Arctic Ocean (2001) | Andorra (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 15.1% (male 5,473; female 4,974)
15-64 years: 71.7% (male 26,063; female 23,542) 65 years and over: 13.2% (male 4,543; female 4,555) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
Airports | - | none (2002) |
Area | total:
14.056 million sq km note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies |
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean. | For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel. In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra 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. |
Birth rate | - | 9.65 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | - | Andorra la Vella |
Climate | polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
Coastline | 45,389 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | - | Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993 |
Country name | - | conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra |
Currency | - | euro (EUR) |
Death rate | - | 5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V. PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064 FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 |
Disputes - international | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) | none; border is undemarcated in sections but is not in dispute (a few French farmers still remain upset about the transfer of 35 hectares of land to Andorra) |
Economic aid - recipient | - | none |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | - | NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
Electricity - production | - | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Fram Basin -4,665 m highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
Environment - current issues | endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack | 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 |
Ethnic groups | - | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
Exchange rates | - | euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince Episcopal Monsignor Joan Enric VIVES SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), 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 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA% |
Exports | - | $58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
Exports - commodities | - | tobacco products, furniture |
Exports - partners | - | Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
Fiscal 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 |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 3.8% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 90 00 N, 0 00 E | 42 30 N, 1 30 E |
Geography - note | major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months | landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
Highways | - | total: 269 km
paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km (1994) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $1.077 billion (1998) |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods, food, electricity |
Imports - partners | - | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
Independence | - | 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 4.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 4.3% (2000) |
International organization participation | - | CE, ECE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | - | NA sq km |
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 |
Labor force | - | 33,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | - | total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.78% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
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 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 83.49 years
male: 80.58 years female: 86.58 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
Map references | Arctic Region | Europe |
Maritime claims | - | none (landlocked) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces, but there is a police force |
National holiday | - | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
Nationality | - | noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
Natural hazards | ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May | avalanches |
Natural resources | sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
Net migration rate | - | 6.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Democratic Party or PD (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [Ladislau BARO SOLO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Marc FORNE MOLNE] (used to be Liberal Union or UL); Liberal Union or UL [Francesc CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO SOLO]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vicenc 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 | - | NA |
Population | - | 69,150 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.06% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US) | none |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic (predominant) |
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 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: landline circuits to France and Spain |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 32,946 (December 1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 14,117 (December 1998) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge) | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 0% |
Waterways | - | none |