Tromelin Island (2005) | Andorra (2001) | |
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:
15.29% (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.) |
Agriculture - products | - | small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | none (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
468 sq km land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological station. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 10.29 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$385 million expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | - | Andorra la Vella |
Climate | tropical | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
Coastline | 3.7 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: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island local long form: none local short form: Ile Tromelin |
conventional long form:
Principality of Andorra conventional short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra local short form: Andorra |
Currency | - | French franc (FRF); Spanish peseta (ESP); euro (EUR) |
Death rate | - | 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands | - |
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) chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064 FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 |
Disputes - international | claimed by Mauritius | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | none |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
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 |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 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 | - | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
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) |
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% |
Exports | - | $58 million (f.o.b., 1998) |
Exports - commodities | - | tobacco products, furniture |
Exports - partners | - | France 34%, Spain 58% (1998) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France 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 - $1.2 billion (1996 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $18,000 (1996 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 15 52 S, 54 25 E | 42 30 N, 1 30 E |
Geography - note | climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises) | landlocked |
Highways | - | total:
269 km paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km (1994 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | $1.077 billion (c.i.f., 1998) |
Imports - commodities | - | consumer goods, food, electricity |
Imports - partners | - | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (1998) |
Independence | - | 1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of France and Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, tobacco, banking |
Infant mortality rate | - | 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.62% (1998) |
International organization participation | - | CCC, CE, ECE, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNESCO, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 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 | - | 30,787 salaried employees (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (1998) |
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% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2001) |
arable land:
4% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 45% forests and woodland: 35% other: 16% (1998 est.) |
Languages | - | Catalan (official), French, Castilian |
Legal system | the laws of France, where applicable, apply | 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 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
83.47 years male: 80.57 years female: 86.57 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
none (landlocked) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
National holiday | - | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Andorran(s) adjective: Andorran |
Natural hazards | NA | snowslides, avalanches |
Natural resources | fish | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
Net migration rate | - | 6.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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 |
Population | uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2005 est.) | 67,627 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.17% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | none |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 16,000 (1997) |
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: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2001 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 | low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 0% |
Waterways | - | none |