the co-princes alternately; Ecclesiastical Court of the Bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain) for civil cases; Tribunal of the Courts (Tribunal des Cortes) for criminal cases, presided over by the two civil judges, one appeals judge, the veguers, and two members of the General Council
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Group (AND), Oscar RIBAS Reig and Jordi FARRAS; Liberal Union (UL), Francesc CERQUEDA; New Democracy (ND), Jaume BARTOMEU; Andorran National Coalition (CNA), Antoni CERQUEDA; National Democratic Initiative (IDN), Vincenc MATEU; Liberal Union (UL), Marc FORNE
note: there are two other small parties
International organization participation: CE, ECE, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Juli MINOVES-TRIQUELL (also Permanent Representative to the UN)
embassy: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 750-8064
FAX: (212) 750-6630
US diplomatic representation: the US does not have an embassy in 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: (343) 280-2227; FAX: (343) 205-7705; note - Consul General Maurice S. PARKER makes periodic visits to Andorra
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

Economy

Economic overview: Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 13 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1993 est.)
GDP real growth rate: NA%
GDP per capita: $16,200 (1993 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget:
revenues: $138 million
expenditures: $177 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)
Industries: tourism (particularly skiing), sheep, timber, tobacco, banking
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 35,000 kW
production: 140 million kWh
consumption per capita: 2,570 kWh (1992)
Agriculture: small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep raising
Exports: $46.2 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: electricity, tobacco products, furniture
partners: France 35%, Spain 59%
Imports: $920.2 million (1993)
commodities: consumer goods, food
partners: France, Spain, US 2.6% (1992)
External debt: $NA
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes; 1 peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos; the French and Spanish currencies are used
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991); Spanish pesetas (Ptas) per US$1 - 123.19 (January 1996), 124.69 (1995), 133.96 (1994), 127.26 (1993), 102.38 (1992), 103.91 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 269 km
paved: 198 km
unpaved: 71 km (1991 est.)
Ports: none
Airports: none

Communications

Telephones: 21,258 (1983 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges
international: landline circuits to France and Spain
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 10,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0
Televisions: 7,000 (1991 est.)

Defense

Defense note: defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Andorra

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).