3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Principality of Andorra

Conventional short form: Andorra

Local long form: Principat d'Andorra

Local short form: Andorra

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 Urgell)

National Holiday

Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)

Constitution

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil and customary law with the influence of canon law

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: the mother must be an Andorran citizen or the father must have been born in Andorra and both parents maintain permanent residence in Andorra

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 25 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: French Coprince Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Jean-Pierre HUGUES (since 15 June 2016) and Spanish Coprince Archbishop Joan-Enric VIVES i Sicilia (since 12 May 2003); represented by Josep Maria MAUN (since 20 July 2012)

Head of government: Head of Government (or Cap de Govern) Antoni MARTI PETIT (since 12 May 2011)

Cabinet: Executive Council designated by head of government

Elections:

Election results: Antoni MARTI PETIT (DA) elected head of government; percent of General Council vote - 79%

Legislative Branch

Description: unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de les Valls (a minimum of 28 seats; 14 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies (parishes) by simple majority vote and 14 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); note - each voter casts two separate ballots - one for a national list and one for a parish list

Elections: last held on 1 March 2015 (next to be held in April 2019)

Election results: percent of vote by party - DA 34.5%, PLA 25.0%, PS-VA-IC-independent coalition 21.3%, SDP 9.6%, invalid votes 9.5%; seats by party - DA 15, PLA 8, PS-VA-IC-independent coalition 3, SDP 2

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de la Justicia d'Andorra (consists of the court president and 8 judges organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 4 magistrates)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the Supreme Council of Justice, a 5-member judicial policy and administrative body appointed 1 each by the coprinces, 1 by the General Council, 1 by the executive council president, and 1 by the courts; judges serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional magistrates appointed 2 by the coprinces and 2 by the General Council; magistrates' appointments limited to 2 consecutive 8-year terms

Subordinate courts: Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts

Political Parties and Leaders

Social Democratic Progress Party or SDP [Victor NAUDI ZAMORA]

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 2 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

National Symbols

National colors: blue, yellow, red

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Note: adopted 1921; the anthem provides a brief history of Andorra in a first person narrative

Year

Government Type

  • Parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains its chiefs of state in the form of a co-principality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seu d'Urgell, Spain, who are represented in Andorra by the co-princes' 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

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Elisenda VIVES BALMANA (since 2 March 2016)
  • Chancery
    2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017
  • Telephone
    [1] (212) 750-8064
  • FAX
    [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

International Organization Participation

  • CE
  • FAO
  • ICAO
  • ICC (NGOs)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IFRCS
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IPU
  • ITU
  • OIF
  • OPCW
  • OSCE
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • Union Latina
  • UNWTO
  • WCO
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WTO (observer)