claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers
Terrain: rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Riu Valira 840 m highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m
Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore,
lead
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 56%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 20% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: snowslides, avalanches
Environment—current issues: deforestation; overgrazing of
mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion
Environment—international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note: landlocked
People
Population: 65,939 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 14% (male 4,880; female 4,527)
15–64 years: 73% (male 25,811; female 22,444)
65 years and over: 13% (male 4,196; female 4,081) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.24% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 10.27 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.46 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 17.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.08 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 83.46 years male: 80.55 years female: 86.55 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Andorran(s) adjective: Andorran
Ethnic groups: Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic (predominant)
Languages: Catalan (official), French, Castilian
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra
Data code: AN
Government type: parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its heads of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by officials called veguers
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular—parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence: 1278
National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September
Constitution: Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; adopted 14 March 1993
Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
represented by Veguer Jean-Pierre COURTOIS (since NA); and Spanish
Coprince Episcopal Monseigneur Joan MARTI Alanis (since 31 January
1971) represented by Veguer Francesc BADIA Battalla (since NA)
head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE Molne
(since 21 December 1994)
cabinet: Executive Council designated by the Executive Council
president
elections: Executive Council president elected by the General
Council and formally appointed by the coprinces; election last held
16 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: Marc FORNE Molne elected executive council
president; percent of General Council vote—NA
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council of the Valleys or
Consell General de las Valls (28 seats; members are elected by
direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14
to represent each of the 7 parishes; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 February 1997 (next to be held NA February
2001)
election results: percent of vote by party—UL 57%, AND 21%, IDN 7%,
ND 7%, other 8%; seats by party—UL 16, AND 6, ND 2, IDN 2, UPO 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan, France, (two civil judges appointed by the veguers, one appeals judge appointed by the coprinces alternately); Ecclesiastical Court of the Bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain); Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal des Cortes, (presided over by the two civil judges, one appeals judge, the veguers, and two members of the General
