Andorra is a small (pop. 73,100, size 464 km squared), mountainous country in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe, and is located on the Iberian Peninsula, on the border between France and Spain, in Southern Europe.
Cities
Andorra is arguably a city-state and has no distinct cities as such.
Towns
Ski Resorts
Most of these resorts were once small mountain villages which have grown in recent years due to skiing.
In recent years the resorts have all joined together so that your ski pass covers neighbouring areas. As a result there are now just two areas known as Vallnord and Grandvalira.
Vallnord covers Arcalis and the Arinsal-Pal ski area. Arcalis is quite distant away from Arinsal-Pal but the latter have been joined up in recent years by a cable car connecting the two ski areas. The Arisnal-Pal ski area is directly accessible from La Massana right from the middle of the town.
Grandvalira covers Soldeu and Pas de la Casa. The Soldeu ski area is also accessible from Encamp and Canillo. This quite cleverly has opened up these areas to cope with the influence of visitors without putting all the strain on Soldeu.
Understand
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.
Economy
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
Electricity is supplied at 220 to 230V 50Hz. Outlets are the European standard CEE-7/7 "Schukostecker" or "Schuko" or the compatible, CEE-7/16 "Europlug" types.
Get in
Due mainly to the mountainous nature of Andorra, there is only one road entering Andorra from France, and only one widely-used road entering Andorra from Spain. Almost all entry into the country happens at one of these two points.
By plane
There are no airports in Andorra - however there are daily coach services from the airports in Barcelona in Spain and Toulouse in France to Andorra.
By train
There are no train lines or stations in Andorra, and none close to the Spanish border. However, the French train station of l'Hospitalet is located a few miles from the Andorran border. It is possible to catch an overnight sleeper train from Paris to l'Hospitalet, as well as many other services. There is a connecting coach service from l'Hospitalet into Andorra, calling at Pas de la Casa, Soldeu and Andorra La Vella.
By car
Roads in Andorra are generally of a good quality. Entering from the Spanish side is a relatively straightforward drive; however entering from France is a more stressful affair involving many hairpin bends. Border control officers at both sides are generally fine. However, be sure your car is in good condition, since Andorra has a very high altitude.
Also beware of black ice and snow drifts as the temperature in Andorra can be much colder than at sea level.
By bus
There are many coach services operating into Andorra. From France there is a coach service from Toulouse, and one that operates via L'Hospitalet and La Tour de Carol. From Spain, coaches to Andorra can be caught from a variety of locations, such as Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Lleida and Valencia.
There are at least 2 bus companies operating daily service from Barcelona airport. Eurolines goes from outside the door of Terminal B, but you must be early and quick because the driver has a habit of arriving early and driving off if no-one is there. Also you don't pay for the ticket at the aiport but travel to the Barcelona Sants and have to get off to buy a ticket. Service is slow. One should also remember that you will need to show your passport here. Trip time is about 3.5 to 4 hours.
Get around
If you have a few days in Andorra, then you can easily visit most of the main villages by the local bus service.
There are 8 main bus lines or 'linies' and all of these pass through Andorra La Vella. The fare is anything from about a euro to two or three euros depending where you are going. For the towns nearest to Andorra La Vella, the service is very regular as frequent as every 30 minutes during the day. If you are travelling to the outlying places like El Serrat, Arinsal and El Pas del la Casa, then there are only 2 or 3 buses per day to these places. So check the timetable.
The lines are:
L1 Sant Julia de Loria - Escaldes-Engordany
L2 Andorra la Vella - Encamp
L3 Andorra la Vella - Encamp - Canillo
L4 Andorra la Vella - Encamp - Canillo - Soldeu
L5 Andorra la Vella - Encamp - Encamp - Canillo - El Pas de la Casa
L6 Andorra la Vella - La Massana - Arinsal
L7 Andorra la Vella - La Massana - Ordino
L8 Andorra la Vella - La Massana - Ordino - El Serrat
Talk
Andorra's official language is Catalan, but almost everyone speaks French and/or Spanish. English is widely spoken too, especially by those involved in the tourism industry.
Buy
Euros are used throughout Andorra. Andorra La Vella is a good destination to buy all kinds of cheap goods, due to the country's status as a "tax haven".
Drink
Get Reekin
Work
To work in Andorra you are supposed to have a work permit issued by the government. If you are on business for only a few days then this would not apply.
Stay safe
There is not much threat from other people in Andorra, but keep safe on mountains. Don't go too high without knowing about what you are doing. See Altitude sickness for more.
Stay healthy
In Andorra La Vella there is the famous Caldea to visit which is a spa / swimming pool complex. This is very popular. It is located up the top end of La Vella and you cannot miss it because it is the large glass spire structure which is quite an attraction on the skyline itself.
Contact
Andorra is a well-connected country, and has accepted the Internet with open arms. Almost as many people subscribe to the Internet as own landline phones.
Andorra (Catalan: Andorra), officially The Principality of Andorra (Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Once isolated, it is currently a prosperous country mainly because of tourism and its status as a tax haven. It has the highest life expectancy in the world, at 83.52 years (2007 est).
Origin and history of the name
The name "Andorra" is of unknown origin but (according to Joan Coromines) clearly pre-Roman. Many of the local toponyms are of Iberian-Basque origin.
History
Tradition holds that Charles the Great (Charlemagne) granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. Overlordship of the territory passed to the local count of Urgell and eventually to the bishop of the diocese of Urgell. In the eleventh century a dispute arose between the bishop and his northern neighbor over Andorra.
The conflict was resolved in 1278 by the signing of a paréage, which provided that Andorra's sovereignty be shared between the count of Foix (whose title would ultimately transfer to the French head of state) and the bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, in Catalonia, Spain. This gave the small principality its territory and political form.
Andorra was briefly annexed to Aragon twice, in 1396 and 1512.
Over the years the title passed to the kings of Navarre. After Henry of Navarre became King Henry IV of France, he issued an edict (1607) that established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra.
In the period 1812–13, the First French Empire annexed Catalonia and divided it in four départements. Andorra was also annexed and made part of the district of Puigcerdà (département of Sègre).
Andorra declared war on Imperial Germany during World War I but did not actually take part in the fighting. It remained in an official state of belligerency until 1957.
In 1933 France occupied Andorra as a result of social unrest before elections. On July 12, 1934, an adventurer named Boris Skossyreff issued a proclamation in Urgell, declaring himself Boris I, sovereign prince of Andorra, simultaneously declaring war on the bishop of Urgell. He was arrested by Spanish authorities on July 20 and ultimately expelled from Spain. From 1936 to 1940, a French detachment was garrisoned in Andorra to prevent influences of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's Spain.
Francoist troops reached the Andorran border in the later stages of the war.
During World War II, Andorra remained neutral and was an important smuggling route between Vichy France and Spain.
Given its relative isolation, Andorra has existed outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to countries other than France and Spain. In recent times, however, its thriving tourist industry along with developments in transportation and communications have removed the country from its isolation and its political system was thoroughly modernized in 1993, the year in which it became a member of the United Nations.
Politics
Andorra is a co-principality with the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell, Spain as co-princes. The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, whereby the Prime Minister of Andorra is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Responsibility for defending Andorra rests with Spain and France. Andorra currently has no military force.
Parishes
Andorra consists of seven municipalities / regions, known as comuns ("commons", singular comú):
Geography
Befitting its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of 1996 meters with the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 2946 meters. These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the Valira river, leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra's lowest point of 870 m).
Andorra's climate is similar to its neighbors' temperate climates, but its higher altitude means there is on average more snow in winter and it is slightly cooler in summer.
Economy
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 adjoining 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 domestic sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture.
Andorra is not a full member of the European Union, but enjoys a special relationship with it, such as being treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. Andorra lacks a currency of its own and uses that of its two surrounding nations. Prior to 1999 these were the French franc and the Spanish peseta, which have since been replaced by a single currency, the euro.
Demographics
Andorrans are a minority in their own country; Spaniards, Portuguese, Frenchmen, and Britons resident in Andorra make up 67.7% of the population.
The national language is Catalan, a romance language like Occitan. Andorra is one of only four nations (together with France, Monaco, and Turkey) that never signed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities.
Culture
The official and historic language is Catalan. Other languages stemming from the immigration such as Spanish and French are also commonly spoken. Portuguese is also noticeable. The predominant religion is Catholicism.
Andorra's long history has provided it with a rich folklore and an abundance of folk tales, with roots originating as far as Andalusia in the south and the Netherlands in the north.
Andorran culture is Catalan in essence. It has given a significant and easily identifiable contribution to the conglomerate of Catalan culture.
Two writers renowned in Catalonia and the region, Michèle Gazier and Ramon Villeró, both come from Andorra.
Andorra is home to folk dances like the contrapàs and marratxa, which survive in Sant Julià de Lòria especially. Andorran folk music has similarities to all of its neighbors, but is especially Catalan in character, especially in the presence of dances like the sardana. Other Andorran folk dances include contrapàs in Andorra la Vella and Saint Anne's dance in Escaldes-Engordany.
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