Andorra

The Principality of Andorra is a small landlocked principality and also dwarf state in the southwest of Europe, in the eastern Pyrenees and bordered by France and Spain . The isolated country is now largely dependent on tourism and its status as a tax haven. Andorra is not a member of the European Union . The official language isCatalan .

Content

 * 1 History
 * 2 Geography
 * 2.1 Cities
 * 2.2 Climate
 * 3 Politics
 * 3.1 Monarchy
 * 3.2 Legislative and executive power
 * 3.3 The parties
 * 4 Administrative divisions
 * 5 Demographics
 * 6 Economy
 * 7 Culture
 * 7.1 Kitchen
 * 7.2 Media
 * 8 External links

History [ edit ]
Andorra can be seen as the last surviving independent area of the Marca Hispanica ( Spanish markets ), the buffer states were founded by Charlemagne to stop the Muslim Moors and they prevent access to Christian France.

Tradition says that Charlemagne the Andorran people in 805 gave a piece of land in exchange for their battle against the Moors. It is certain that Charles' grandsonCharles the Bald , Sunyer, Count of Barcelona, the Count of Urgell , appointed ruler of Andorra. A descendant of the Earl the country wore off later to the diocese ofUrgell, led by the Bishop of Urgell.

In the 13th century becomes the spiritual government of Urgell in violation of the County of Foix (on the other, or French side of the Pyrenees) for control of the area. This conflict ends in 1278 with the decision of the sovereignty to share between them, which in 1607 is perpetuated by the heirs / successors of them to proclaim covorsten .

Because of the relative isolation of the country Andorra's existence occurred outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to other countries. The currently thriving tourist industry, in conjunction with the developments in the field of transport and communications, the country has, however, taken out of its isolation.Furthermore, the political system was thoroughly modernized in 1993.

Today Andorra is politically area strongly linked to the European Union without being a member. It uses the euro since 2002 as payment. In 2014 there were beaten for the first own coins in early 2015 put into circulation. For the introduction of the euro, the French franc and the Spanish peseta both legal tender.

[Geography edit ]
Panorama from the Coma Pedrosa ( La Massana )

Andorra has an area of 468 km², thus it is about 2.1 times as large as the municipality of Amsterdam or three times theBrussels Capital Region . The principality has 120.3 kilometers of borders: 56.6 kilometers and 63.7 kilometers with France with Spain.

Due to its location in the eastern Pyrenees, Andorra consists mainly of rugged mountains with an average altitude of 1996 meters. The highest peak is the Coma Pedrosa (located in the same solid in Arinsal, in the parish of La Massana) with a height of 2946 meters. The mountains are separated from each other by three narrow valleys in a form of a Y; This is formed by the Valira del Nord and Valira d'Orient flowing together in Escaldes-Engordany and so Valira forms. This last river crossing in Sant Julia de Loria, the Spanish border and ultimately resulted in the Segre . The place where the Valira leave the country with an altitude of 840 meters, the lowest point of Andorra.

La Massana contains the five highest peaks of the country. Encamp are the largest lakes. The most unspoiled nature can be found at Grau Roig, also in the Encamp parish.

To the country's natural resources include hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead. Avalanches are the only natural hazard. The main environmental factors that threaten the country are deforestation, soil erosion from overgrazing of pastures, pollution (especially Andorra la Vella is quite polluted because the gases difficult road to the location in the Valiradal ) and wastewater treatment.

[Cities edit ]
View Andorra la Vella

The capital, Andorra la Vella is 22 615 inhabitants (2014), also the largest city in the country. Followed Escaldes-Engordany (14,002 inhabitants), Sant Julia de Loria(7652) and Encamp (7473). [4]

[Climate edit ]
Andorra's climate is largely similar to the temperate climate of the neighboring countries, but because of its higher elevation, there is on average more snow in winter and it is slightly cooler in summer. The highest peaks of the country in the summer rarely covered with snow.

[Politics edit ]
The Casa de les Valls, seat of the Andorran Parliament

Until recently, Andorra's political system no clear separation of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The Constitution adopted in 1993, establishes Andorra as a sovereign parliamentary democracy that the existing system with two coprinsen reserves as heads of state, but the head of government provides the executive. The two coprinsen reign equivalent with limited powers that do not include veto over government actions. They are represented in Andorra by a delegate.

[Monarchy edit ]
The way the two princes are chosen makes Andorra one of the most politically different countries on earth. One of the coprinsen is the president of France in 2012 wasFrançois Hollande elected to do so (it is historically any head of state of France concerns, even kings and emperors of France have been coprins). The other coprins the Catholic bishop of the Spanish city of La Seu d'Urgell . Since 2003, that Joan Enric Vives Sicília . Because no lives of two princes in Andorra, their role is almost entirely symbolic. [5]

The defense of the country is the responsibility of France and Spain.

Legislative and executive power [ edit ]
The main legislative body of Andorra is the eenkamerige General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de les Valls), which has 28 seats. Half of the MPs (14) shall be elected by a system of proportional representation and the other half as a constituency system. For all deputies, a period of four years.

The government (Governmental) is formed by the head of government (Cap de Govern), elected by the General Council, and the ministers appointed by him. Currently Antoni Martí of the Liberal Democrats for Andorra government.

Parties [ edit ]
The main political parties in Andorra are the Democrats for Andorra (Democrates by Andorra, DA) of Prime Martí (20 seats in parliament), the center-left Social Democratic Party (Partit Socialdemòcrata d'Andorra,PS) his predecessor Jaume Bartumeu (6 seats ) and the conservative Laurediaanse Union (Unió Laure Diana, UL) from Sant Julia de Loria, who supports Martí (2 seats).

Administrative divisions [ edit ]
The parishes of Andorra Andorra is divided into seven parishes (parròquies, singl Parròquia.):
 * Andorra la Vella (the capital)
 * Canillo (largest parish in area)
 * Encamp (main France Connection)
 * Escaldes-Engordany (founded as a spin-off from Andorra la Vella)
 * La Massana (highest parish)
 * Ordino (northernmost parish)
 * Sant Julia de Loria (southernmost parish)

[Demographics edit ]
Andorrans are a minority in their own country; only 33% of the population is in the possession of the Andorran nationality. The largest group of foreign residents are Spaniards (43%), which together with the Portuguese (11%) and French (7%) residents represent the largest "foreign" groups. The remaining 6% belong to several other nationalities. Between 1990 and 1997 an average population growth of 5.0% was measured. Who was born in Andorra or you live from 1961, will be eligible for naturalization. Dual nationality is not permitted. It is not allowed foreigners to buy land in Andorra.

The only official language is Catalan, the language spoken is also in the neighboring Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia , with which Andorra shares many cultural traits. Due to the many immigrants it is, however, spoken by only 35% of the population; 58% speak Spanish . In addition, the French (7%) talked a lot, and especially the Portuguese (2100 speakers) and English (770 speakers) major immigrant languages.

The vast majority of the Andorrans is Catholic (see Catholic Church in Andorra ). Andorra has a high prosperity; life expectancy is higher than 80 years and with Japan Andorra has the lowest infant mortality rate in the world.

Economy [ edit ]
New construction in Andorra la Vella

In 2002, Andorra had an unemployment rate of 0%, the inflation rate was 3.4% and the year before had the principality for 58 million US dollars exported. This export consists mainly of machinery (16%), transport (14%), paper (13%), cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra's main export partners are Spain (60%) and France (31%). Was imported in the same year to 1.222 billion euros, mainly food (23%) and machinery (17%) from Spain (45%) and France (29%).

Tourism is the mainstay of Andorra's tiny economy and accounts for roughly 80% of GDP . Each year the country visited by an estimated 9 million tourists, attracted by the tax-free status of Andorra and the many leisure activities both in summer and winter. The relative advantage of Andorra is partly lost due to the opening of the French and the Spanish economy, which are there to get more goods at lower prices.

The banking sector contributes, through the country's reputation as a tax haven, also essential to the economy. Agricultural production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The main livestock is breeding sheep.

Andorra is not a full member of the European Union, but enjoys a special relationship with the Union. For example, it is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods, but not when it comes to agricultural products. For the introduction of the euro, Andorra used the currencies of the two neighboring nations, the French franc and the peseta . With the introduction of the euro, Andorra along switched to this coin, but unlike Monaco , San Marino and Vatican City Andorra did not have its own euro coins. In October 2004, negotiations between Andorra and the EU began with an agreement that allowed Andorra should strike his own coins. On June 30, 2011 it was announced that Andorra and the EU have signed an agreement. It was arranged that Andorra as of 1 July 2013, the euro would officially enter. Since that date, Andorra should smite own coins. Of that law made ​​Andorra in 2014 for the first use and first Andorra and the euro came into circulation in early 2015. Andorra does not own euro notes out. [6] Andorra is not part of the Schengen zone . Where Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City with their neighbors have made additional arrangements for the free movement of persons, Andorra maintains border controls.

Culture [ edit ]
Interior of the St. Christopher Church ofAnyós (La Massana)

[Kitchen edit ]
The differences between the Andorran cuisine and that of neighboring Catalan-speaking areas such as Cerdanya and especially Alt Urgell, which Andorra has strong cultural ties are limited. The Andorran gastronomy is the Catalan cuisine to count, already know Andorra additional French and Italian influences, such as the habit of serving fish and meat with sauce, or use of pasta 's.

Andorra's kitchen is a kitchen that works mainly with natural products derived from the subsistence economies of the three valleys, such as bacon, fish, meat (especially rabbit, lamb and geitenlam), vegetables, grains and berries.

Media [ edit ]
The private station Radio Andorra was between 1939 and 1981, the main radio station in the country with an international reputation. The music channel focused mainly on French listeners, but was received in much of Europe and was heard across the continent. The station has Andorra prominence given in the rest of the world and the country removed from the isolation where it had been until then.

The state broadcaster of Andorra is located in the autonomous public company RTVA . The company has one television channel, ATV, and two radio stations, RNA and Andorra Música . The company was founded in 1989, the first radio broadcast took place in 1990 and the first television broadcast in 1995. In 2003 the country joined the European Broadcasting Union, which could participate from 2004 to the Eurovision Song Contest . The broadcaster has done it six times, but was forced in 2009 due to budgetary considerations to stop.

The main blades of Andorra are Diari d'Andorra and El Periodic d'Andorra . "Diari d'Andorra" is published by Premsa Andorrana, under the name Edicions del Diari d'Andorra also the house-to-house magazine 7 studies and publishes books. 'El Periodic "was founded in 1997 by the Spanish Grupo Zeta, but has since been sold to the company Andorrana the Publicacions .