Turks and Caicos Islands (2008) | Andorra (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 31.3% (male 3,466/female 3,345)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 7,398/female 6,690) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 394/female 453) (2007 est.) |
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 | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish | small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
Airports | 8 (2007) | none (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. | 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 | 21.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.65 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.) |
revenues: $385 million
expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October |
Andorra la Vella |
Climate | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry | temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
Coastline | 389 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006) | 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: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI |
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 | 4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder | 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 | $4.1 million (1997) | none |
Economy - overview | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. | 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 | 10.76 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
Electricity - production | 11.57 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m
highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater | 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 | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% | Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the 2006 constitution cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor |
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 | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
Exports - commodities | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells | tobacco products, furniture |
Exports - partners | US, UK (2006) | Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus | 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% |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.9% (2000 est.) | 3.8% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 45 N, 71 35 W | 42 30 N, 1 30 E |
Geography - note | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) | 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% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe | - |
Imports | 83.55 bbl/day (2004) | $1.077 billion (1998) |
Imports - commodities | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials | consumer goods, food, electricity |
Imports - partners | US, UK (2006) | Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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, offshore financial services | tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
Infant mortality rate | total: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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% (1995) | 4.3% (2000) |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU | 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 | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal | 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 | 4,848 (1990 est.) | 33,000 (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services | 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: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005) |
arable land: 2.22%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.78% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official) | Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
Legal system | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas | based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 60%, PDM 40%; seats by party - PNP 13, PDM 2 |
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: 74.95 years
male: 72.69 years female: 77.32 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 83.49 years
male: 80.58 years female: 86.58 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti | Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007) | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces, but there is a police force |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) | Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
Nationality | noun: none
adjective: none |
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran |
Natural hazards | frequent hurricanes | avalanches |
Natural resources | spiny lobster, conch | hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
Net migration rate | 9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
People - note | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US | - |
Political parties and leaders | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] | 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 | NA |
Population | 21,746 (July 2007 est.) | 69,150 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.722% (2007 est.) | 1.06% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) | AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) | Roman Catholic (predominant) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.073 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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 | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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 | 5,700 (2002) | 32,946 (December 1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,700 (1999) | 14,117 (December 1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps | rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.27 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (1997 est.) | 0% |
Waterways | - | none |