Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra (Catalan: Principat d'Andorra), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra[1] (Catalan: Principat de les Valls d'Andorra), is a sovereign landlockedmicrostate in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range and is bordered by Spain and France.
In the 11th century, fearing military action by neighboring lords, the Bishop of Urgell placed himself under the protection of the Lord of Caboet, a nobleman.[2] Later, the Count of Foix became heir to the Lord of Caboet through marriage to Ermessenda de Castellbò in 1208, and a dispute arose between the Occitan Count and the Catalan bishop over Andorra.[2]
In 1278, the conflict was resolved by the signing of a pareage (pariatges), which provided that Andorra's sovereignty be shared between the Count of Foix and the Bishop of La Seu d'Urgell (Catalonia).[2] The pareage, a feudal institution recognizing the principle of equality of rights shared by two rulers, gave the small state its territory and political form.[2] Andorra's borders have remained unchanged since 1278.[3]
Andorra did not officially participate in World War I,[4] although there were three Andorran volunteers who fought: Valentí Naudi, Josep Estany and René Huguet.[5] North American newspapers in 1958 claimed that Andorra had declared war on Germany in 1914 but failed to sign a peace treaty until 1958,[6][7] and this claim has appeared in later sources,[8] but there appears to be no contemporary evidence of such declaration. In 2014, the news outlet Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra investigated the 1958 claim and could find no documentation of any original declaration of war. Historian Pere Cavero could only find an exchange of letters between the German consul in Marseille and the Catalan Ombudsman, where the former asks if there is a state of war with Andorra and the latter responds they could find nothing in their archive to indicate this.[9]
In 1933, France occupied Andorra as a result of social unrest before elections. On 12 July 1934 an adventurer named Boris Skossyreff issued a proclamation in Urgel, declaring himself Boris I, sovereign prince of Andorra, simultaneously declaring war on the Bishop of Urgell. He was arrested by Spanish authorities on 20 July and ultimately expelled from Spain.[10][11] From 1936 to 1940, a French detachment was garrisoned in Andorra to prevent encroachment as a result of the Spanish Civil War and Francoist Spain.[12]
During World War II, Andorra remained neutral and was an important smuggling route from Spain into France. The French Resistance used Andorra as part of their route to get downed airmen out of France.[13]
In 1943, Andorra carried out its first execution since the 19th century: Antoni Arenis was executed for double fratricide by firing squad because a trained executioner was unavailable to operate the legal method, by garrote.
Long an impoverished land with little contact with any nations other than adjoining France and Spain, Andorra, after World War II, achieved considerable prosperity through a developing tourist industry. That development, abetted by improvements in transport and communications, has tended to break down Andorra's isolation and to bring Andorrans into the mainstream of European history. Public demands for democratic reforms led to the extension of the franchise to women in the 1970s and to the creation of new and more fully autonomous organs of government in the early 1980s.
Since the 1990s
Andorra formally became a parliamentary democracy in May 1993 following approval of a new constitution by a popular referendum in March 1993. The new constitution retained the French and Spanish co-princes although with reduced and narrowly defined powers. Civil rights were greatly expanded, including the legalisation of political parties and the provision for an independent judiciary.[14][15]
Andorra joined a customs union with the European Communities (now the European Union) in 1991 and was admitted to the United Nations on 28 July 1993.[16] It became a member of the Council of Europe in 1994. Andorra opened diplomatic relations with other countries such as the United Kingdom in 1994 and the United States in 1995.
The country has been seeking ways to improve its export potential and increase its economic ties with its European neighbours. The financial services sector of the economy is highly important because of Andorra's status as a tax haven and its banking secrecy laws.[13]
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Western Europe, 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.
Andorra la Vella is the capital and largest city of Andorra. It is located high in the east Pyrenees, between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.
"El gran Carlemany" is the national anthem of the Principality of Andorra. Enric Marfany Bons composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Joan Benlloch i Vivó, written in a first-person narrative from the point of view of Andorra. It was adopted as the national anthem on 8 September 1921, which is also the national day of Andorra. The lyrics make reference to several key aspects of Andorran culture and history, such as the heritage of the Carolingian Empire.
Joan-Enric Vives i Sicília is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Bishop of Urgell and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra since 2003. He has had the personal title of archbishop since 2019.
The Diocese of Urgell is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell, with origins in the fifth century AD or possibly earlier. It is based in the region of the historical Catalan County of Urgell, though it has different borders. The seat and Cathedral of the bishop are situated in la Seu d'Urgell town. The state of Andorra is a part of this diocese.
The national flag of Andorra features a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow, and red with the coat of arms of Andorra in the center. Although the three vertical bars may at first appear to be of equal width, the centre yellow bar is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of bar widths is 8:9:8 with an overall flag ratio of 7:10.
The coat of arms of Andorra is the heraldic device consisting of a shield divided quarterly by the arms of the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix – who have historically been the two co-princes of Andorra – in addition to the emblems of Catalonia and the Viscount of Béarn. Utilized unofficially since the Middle Ages, its status as the coat of arms of the Principality of Andorra was formalized in 1993 upon the implementation of their new constitution. The escutcheon is featured on the flag of Andorra.
Andorra is essentially Catalan speaking. The country has contributed significantly to the Catalan heritage.
The co-princes of Andorra are jointly the heads of state of the Principality of Andorra, a landlocked microstate lying in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Founded in 1278 by a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix, this unique diarchical arrangement has persisted through the Middle Ages to the present. Currently, the bishop of Urgell and the president of France serve as Andorra's co-princes, following the transfer of the count of Foix's claims to the Crown of France and, subsequently, to the head of state of the French Republic. Each co-prince appoints a personal representative, the Bishop co-prince is currently being represented by Josep Maria Mauri and the French co-prince by Patrick Strzoda.
Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra, S.A., shortened to RTVA, is the public television and radio broadcaster in the Principality of Andorra. It operates a television channel, ATV, and two radio stations, RNA and AM, all of which broadcast in Catalan.
Scouting and Guiding in Andorra is currently represented by a single coeducational Scout and Guide group, based in Sant Julià de Lòria and founded in 2016.
In Medieval France a paréage or pariage was a feudal treaty recognising joint sovereignty over a territory by two rulers, who were on an equal footing, pari passu; compare peer. On a familial scale, paréage could also refer to the equal division of lands and the titles they brought between sons of an inheritance.
Andorra Televisió is an Andorran free-to-air television channel owned and operated by public broadcaster Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra (RTVA). It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and generalist programming, including l'Informatiu news bulletins, prime time drama, cinema and entertainment, and major breaking news, sports and special events. It was launched on 4 December 1995.
Andorra and France are members of the Council of Europe, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the United Nations. The two share a head of state, as the president of France is one of the co-princes of Andorra.
Listed below are articles about or related to Andorra, arranged alphabetically:
The first Paréage of Andorra was a feudal charter signed in Lleida on 8 September 1278. It codified a lay and ecclesiastical agreement between the Count of Foix, Roger-Bernard III, and the Bishop of Urgell, Pere d'Urtx, establishing their joint sovereignty over the territory of Andorra. The paréage established the system of condominium in Andorra, placing it under suzerainty of both lords. This system was later ratified in 1993 by the signing of the Constitution of Andorra. The charter underpins the modern legal status of Andorra.
Pere d'Urtx was Bishop of Urgell from 1269 to 1293. He became the first Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra when he signed the paréage establishing joint-sovereignty over the territory with Roger-Bernard III, Count of Foix in 1278.
Andorra and Spain are members of the Council of Europe, Organization of Ibero-American States and the United Nations.
The law of Andorra includes customary law and legislation.
The literature of Andorra is part of Catalan literature, that is, of literature in the Catalan language. It is the literature represented by the writings created in the Principality of Andorra or by Andorran authors.
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