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Andorra
Origin and history of the nameThe name "Andorra" probably originates from a Navarrese word andurrial, which translates as shrub-covered land. HistoryTradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. Overlordship over the territory was passed to the local count of Urgell and eventually to the bishop of the diocese of Urgell. In the 11th century a dispute arose between the bishop and his northern French neighbour over Andorra. In 1278, the conflict was resolved by the signing of a parage, which provided that Andorra's sovereignty be shared between the French count of Foix (whose title would ultimately transfer to the French head of state) and the bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, in the Catalonia region of Spain. This gave the small principality its territory and political form. Over the years the title passed to the kings of Navarre, and under the king of France Henry IV, an edict in 1607 established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra. In the period 1812–13, the French Empire annexed Catalonia and divided it in four departments. Andorra was also annexed and made part of the district of Puigcerdà (département of Sègre). In 1933 France occupied Andorra as a result of social unrest before elections. From 1936 to 1940, there was a French detachment in Andorra to prevent influences of the Spanish Civil War and Franco's Spain. In 1958, Andorra declared peace with Germany, having been forgotten on the Treaty of Versailles and remaining legally at war. 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. PoliticsAndorra consists of seven communities, known as parròquies (singular parròquia Engl.: parish)
Geography  Befitting its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of 1,996 m with the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 2,946 m. 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 neighbours' temperate climate, 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 neighbouring 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 not a full member of the European Union, but enjoys a special relationship with it, e.g. it is 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 neighbours. Prior to 1999 these were the French franc and Spanish peseta, which have since been replaced by a single currency, the euro. Unlike other small European states that use the euro, Andorra does not yet mint its own euro coins; in October 2004, negotiations between Andorra and the EU began on an agreement which would allow Andorra to mint their own coins. DemographicsAndorrans constitute a minority in their own country; only 33 percent of inhabitants hold Andorran nationality. The largest group of foreign nationals is that of Spaniards (43 percent), with Portuguese (11 percent) and French (7 percent) nationals the other main groups. The remaining 6 percent belong to several other nationalities. The only official language is Catalan, the language of the Catalan Countries it is part of, including the neighbouring Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, with which Andorra shares many cultural traits, though Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. Culture
FolkloreAndorra's long history has provided it with a rich mythology and an abundance of folk tales, with roots originating in as far as Andalusia in the south and Netherlands in the north. One of the main figures of Andorran folklore is the equine she-beast EL CAVALL. To this day, her signature cry IRRADIA PAU, IRRADI LLUM can be heard thoughout the valleys of Andorra. Miscellaneous topics
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