Andorra Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Principality of Andorra Principat d'Andorra (Catalan)^a
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Virtus Unita Fortior ’United virtue is stronger‘
Anthem: El Gran Carlemany (Catalan) ’The Great Charlemagne’
Location of Andorra (center of green circle) on the European continent (dark grey) — [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Andorra la Vella 42°30′N 1°31′E / 42.500°N 1.517°E / 42.500; 1.517
Official language and national language	Catalan
Recognized national languages	Spanish French Portuguese Other languages English Italian
Ethnic groups (2012)	49% Andorran 24.6% Spanish 14.3% Portuguese 3.9% French 8.2% others
Demonym(s)	Andorran
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-elective diarchy

• Co-Monarchs	Joan Enric Vives Sicília Emmanuel Macron
• Representatives	Josep Maria Mauri Patrick Strzoda
• Prime Minister	Antoni Martí

Legislature	General Council
Independence

• from Aragon	1278
• from the French Empire	1814
• Constitution	1993

Area
• Total	467.63 km² (180.55 sq mi) (179th)
• Water (%)	0.26 (121.4 ha)^c
Population
• 2018 estimate	77,006
• Density	179.8/km² (465.7/sq mi) (71st)
GDP (nominal)	2016 estimate
• Total	$3.249 billion (162nd)
• Per capita	$36,987 (26th)
Gini (2003)	27.21^d low
HDI (2016)	0.858 very high · 32nd
Currency	Euro^e (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+376
ISO 3166 code	AD
Internet TLD	.ad^f

Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a landlocked sovereign country located in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains of Southern Europe and bordered by Spain and France. There are about 84,000 people living in the country. The capital is Andorra la Vella. It is ruled by a Spanish Bishop and the French President. Andorra's government is a parliamentary democracy.

Andorra is a rich country mostly because of tourism. There are about 10.2 million visitors each year.

The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also used.

It is not a member of the European Union. The euro is the money used.

History
Parishes
Geography
- Cities
Religion
Education
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

History

It is said that Charles the Great (Charlemagne) gave the Andorran people their country in return for fighting against the Moors.

Before 1095, Andorra did not have any type of military protection. The Lord of Caboet and the Bishop of Urgell decided to rule Andorra together. In 1607 Henry IV of France said the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell would be co-princes of Andorra.

Andorra declared war on Imperial Germany during World War I. It did not do any fighting. They stayed against Germany until 1957 because they were not in the Treaty of Versailles.

Andorra doesn't have an Army. France and Spain help to defend Andorra. The country has a police force of 295.

Parishes

Andorra has seven parishes:

Geography

Andorra is in the Pyrenees mountain range. The highest mountain is Coma Pedrosa.

Cities

The largest cities in Andorra are:

Ranking	Name	Population
1	Andorra la Vella	19,319
2	Escaldes-Engordany	14,395
3	Encamp	8,470
4	Sant Julià de Lòria	7,518
5	La Massana	4,987
6	Santa Coloma	2,937
7	Ordino	2,780
8	El Pas de la Casa	2,613
9	Canillo	2,025
10	Arinsal	1,555

For other locations in Andorra, see List of cities in Andorra.

Religion

The population of Andorra is mostly (90%) Roman Catholic. Their patron saint is Our Lady of Meritxell.

Education

Children between the ages of 6 and 16 must have full-time education. Education up to secondary level is paid by the government.

The University of Andorra (UdA) is the state public university. It is the only university in Andorra.

A satellite image of Andorra

Images for kids

Roc de les Bruixes prehistorical sanctuary in Canillo (detail)
Hannibal's route (red) during the Second Punic War. The Iberian tribes (green) fought against the Carthaginian army in the Pyrenees.
Charlemagne instructing his son, Louis the Pious
The six old parishes named by their patron saint as depicted in the Acta de Consagració i Dotació de la Catedral de la Seu d'Urgell (839)
Sant Joan de Caselles church, dating from the 11th century, part of the Andorran Romanesque heritage
1978 monument commemorating the 700th anniversary of the Paréages, located outside Casa de la Vall in the capital city of Andorra la Vella
Apse fresco of Sant Miquel d'Engolasters church, painted by Mestre de Santa Coloma during the 12th century
Main hall of Tribunal de Corts (High Court of Justice) inside Casa de la Vall, the central Judiciary Court of Andorra
Manor house of the Rossell family in Ordino, Casa Rossell, built in 1611. The family also owned the largest ironwork forges in Andorra as Farga Rossell and Farga del Serrat.
Guillem d'Areny-Plandolit led the New Reform of 1866.
Canillo scenery during the Revolution of 1881
Boris Skossyreff, briefly self-proclaimed King of Andorra in 1934
Enthronement as Co-Prince in 1942 of Bishop Ramón Iglesias (centre). The local comite was led by Francesc Cairat (left), the First General Syndic with the longest regencie, from 1936 to 1960.
Co-Prince Charles de Gaulle in the streets of Sant Julià de Lòria in Andorra, October 1967
Streets of the city centre of Andorra la Vella in 1986. From the same year until 1989 Andorra normalized the economic treaties with the EEC.
Foreign Minister of Andorra Gilbert Saboya meeting Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2014
The embassy of Andorra in Brussels
Map of Andorra with its seven parishes labelled
The town of Encamp, as seen from the Vall dels Cortals
Andorra–La Seu d'Urgell Airport, located 12 km away from Andorra, in Montferrer i Castellbò (Catalonia, Eastern Spain)
A train at Latour-de-Carol (La Tor de Querol), one of the two stations serving Andorra. Andorra has no railways, although the line connecting Latour-de-Carol and Toulouse, which in turn connects to France's TGVs at Toulouse, runs within two kilometres (1.2 miles) of the Andorran border.
RTVA, the public service television and radio broadcaster in Andorra
Andorran flag on a balcony, Ordino
Folk costume (Le val d'Andorre)
Grandalla flower, the national symbol
View of Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Altar of Sant Romà de Vila
Santa Coloma d'Andorra
The athletes from Andorra at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics
Laure Soulié, Olympic biathlete
Laurent Recouderc serving at the 2010 French Open
2015 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships in Vallnord, La Massana
Volta als Ports d'Andorra, the national road cycling tour
Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella

Andorra facts for kids

Contents