Andorra Passport

The Principality of Andorra.

[Area] 468 square kilometers.

【 Population 】 85330 people (2023). Among them, Andorrans account for 48.7% and belong to the Catalan ethnic group. Spanish accounted for 24.6%, followed by Portuguese (11.6%) and French (4.4%). The official language is Catalan, and Spanish, French, and Portuguese are commonly used. Many residents believe in Catholicism.

【 Capital 】 Andorra la Vella, with a population of 22480 people (2022)

French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Archbishop Joan Enric Vives are both heads of state, known as the Two Dukes.

[Important Festivals] Constitution Day: March 14th, National Day: September 8th

【 Overview 】 Located between Spain and France, in the middle of the Pyrenees Mountains, it is entirely mountainous with an average elevation of 1996 meters. It belongs to mountainous climate with an average annual temperature of 9.9 ℃.

The record of Andorra dates back to the "Minutes of the Completion of the Cathedral of Usher" in 839 AD, which referred to Andorra as the territory of the Count of Usher. Starting from the 11th century, the power of Bishop Uyghur extended throughout Andorra, and in 1133 Andorra became its diocese. In the 13th century, Count de Foa of France and Bishop of Usher competed for sovereignty over Andorra, leading to multiple wars. In 1278 and 1288, two agreements were reached to jointly govern Andorra and divide economic, legal, military, and other areas of authority. Andorra became a principality from then on and continued until 1993. During this period, France lost its rule over Andorra due to the outbreak of the Great Revolution in 1793, and Napoleon I regained control in 1806. After France implemented a republic, this power belonged to the president. On January 4, 1982, An implemented institutional reforms, transferring administrative power from parliament to the government. On March 14, 1993, Andorra passed its first Constitution through a national referendum, becoming an independent sovereign state, but still using two major public institutions.

On March 14, 1993, the Constitution was promulgated, consisting of nine chapters and 107 articles, which provided for Andorra's sovereignty, rights and freedoms, the Grand Duke, the General Council (Parliament), the government, local institutions, the judiciary, the Constitutional Court, and institutional reforms.

The unicameral system, known as the General Council, was established in 1419 to exercise legislative power on behalf of the Andorran people, pass budgets, and supervise government actions. The General Committee is elected by universal suffrage, with a total of 28 members, including 14 elected nationwide and 2 elected from each of the 7 administrative regions, with a term of 4 years. The last election was held on April 2, 2023, and the new General Committee was inaugurated in late April. The allocation of seats is as follows:

Andorran Democratic Party: 16

Harmony Party: 5

Social Democratic Party: 3

Moving forward to Andorra: 3

Action Party: 1

The Prime Minister is the head of government, elected by the General Council and appointed by the two Grand Dukes. Currently, the center right political party alliance led by Prime Minister Esporte is in power and was established in May 2023.

Javier Esport Zamora: Prime Minister of Andorra. Born on October 30, 1979, holds a Master's degree in Law from ESADE Business School in Spain. He has served as the Secretary of State and Minister for Security, Justice, and Home Affairs. He took office in May 2019 and was re elected as Prime Minister in April 2023.

The country is divided into 7 administrative regions: Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Massana, Sant Julia de Loria, Encamp, Les Escaldes Engordany, and Ordino.

The leading body of the judicial institution is the Judicial High Council, consisting of 5 members with a term of 6 years. The judicial system includes primary courts, intermediate courts, and higher courts. Establish a separate Constitutional Court.

In 2023, the gross domestic product of Angola was 2.86 billion euros, a year-on-year increase of 1.4%.

Mainly importing building materials, cigarettes, electrical appliances, cosmetics, gasoline fuel, clothing, optical products, various processed foods, and daily necessities; Export wool, livestock, leather, cigarettes, wood, butter, cheese, etc. The main trading partners are Spain and France, followed by other European countries as well as Asia Pacific and North America.

The agricultural planting area is about 8 square kilometers, accounting for 1.7% of the national area. The main agricultural products include potatoes and tobacco. Animal husbandry is mainly based on cattle and sheep. The forest area is about 180 square kilometers, accounting for 38.2% of the national area and is owned by the state. Abundant hydraulic resources, with multiple hydroelectric power stations built to generate electricity from melting snow in high mountains. The main mineral deposits are iron, alum, and lead. The industry is mainly focused on cigarette manufacturing, followed by construction, textile, wood, and food processing.

Implement a low tax system. On July 1, 1991, it joined the European Customs Union. In early 2001, the euro was announced as one of its currencies, and from January 1, 2002, the euro was used as a payment currency. On March 1, 2019, it officially became a member of the Eurozone. The main banks include CAIXA Bank, Andal Sabadel Bank, and Andorran Credit Bank.

The tourism industry is a pillar industry of the economy in An, accounting for 80% of the GDP. From May 2022 to April 2023, Andorra received 8.843 million tourists, an increase of 23.9% compared to the same period in the past.

Cultural education: Free compulsory education is implemented from primary school to high school. There are three types of education systems implemented nationwide: (1) Andorran education, which accounts for 38% and is managed by the Andorran government; (2) Spanish education, accounting for 30%, is responsible for distributing Spanish language textbooks by the Spanish Ministry of Education; (3) French education, accounting for 32%, implements the plan of the French Ministry of Education to teach in French. There are currently two universities. After graduating, middle school students can choose to receive higher education in China or in Spain or France.

Before independence in 1993, foreign relations were managed by Spain and France. On June 3, 1993, Andorra signed an agreement with France and Spain, declaring their recognition of Andorra as a sovereign state and establishing diplomatic relations with it. On July 28 of the same year, he joined the United Nations and subsequently joined 22 international and regional organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union, the International Labour Organization, the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the World Tourism Organization, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Ibero American Summit. He signed the European Social Contract Treaty and attended EU meetings irregularly. Elected as a member of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2019. Joined the European Development Bank (CEB) in June 2020, attended the 75th General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly in September, and joined the International Monetary Fund in October. In April 2021, the 27th Iberian American Summit of Heads of State and Government will be held. In March 2023, Prime Minister Esporte attended the 28th Iberian American Summit. An pursues a policy of peace, good neighborliness, and friendship, and regards the development of relations with Spain, France, and EU countries as a diplomatic priority. At present, it has established diplomatic relations with about 80 countries in the world, with embassies in Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Portugal, and the United States, and embassies in Spain and France.