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Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked country and microstate on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees, bordered by France to the north and Spain to the south. Believed to have been created by Charlemagne, Andorra was ruled by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The present principality was formed by a charter in 1278. It is currently headed by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and the president of France. Its capital and largest city is Andorra la Vella.
The politics of Andorra take place in a framework of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, and a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, with the Head of Government of Andorra as chief executive. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The economy of Andorra is a developed and free market economy driven by finance, retail, and tourism. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) was US$5.30 billion in 2022. Attractive for shoppers from France and Spain as a free port, Andorra also has developed active summer and winter tourist resorts. With some 270 hotels and 400 restaurants, as well as many shops, the tourist trade employs a growing portion of the domestic labour force. An estimated 13 million tourists visit annually.
Since the establishment of sovereignty with the ratification of the constitution in 1993, Andorra has moved to become an active member of the international community. In July 1993, Andorra established its first diplomatic mission in the world to the United Nations.
A customs union is the principal area of robust formal agreement between the Principality of Andorra and the European Union (EU). Andorra borders two EU member states: France and Spain.
The Andorran Rugby Federation is the governing body for rugby union in Andorra. It was founded in 1986 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1991.
In Group E of the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying tournament, Croatia secured qualification to the finals on 17 November 2007 following Israel's 2–1 win against Russia, becoming the seventh team in the whole of the qualification stage to do so. Russia secured qualification to the tournament finals on 21 November 2007 following a 1–0 win against Andorra, and Croatia's 3–2 win against England, becoming the fourteenth and last team in the whole of the qualification stage to do so.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Andorra have advanced significantly in the 21st century. Civil unions, which grant all the benefits of marriage, have been recognized since 2014, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is constitutionally banned. The General Council passed a bill on 21 July 2022 that will legalize same-sex marriage in 2023, and convert all civil unions into civil marriage.
Currently, all of the European microstates have some form of relations with the European Union (EU).
Trade unions in Andorra have had a brief existence, with the first trade union, the Andorran Workers' Union (AWU), being formed in 1990.
The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Some detached territories of EU states do not participate in the customs union, usually as a result of their geographic separation. In addition to the EUCU, the EU is in customs unions with Andorra, San Marino and Turkey, through separate bilateral agreements.
Andorra and the United States enjoy friendly relations. Diplomatic relations between both nations were established on 21 February 1995 after Andorra adopted a constitution establishing itself as a sovereign parliamentary democracy. Since 2000, Andorra has participated in the U.S. Fulbright Exchange Program and works together with the United States on sharing of confiscated proceeds and instrumentalities of crimes.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Andorra:
The international status and usage of the euro has grown since its launch in 1999. When the euro formally replaced 12 currencies on 1 January 2002, it inherited their use in territories such as Montenegro and replaced minor currencies tied to pre-euro currencies, such as in Monaco. Four small states have been given a formal right to use the euro, and to mint their own coins, but all other usage outside the eurozone has been unofficial. With or without an agreement, these countries, unlike those in the eurozone, do not participate in the European Central Bank or the Eurogroup.
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a small country located in the Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also commonly spoken.
The Andorran government imposes no visa requirements on its visitors, and only requires a passport or European Union national identity card for entrance. However, since the country is only accessible via the Schengen countries of Spain or France, entrance is not possible without entering the Schengen area first, and the Schengen visa rules can therefore be regarded as applying de facto. Because Andorra is not part of the Schengen area, a multiple entry visa is required to re-enter the Schengen area when leaving Andorra. Foreign visitors, including EU citizens, looking to stay in Andorra more than 90 days require a residence permit.
Relations between the Principality of Monaco and the European Union (EU) are primarily conducted through France. Through that relationship Monaco directly participates in certain EU policies. Monaco is an integral part of the EU customs territory and VAT area, and therefore applies most measures on excise duties and VAT. Monaco borders one EU member state: France. However this relationship does not extend to external trade. Preferential trade agreements between the EU and third countries apply only to goods originating from the customs territory – Monaco may not claim EU origin in this respect.
Unió Sindical d'Andorra is a national trade union centre in Andorra. As of 2013 Gabriel Ubach i Valdivia was the general secretary of USdA. As of 2014 Maria José Espinosa served as first secretary of USdA.
This article provides details of international football games played by the Andorra national football team from 2020 to present.
References
- ICTUR; et al., eds. (2005). Trade Unions of the World 6th Ed. John Harper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9543811-5-8.
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