Andorra (redirected from Principat d'Andorra)

Andorra (ăndôr`ə), Fr. Andorre (äNdôr`), officially Principality of Andorra, autonomous parliamentary co-principality (2005 est. pop. 70,500), 179 sq mi (464 sq km), high in the E Pyrenees between France and Spain, under the joint suzerainty of the president of France and the bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain.

Andorra la Vella (1990 est. pop. 20,437; Span. Andorra la Vieja) is the capital and the most important city. Drained by the Valira River, Andorra comprises several high mountain valleys. Highways link the country with Spain and France.

Andorra is administratively divided into seven districts. The people are made up of Andorrans of Catalan stock (about 33%), Spanish (43%), Portuguese (11%), and French (7%), the remaining being mostly recent immigrants from other countries. Catalan is the official language, although Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also spoken. Most of the population is Roman Catholic.

Until the 1950s, farming, woodcutting, and smuggling were the main occupations. Andorra now has a prosperous tourist industry; skiing is particularly popular. Trade is duty-free and lack of taxation is attractive to foreign investment. The banking sector is also important to the economy. Cattle and sheep are raised, and Andorra's farms produce grains, vegetables, tobacco, and grapes. Furniture and cigarettes are manufactured, and distilleries produce brandy and anisette. Iron and lead are mined. A hydroelectric facility near Encamp provides 40% of the country's power.

In the 9th cent., Holy Roman Emperor Charles II is reputed to have made the bishop of Seo de Urgel overlord of Andorra. The French counts of Foix contested this overlordship, and finally in 1278 an agreement was reached providing joint suzerainty. The rights of the count passed by inheritance through the house of Albret to Henry IV of France, and from the French kings to the French presidents.

Long a semifeudal state with an ancient communal agrarian organization, Andorra was traditionally governed by a syndic-led council elected by heads of families. In 1993, the country's first constitution established a parliamentary democracy with executive, legislative, and judicial branches; political parties and labor unions were legalized, and Andorra joined the United Nations. A 28-member legislature, elected by popular vote for four-year terms, now effectively governs the country. Albert Pintat Santolaria has been premier since 2005. The president of France and the bishop of Seo de Urgel remain titular co-princes and serve to link the tiny country with both France and Spain.

---

Andorra

 officially Principality of Andorra

Independent coprincipality, southwestern Europe. Area: 179 sq mi (464 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 74,800. Capital: Andorra la Vella. Lying on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees, it consists of a cluster of mountain valleys whose streams form the Valira River; it is bounded by Spain and France. Much of the population is Spanish or Andorran. Language: Catalan (official). Religion: Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholic; also other Christians). Currency: euro. Andorra's independence is traditionally ascribed to Charlemagne, who recovered the region from the Muslims in AD 803. It was placed under the joint suzerainty of the French counts of Foix and the Spanish bishops of Urgel in 1278, and it was subsequently governed jointly by the Spanish bishop of Urgel and the French head of state. This feudal system of government, the last in Europe, continued until 1993, when a constitution was adopted that transferred most of the coprinces' powers to the Andorran General Council, which is elected by universal suffrage. Andorra has long had a strong affinity with Catalonia; its institutions are based in Catalonian law, and it is part of the diocese of Urgel (Spain). The traditional economy was based on sheep raising, but tourism grew in importance since the 1950s and became central to Andorra's economy by the early 21st century.

---

Andorra

a mountainous principality in SW Europe, between France and Spain: according to tradition, given independence by Charlemagne in the 9th century for helping to fight the Moors; placed under the joint sovereignty of the Comte de Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel in 1278; under the joint overlordship of the French head of state and the bishop of Urgel from the 16th century; adopted a constitution reducing the powers of the overlords in 1993. Languages: Catalan (official), French, and Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: euro. Capital: Andorra la Vella. Pop.: 71 000 (2003 est.). Area: 464 sq. km (179 sq. miles)

---

Andorra

small state of 191 square miles, between France and Spain. [Eur. Hist.: NCE, 100]

See : Smallness