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GovernmentCountry name
Conventional long form Principality of Andorra
Conventional short form Andorra Local long form Principat d'Andorra Local short form Andorra Government type
Parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seu d'Urgell, Spain, who are represented in Andorra by the coprinces' representatives Capital
Name Andorra la Vella
Geographic coordinates 42 30 N, 1 31 E Time difference UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Daylight saving time +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October Administrative divisions
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria Independence
1278 (formed under the joint sovereignty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Seu d'Urgel) National holiday
Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) Constitution
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; effective 28 April 1993 Legal system
Mixed legal system of civil and customary law with canon (religious) law influences
International law organization participation
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
Chief of state
French Coprince Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by Christian FREMONT (since September 2008) and Spanish Coprince Archbishop Joan-Enric VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003); represented by Nemesi MARQUES i Oste (since 30 July 2003) Head of government Executive Council President (or Cap de Govern) Antoni MARTI PETIT (since 12 May 2011) Cabinet Executive Council of seven ministers designated by the Executive Council president Elections Executive Council president elected by the General Council (Andorran Parliament) and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held in April 2015) Election results Antoni MARTI PETIT was elected Executive Council president; percent of General Council vote - NA; note - the leader of the party which wins a majority of seats in the General Council is usually elected president Legislative branch
Unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (a minimum of 28 and maximum of 42 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the seven parishes; to serve four-year terms); note - each voter cast two separate ballots - one for the national list, one for the parish list Elections Last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held in April 2015) Election results Percent of vote by party - DA 55%, PS 35%, Andorra for Change 7%, Andorran Green 3%; seats by party - DA 20, PS 6, Lauredian Union 2; note - numbers of votes and percentages are for the respective national list; number of seats include seats won by the parish lists Judicial branch
Higher judicial bodies
Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la Justicia (coprinces appoint the members); oversees and administers the entire justice system; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra (5 members) Three lower courts Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional (coprinces appoint the members) Note All judges elected for a 6-year term renewable term Political parties and leaders
There are four political parties at the national level: Andorra for Change or ApC [Eusebio NOMEN CALVET]; Democrats for Andorra or DA [Antoni MARTI PETIT], coalition including Liberal Party (PRA) and Reformist Coalition; Greens of Andorra [Isabel LOZANO MUNOZ]; Social Democratic Party or PS [Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY]; note - there are also several smaller parties at the Parish level (one is Lauredian Union) International organization participation
CE, FAO, ICAO, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, Union Latina, UNWTO, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTO (observer) Diplomatic representation in the us
Chief of mission
Ambassador Narcis CASAL de Fonsdeviela Chancery 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 Telephone [1] (212) 750-8064FAX [1] (212) 750-6630 Diplomatic representation from the us
The US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the US Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: [34] (93) 280-2227; FAX: [34] (93) 280-6175 Flag description
Three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red, with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the latter band is slightly wider than the other two so that the ratio of band widths is 8:9:8; the coat of arms features a quartered shield with the emblems of (starting in the upper left and proceeding clockwise): Urgell, Foix, Bearn, and Catalonia; the motto reads VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR (Strength United is Stronger); the flag combines the blue and red French colors with the red and yellow of Spain to show Franco-Spanish protection Note Similar to the flags of Chad and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem National anthem
Name
"El Gran Carlemany" (The Great Charlemagne) Lyrics/music Joan BENLLOCH i VIVO/Enric MARFANY BONS Note Adopted 1921; the anthem provides a brief history of Andorra in a first person narrative
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Andorra (Andorra La Vella):
 
GPS points from Andorra (Andorra La Vella)
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For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Seu d'Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. For decades Andorra enjoyed its status as a small refuge of fiscal and banking freedom and benefitted from Spanish and French tourists attracted to the country's duty-free shopping. The situation has changed in recent years as Andorra started to tax foreign investment and other sectors. Tourism accounts for over 80% of Andorra's gross domestic product.