History of Andorra

Last updated

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 landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France.

Contents

9th to 19th centuries

Andorra claims it is the last independent survivor of the Marca Hispanica, the buffer states created by Charlemagne to keep the Islamic Moors from advancing into Christian France. [2] Tradition holds that Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. [2] In the 9th century, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, named the Count of Urgell as overlord of Andorra. [2] A descendant of the count later gave the lands to the Diocese of Urgell. [2]

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 Catalan 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 was briefly annexed to the Crown of Aragon twice, in 1396 and 1512.[ citation needed ]

20th and 21st centuries

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]

See also

Notes

  1. Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia, 1993
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Background Note: Andorra". U.S. Department of State. May 2000. Archived from the original on June 5, 2002. PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. "Statement by H.E. Mr. Albert Pintat; President of the government of the principality of Andorra" (PDF). 61'st session of the United Nations General Assembly. September 21, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2012.
  4. Guillamet Anton, Jordi (2009). Nova aproximació a la història d'Andorra. ALTAIR. p. 216. ISBN   978-8493622046.
  5. Martínez Fiol, David (1991). Els "voluntaris catalans" a la gran guerra (1914–1918). L'Abadia de Montserrat. ISBN   84-7826-269-5.
  6. "44-Year Mystery War Ends". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Newhouse Newspapers. 19 September 1958. p. 20.
  7. "World War I Ends in Andorra". The New York Times. United Press International. 25 September 1958. p. 66.
  8. E.g., "Skin-flicks in Shangri-La", The Economist, 1974; Time, 1960.
  9. "Andorra va declarar la guerra a Alemanya el 1914?". AndorraDifusió. Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  10. "King of Andorra' Is Arrested". The New York Times. 18 May 1936. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  11. p12 (21 July 1934). "Andorran Pretender arrested. Ten days' 'reign'". The Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. "More Guards Sent to Andorra". The New York Times. 18 January 1939. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Andorra country profile". BBC News. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  14. "Andorra Adopts Constitution For a Parliamentary System". The New York Times. 15 March 1993.
  15. "Constitució del Principat d'Andorra, Casa de la Vall, 28 d'abril de 1993". andorramania. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  16. "U.N. Makes Room for Andorra". The New York Times. 29 July 1993. Retrieved 31 August 2023.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andorra</span> Country in Western Europe

Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked country 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andorra la Vella</span> Capital of Andorra

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El gran Carlemany</span> National anthem of Andorra

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Andorra</span>

The national flag of the Principality 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Andorra</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-Princes of Andorra</span> Joint heads of state of the Principality of Andorra

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 means of a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix, this unique diarchical arrangement has persisted through medieval times to the 21st century. 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 episcopal co-prince by Josep Maria Mauri and the French co-prince currently being represented by Patrick Strzoda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio and Television of Andorra</span>

Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra, S.A., shortened to RTVA, is the It is operated by the state's public and commercial broadcaster. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Andorra</span> Supreme law of the Principality of Andorra

The Constitution of Andorra is the supreme law of the Principality of Andorra. It was adopted on 2 February 1993 and given assent by the Andorran people in a referendum on 14 March 1993. According to the Constitution itself, it was to enter into force on the day of its publication in the Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra, which occurred on 28 April 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting and Guiding in Andorra</span> Scouting and Guiding associations in Andorra

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Andorra</span> Country, landlocked between Spain and France

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Andorra:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andorra–France relations</span> Bilateral relations

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:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paréage of Andorra (1278)</span> 1278 charter granting joint sovereignty over Andorra

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord of Caboet</span> Catalan nobleman

The Lord of Caboet or Lord Arnau de Caboet was a Catalan nobleman. He played an influential role in the creation of Andorra, which was established by Charlemagne as one of the buffer states that kept the Moors from invading France. In the 11th century, an account cited how the lord protected the Bishop of Urgel from military action conducted by neighboring lords through a defensive agreement. The title was fought over by the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix, who became the heir of Lord Caboet through marriage. The lord's family later merged with the house of Castellbo with the marriage between Viscount Arnau de Castellbo and the lord's descendant Arnaua de Caboet.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andorra–Spain relations</span> Bilateral relations

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.