History of Andorra facts for kids
Andorra, officially called the Principality of Andorra (which is Principat d'Andorra in Catalan), is a small country in southwestern Europe. It is a landlocked nation, meaning it has no coastline. Andorra is located high in the eastern Pyrenees mountains, nestled between Spain and France.
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Andorra says it is the last country left from the Marca Hispanica. This was a special military area created by Charlemagne. Its purpose was to stop the Islamic Moors from moving into the Christian Frankish empire.
Tradition says that Charlemagne gave special rights to the people of Andorra. This was a reward for their help in fighting the Moors. In the 800s, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, made the Count of Urgell the ruler over Andorra. Later, a descendant of this count gave the land to the Diocese of Urgell, which is a church area.
In the 1000s, the Bishop of Urgell was worried about attacks from nearby lords. So, he asked the Lord of Caboet, a powerful nobleman, for protection. Later, the Count of Foix became the heir to the Lord of Caboet. This happened when he married Ermessenda de Castellbò in 1208. A disagreement then started between the Count from Occitan and the Bishop from Catalonia over who truly owned Andorra.
How Andorra Got Its Borders
In 1278, the disagreement was solved by signing a special agreement called a pareage. This agreement said that Andorra would be ruled by two leaders at the same time. These leaders were the Count of Foix and the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell in Catalonia.
The pareage was a feudal agreement. It meant that two rulers shared equal rights over the land. This agreement gave Andorra its current territory and its way of being governed. Andorra's borders have stayed the same since 1278.
Andorra was briefly taken over by the Crown of Aragon two times. This happened in 1396 and again in 1512.
Andorra in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Andorra did not officially join World War I. However, three Andorran volunteers did fight in the war. Their names were Valentí Naudi, Josep Estany, and René Huguet.
Some newspapers in North America claimed in 1958 that Andorra had declared war on Germany in 1914. They also said Andorra did not sign a peace treaty until 1958. This story has appeared in other places since then. But there is no real proof from that time that Andorra declared war. In 2014, a news group in Andorra looked into this claim. They could not find any documents showing a declaration of war. A historian named Pere Cavero also found no evidence.
In 1933, France sent troops to Andorra. This was because of social unrest before elections. On July 12, 1934, an adventurer named Boris Skossyreff declared himself Boris I, the ruler of Andorra. He also declared war on the Bishop of Urgell. Spanish police arrested him on July 20. He was then sent out of Spain. From 1936 to 1940, French soldiers stayed in Andorra. This was to prevent problems from the Spanish Civil War and Francoist Spain.
During World War II, Andorra stayed neutral. This meant it did not take sides. It became an important route for smuggling goods from Spain into France. The French Resistance used Andorra to help downed pilots escape from France.
After World War II, Andorra started to become much richer. This was thanks to its growing tourism industry. Better transportation and communication helped Andorra connect more with Europe. This also helped Andorrans become more involved in European history. People wanted more democratic changes. This led to women being able to vote in the 1970s. New, more independent government bodies were also created in the early 1980s.
Andorra Since the 1990s
Andorra officially became a parliamentary democracy in May 1993. This happened after people voted for a new constitution in March 1993. The new constitution kept the French and Spanish co-princes as leaders. However, their powers were made smaller and very specific.
People's civil rights were greatly expanded. Political parties became legal. An independent court system was also put in place.
Andorra joined a customs union with the European Communities (now the European Union) in 1991. It became a member of the United Nations on July 28, 1993. In 1994, it joined the Council of Europe. Andorra also started diplomatic relations with other countries. For example, it connected with the United Kingdom in 1994 and the United States in 1995.
The country has been looking for ways to sell more goods to other countries. It also wants to increase its economic ties with its European neighbors. The financial services sector is very important to Andorra's economy. This is because Andorra is known as a tax haven. It also has strict laws about keeping banking information secret.
See also
- List of Co-Princes of Andorra
- History of Europe
- History of Catalonia
- History of France
- History of Spain
In Spanish: Historia de Andorra para niños
