|
Red Sea Management provides Andorra offshore incorporation, Andorra
offshore asset protection and a full range of services. |
|
Report on Andorra
|
|
|
| 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. |
|
|
| Location:
|
Southwestern
Europe, between France and Spain
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
42
30 N, 1 30 E
|
| Map
references:
|
Europe
|
| Area:
total:
|
468 sq km
land: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
|
| Area -
comparative:
|
2.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Land
boundaries: total:
|
120.3 km border
countries:
France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km
|
|
Coastline:
|
0 km (landlocked)
|
| Maritime
claims:
|
None (landlocked) |
| Climate:
|
Temperate; snowy,
cold winters and warm, dry summers
|
| Terrain:
|
Rugged mountains
dissected by narrow valleys
|
| Elevation
extremes:
|
Lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
Highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m
|
| Natural
resources:
|
Hydropower,
mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead
|
| Land use:
|
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 45%
Forests and woodland: 35%
Other: 16% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land:
|
NA sq km
|
| Natural
hazards:
|
Snowslides,
avalanches
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
Deforestation;
overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil
erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
Party to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
| Geography
- note:
|
Landlocked;
straddles a number of important crossroads in the
Pyrenees
|
|
|
|
Population: |
67,627 (July 2001
est.)
|
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 15.29% (male 5,425; female 4,917)
15-64 years:72.06% (male 25,654; female 23,078)
65
years and over: 12.65% (male 4,299; female 4,254) (2001
est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.17% (2001 est.)
|
| Birth
rate: |
10.29
births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
|
| Death
rate: |
5.41 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.)
|
| Net
migration rate: |
6.82 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.)
|
| Sex
ratio: |
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: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
|
| Infant
mortality rate: |
4.08
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
|
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
Total population: 83.47 years
male: 80.57 years
female: 86.57 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (2001 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA%
|
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
|
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
|
NA
|
|
Nationality: |
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran
|
| Ethnic
groups:
|
Spanish 43%,
Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other
6% (1998)
|
|
Religions:
|
Roman Catholic
(predominant)
|
|
Languages: |
Catalan
(official), French, Castilian
|
| Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
|
|
| Country
name:
|
Conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
|
|
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
|
| Capital: |
Andorra la Vella
|
|
Administrative divisions:
|
7 parishes (parroquies,
singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella,
Canillo, Encamp, La Massana,
Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
|
|
Independence: |
1278 (was formed
under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain)
|
| National
holiday: |
Our Lady of
Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)
|
|
Constitution:
|
Andorra's
first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum
14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 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:
|
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
Political parties and leaders: 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]
note: there are two other small parties
|
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
|
|
International organization participation: |
CCC, CE, ECE,
ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
|
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: |
Ambassador (vacant)
Chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th
Floor, New York, NY 10017
Telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064
FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 |
|
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
|
| 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
|
|
|
| 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 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:
|
Purchasing power
parity - $1.2 billion (1996 est.)
|
| GDP -
real growth rate: |
NA%
|
| GDP - per
capita: |
Purchasing
power parity - $18,000 (1996 est.)
|
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%
|
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA%
|
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
Lowest 10%: NA%
Highest 10%: NA%
|
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.62% (1998)
|
| Labor
force: |
30,787 salaried
employees (1998)
|
| Labor
force - by occupation:
|
Agriculture 1%,
industry 21%, services 78% (1998)
|
|
Unemployment rate: |
0%
|
| Budget:
revenues:
|
$385 million
Expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997)
|
|
Industries: |
Tourism
(particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco,
banking
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA%
|
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
Fossil fuel: NA%
Hydro: NA%
Nuclear: NA%
Other: NA%
|
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
NA kWh
|
|
Electricity - exports: |
NA kWh
|
|
Electricity - imports: |
NA kWh
note: most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra
generates a small amount of hydropower
|
|
Agriculture - products:
|
Small
quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep
|
| Exports: |
$58 million
(f.o.b., 1998)
|
| Exports -
commodities: |
Tobacco
products, furniture
|
| Exports -
partners: |
France 34%, Spain
58% (1998)
|
| Imports: |
$1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
|
| Imports -
commodities: |
Consumer
goods, food, electricity
|
| Imports -
partners: |
Spain 48%, France
35%, US 2.3% (1998)
|
| Debt -
external: |
$NA
|
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
None
|
| Currency:
|
French franc (FRF);
Spanish peseta (ESP); euro (EUR)
|
| Currency
code: |
FRF; ESP; EUR
|
| Exchange
rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000),
0.9386
(1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998),
5.8367
(1997), 5.1155 (1996); Spanish pesetas per US dollar -
149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996)
|
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
|
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
32,946 (December
1998)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
14,117 (December
1998)
|
|
Telephone system: |
General assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave
radio relay connections between exchanges
international: landline circuits to France
and Spain
|
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM
15, shortwave 0 (1998)
|
| Radios: |
16,000 (1997)
|
|
Television broadcast stations: |
0
(1997)
|
|
Televisions: |
27,000 (1997)
|
| Internet
country code: |
.ad
|
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1
(2000)
|
| Internet
users: |
5,000
|
|
|
| Railways:
|
0 km
|
| Highways: |
Total: 269 km
paved: 198 km
unpaved: 71 km (1994 est.)
|
|
Waterways: |
None
|
| Ports and
harbors: |
None
|
| Airports: |
None (2000
est.)
|
|
|
| Military
- note: |
Defense is
the responsibility of France and Spain
|
|
|
| Disputes
- international: |
None |
