Andorra (2001) | Saudi Arabia (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria | 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk |
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.) |
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 5,086,541; female 4,883,942)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 7,493,304; female 5,396,985) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 362,780; female 289,778) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
Airports | none (2000 est.) | 209 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 71 70
over 3,047 m: 31 31 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 11 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 3 under 914 m: 2 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 138
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 79 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 13 (2002) |
Area | total:
468 sq km land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
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. | In 1902 Abd al-Aziz Ibn SAUD captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all major governmental concerns. |
Birth rate | 10.29 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 37.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$385 million expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
revenues: $42 billion
expenditures: $54 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
Capital | Andorra la Vella | Riyadh |
Climate | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 2,640 km |
Constitution | Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993 | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Principality of Andorra conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
Currency | French franc (FRF); Spanish peseta (ESP); euro (EUR) | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
Death rate | 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $23.8 billion (2001 est.) |
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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. JORDAN
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-7360 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
Disputes - international | none | demarcation of delimited boundary with Yemen involves nomadic tribal affiliations; because details of 1974 and 1977 treaties have not been made public, the exact location of the Saudi Arabia-UAE boundary is unknown and status is considered de facto |
Economic aid - donor | - | pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 1993, Saudi Arabia has committed $208 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan |
Economic aid - recipient | none | - |
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. | This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (26% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 25% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. Riyadh expects to have a budget deficit in 2002, in part because of increased spending for education and other social programs. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is expected to continue calling for private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Shortages of water and rapid population growth will constrain government efforts to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural products. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 114.86 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | NA kWh | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh
note: most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | - | 123.5 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Riu Runer 840 m highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
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) | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.7450 (fixed rate since June 1986) |
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% |
chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (half-brother to the monarch, heir to the throne since 13 June 1982, regent from 1 January to 22 February 1996); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
Exports | $58 million (f.o.b., 1998) | $66.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Exports - commodities | tobacco products, furniture | petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
Exports - partners | France 34%, Spain 58% (1998) | US 17.4%, Japan 17.3%, South Korea 11.7%, Singapore 5.3%, India (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | green with large white Arabic script (that may be translated as There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God) above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); green is the traditional color of Islam |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1996 est.) | purchasing power parity - $241 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 7%
industry: 48% services: 45% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $18,000 (1996 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10,600 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 1.6% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 42 30 N, 1 30 E | 25 00 N, 45 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal |
Heliports | - | 5 (2002) |
Highways | total:
269 km paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km (1994 est.) |
total: 146,524 km
paved: 44,104 km unpaved: 102,420 km (1997 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish |
Imports | $1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998) | $29.7 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods, food, electricity | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
Imports - partners | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (1998) | US 21.1%, Japan 9.4%, Germany 7.4%, UK 7.3% (2000) |
Independence | 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain) | 23 September 1932 (Unification of the Kingdom) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco, banking | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics |
Infant mortality rate | 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 49.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.62% (1998) | 1.7% (2001) |
International organization participation | CCC, CE, ECE, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer) | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BIS, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 42 (2001) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) |
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 | Supreme Council of Justice |
Labor force | 30,787 salaried employees (1998) | 7 million
note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (1998) | agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
120.3 km border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km |
total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
Land use | arable land:
4% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 45% forests and woodland: 35% other: 16% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 1.72%
permanent crops: 0.06% other: 98.22% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Catalan (official), French, Castilian | Arabic |
Legal system | based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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 |
a consultative council (90 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
83.47 years male: 80.57 years female: 86.57 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 68.4 years
male: 66.7 years female: 70.2 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78% male: 84.2% female: 69.5% (2002 est.) |
Location | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
Map references | Europe | Middle East |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 71 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,071,315 GRT/1,412,125 DWT
ships by type: cargo 11, chemical tanker 10, container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 11, short-sea passenger 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 3, Finland 1, Greece 3, Kuwait 1, Sudan 1, United Arab Emirates 1, United Kingdom 3 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain | - |
Military branches | - | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $18.3 billion (FY00) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 13% (FY00) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 6,007,635 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 3,359,849 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 17 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 233,402 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
Nationality | noun:
Andorran(s) adjective: Andorran |
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
Natural hazards | snowslides, avalanches | frequent sand and dust storms |
Natural resources | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
Net migration rate | 6.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 6,400 km; petroleum products 150 km; natural gas 2,200 km (includes natural gas liquids 1,600 km) |
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 |
none allowed |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 67,627 (July 2001 est.) | 23,513,330
note: includes 5,360,526 non-nationals (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.17% (2001 est.) | 3.27% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | 16,000 (1997) | 6.25 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (724 km are double-tracked) (2001) |
Religions | Roman Catholic (predominant) | Muslim 100% |
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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.39 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.25 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: landline circuits to France and Spain |
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 32,946 (December 1998) | 3.1 million (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 14,117 (December 1998) | 1 million
note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of 575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 117 (1997) |
Terrain | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
Total fertility rate | 1.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 6.21 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0% | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |