Andorra

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Andorra

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Principat d'Andorra/Principality of Andorra Area 468 sq km/181 sq mi Capital Andorra la Vella Language Catalan (official), Spanish, French Religion Roman Catholic (92%) Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1, 6, January, 19 March, 1 May, 24 June, 15 August, 8 September, 1, 4, November, 8, 25–26 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Carnival, Corpus Christi, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Les Escaldes, Escaldes-Engordany (a suburb of the capital) Physical features mountainous, with narrow valleys; the eastern Pyrenees, Valira River Airports international airports: none; closest airport for Andorran traffic 20 km/12.5 mi from Andorra at Seo de Urgel, Spain Railways none; there is a connecting bus service to stations in France and Spain Roads total road network: 220 km/137 mi, of which 55% paved (1995); passenger cars: 108.6 per 1,000 people (1996 est)


GOVERNMENT

Heads of state Joan Enric Vivez i Sicilia (bishop of Urgel, Spain; from 2003) and Jacques Chirac (president of France; from 1995) Head of government Albert Pintat Santolaria from 2005 Political system emergent democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions seven parishes Political parties National Democratic Grouping (AND; formerly the Democratic Party of Andorra: PDA) moderate, centrist; National Democratic Initiative (IND), left of centre; New Democracy Party (ND), centrist; National Andorran Coalition (CNA), centrist; Liberal Union (UL), right of centre Death penalty abolished in 1990 Armed forces no standing army Health spend (% GDP) 4.9 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency euro GDP (US$) 1.8 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4 (2004) GNI (US$) 1.2 billion (2000) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 24,000 (2004 est) Consumer price inflation 3.4% (2005 est) Unemployment 0.2% (2004 est) Labour force 0.3% agriculture, 19.7% industry, 80% services (2004) Major trading partners Spain, France, USA Resources iron, lead, aluminium, hydroelectric power Industries cigar and cigarette manufacturing, textiles, leather goods, wood products, processed foodstuffs, furniture, tourism, banking and financial services Exports cigars and cigarettes, furniture, electricity. Principal market: Spain 55.7% (2003) Imports foodstuffs, electricity, mineral fuels. Principal source: Spain 54.1% (2003) Arable land 2.1% (2006 est) Agricultural products tobacco, potatoes, rye, barley, oats, vegetables; livestock rearing (mainly sheep) and timber production


POPULATION

Population 71,200 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.9% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 152 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 92 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 16%, 15–59 70%, 60+ 14% (2001 est) Ethnic groups 20% Andorrans, 44% Spanish, 11% Portuguese, 7% French, 18% other Life expectancy 81 (men); 87 (women) (2001 est) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 7 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 25.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.3 (2003 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 52.3 (2004 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 61.6 (2004 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 238 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 440 (1999 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 16.4 (2004 est)


CHRONOLOGY

AD 803 Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne liberated Andorra from Muslim control. 819 Louis I ‘the Pious’ the son of Charlemagne, granted control over the area to the Spanish bishop of Urgel. 1278 Treaty signed making Spanish bishop and French count joint rulers of Andorra. Through marriage king of France later inherited count's right. 1806 After temporary suspension during French Revolution, from 1789 feudal arrangement of dual allegiance to French and Spanish rulers re-established by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. 1976 Democratic Party of Andorra formed as first political organization. 1981 First prime minister appointed by General Council. 1991 Links with European Community (EC) formalized. 1993 New constitution legalized political parties and introduced first direct elections. Andorra joined United Nations (UN). 1994 Joined Council of Europe. 1997 Liberal Party of Andorra (PLA) won majority in general election. 2005 Albert Pintat Santolària replaced Marc Forné Moln as PLA prime minister.


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