| Andorra |
Flag:
 |
Map:
 |
| Background: 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. |
| Geography and Environmental |
Capital: name: Andorra la Vella
geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Area Total: 468 sq km |
| Area Land: 468 sq km |
| Area Water: 0 sq km |
| Area Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) |
| Climate: temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
| Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
| Elevation Extremes Lowest Point: Riu Runer 840 m |
| Elevation Extremes Highest Point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
| Natural Resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
| Land Use Arable Land: 2.13% |
| Land Use Permanent Crops: 0% |
| Land Use Other: 97.87% (2005) |
| Irrigated Land: NA |
| Natural Hazards: avalanches |
| Environment Current Issues: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal |
| Geography Note: landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
| Population |
| Population: 71,822 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age Structure 0 to 14 Years: 14.5% (male 5,433/female 4,984) |
| Age Structure 15 to 64 Years: 71.2% (male 26,775/female 24,354) |
| Age Structure 65 Years And Over: 14.3% (male 5,074/female 5,202) (2007 est.) |
| Median Age Total: 41.5 years |
| Median Age Male: 41.8 years |
| Median Age Female: 41.3 years (2007 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: 0.842% (2007 est.) |
| Birth Rate: 8.45 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death Rate: 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex Ratio At Birth: 1.07 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Under 15 Years: 1.09 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 15 to 64 Years: 1.099 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 65 Years And Over: 0.975 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Total Population: 1.079 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate Total: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Male: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Female: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life Expectancy At BirthTotalPopulation: 83.52 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Male: 80.62 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Female: 86.62 years (2007 est.) |
| Total Fertility Rate: 1.31 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: NA |
| HIV AIDS People Living With HIV AIDS: NA |
| HIV AIDS Deaths: NA |
| Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant) |
| Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
| Literacy Definition: NA |
| Literacy Total Population: 100% |
| Literacy Male: 100% |
| Literacy Female: 100% |
| Administrative Divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria |
| Legal System: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Economy |
| Overview: Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 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 partial "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. |
| GDP Purchasing Power Parity: $2.77 billion (2005) |
| GDP Real Growth Rate: 3.5% (2005 est.) |
| GDP Composition By Sector Agriculture: NA% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Industry: NA% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Services: NA% |
| Labor Force: 42,420 (2005) |
Labor Force By Occupation: agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 20.3%
services: 79.4% (2005) |
| Unemployment Rate: 0% (1996 est.) |
Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation Rate Consumer Prices: 3.2% (2005) |
| Industries: tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking, tobacco, furniture |
| Industrial Production Growth Rate: NA% |
| Energy |
| Electricity Production: NA kWh |
| 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 |
| Exports: $148.7 million f.o.b. (2005) |
| Exports Commodities: tobacco products, furniture |
| Exports Partners: Spain 59.5%, France 17.0% (2005) |
| Imports: $1.879 billion (2005) |
| Imports Commodities: consumer goods, food, electricity |
| Imports Partners: Spain 53.2%, France 21.1% (2005) |
| Debt External: $NA |
| Economic Aid Recipient: $0 |
| Communications |
| Telephones Main Lines In Use: 35,400 (2005) |
| TelephonesMobileCellular: 64,600 (2005) |
| Telephone System General Assessment: NA |
| Telephone System Domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges |
| Telephone System International: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain |
| Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios: 16,000 (1997) |
| Television Broadcast Stations: 0 (1997) |
| Televisions: 27,000 (1997) |
| Internet Service Providers-ISPs: 1 (2000) |
| Internet Users: 21,900 (2005) |
| Transportation |
| Disputes International: none |