Svalbard (2002) | Andorra (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
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: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: 14.8% (male 5,471/female 4,995)
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 26,463/female 23,977) 65 years and over: 13.7% (male 4,780/female 4,863) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
Airports | 4 (2001) | none (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 62,049 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. | For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, 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 | NA births/1,000 population | 9 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) (1998 est.) |
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) |
Capital | Longyearbyen | Andorra la Vella |
Climate | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
Coastline | 3,587 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | - | Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra |
Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.07 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway | - |
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: [34] (93) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175 |
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 | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) | none |
Economy - overview | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus. | 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 | 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 | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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 | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
Exchange rates | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 8.9684 (January 2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (1998), 7.0734 (1997) | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003), represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)
head of government: Executive Council President Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005) 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 April-May 2005) election results: Marc FORNE MOLNE elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA% |
Exports | $NA | $58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
Exports - commodities | - | tobacco products, furniture |
Exports - partners | - | Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Norway is used | 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 - $NA | - |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $NA | purchasing power parity - $26,800 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 78 00 N, 20 00 E | 42 30 N, 1 30 E |
Geography - note | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area | landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 269 km
paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $NA | $1.077 billion (1998) |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods, food, electricity |
Imports - partners | - | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
Independence | none (territory of Norway) | 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
Infant mortality rate | NA deaths/1,000 live births | total: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 4.3% (2000) |
International organization participation | none | CE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 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 | NA | 33,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 120.3 km
border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.78% (2001) |
Languages | Russian, Norwegian | Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
Legal system | NA | 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 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%, CDA 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 83.51 years
male: 80.6 years female: 86.6 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: NA
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
Map references | Arctic Region | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 4 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | registered in other countries: 1 |
Military - note | demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920) | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra |
National holiday | NA | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
Nationality | - | noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
Natural hazards | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic | avalanches |
Natural resources | coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | 6.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Andorran Democratic Center Party or CDA (formerly Democratic Party or PD) [leader NA]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA (formerly Liberal Union or UL) [Albert PINTAT]; Social Democratic Party or PS (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [Mariona GONZALEZ REOLIT] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 2,868 (July 2002 est.) | 70,549 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | -1.99% (2002 est.) | 0.95% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic (predominant) |
Sex ratio | NA | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 35,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 23,500 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.29 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 0% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |