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Andorra Profile |
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Quick Facts About Andorra
Capital
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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
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d"Andorra
local short form: Andorra
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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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
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Background
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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.
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Branches
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no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra (2010)
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 15.6% (male 6,767/female 6,386)
15-64 years: 71.8% (male 31,627/female 29,054)
65 years and over: 12.6% (male 5,326/female 5,365) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
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Population
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84,525 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Roman Catholic (predominant)
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Internet Users
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59,100 (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Area
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total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Terrain
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rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
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Climate
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temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers
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Natural Hazards
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avalanches
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| Andorra |
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Source:
CIA World Factbook |
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