ALL ABOUT ANDORRA

The Principality of Andorra is a small country that could be attributed to the group of European diminutive states together with Liechtenstein, Monaco and San-Marino. Alongside with that, Andorra is the biggest out of this group. The area of Andorra makes up 468 km2.

Andorra has no airport but the roads to Spain and France allow getting to the airports of Barcelona and Toulouse within approximately 3 hours. It will get 10 hours to drive to Paris, and 3 hours—to Madrid. The article “How to get to Andorra” can be found here.

The Principality of Andorra is a parliamentary democracy. The capital of Andorra is Andorra La Vella. The country is divided into 7 administrative districts (Comu). Andorra has got its own Constitution since 1993; the country is a member of UNO and other big international organizations, both political and economic. The article “Political system of Andorra” can be found here.

The population of Andorra (in accordance to the data of Statistics Department for 01.01.2014) makes up 76 098 people. Only 36% of the population are Andorrans, 44% are Spaniards, 11% are Portugueses, 7% are Frenchmen and the rest is a mixture of other nationalities. In accordance to the data of 2013 the population increase is 0.33%, the birth rate is 9.66 per 1000 people, the death rate is 6.35. Look for details here

The labor force for 01.01.2014 is 37 134 people. The level of unemployment currently makes up 2.9%. 94.9% of labor force is occupied in the sphere of services; 4.7%– in industrial sphere and only 0.4% — in agriculture. In 2013 Andorra took the 12th position in the world for the level of income per person—46 700$. The minimal wage is 962 euro/month. The average amount of wage is 1994 euro/month. The inflation in 2013 made up 1.6%. The article “Economics of Andorra” can be found here.

Together with Lichtenstein and Monaco Andorra can be attributed to the so called European “tax heavens”. There is no direct taxation in the Principality (there is no income tax, succession tax, or property levy, etc.). Business taxation is the most liberal in Europe. From 2010 the income tax for the companies makes up 10% with 2% of potential decrease. The article “Tax system of Andorra” could be found here.

In 2016 Fitch Ratings affirmed Andorra’s Long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB’, the Outlook is Stable. Look for details here

Andorra is not a member of EU, though the national currency is euro. The banking system of Andorra is represented by 4 bank groups of Andorran origin and 1 foreign bank. Experts state that currently the banking system of Andorra could be considered the most reliable. The article “Banks of Andorra” can be found here. The banks of Andorra work from Monday till Friday, working hours from 9.30 till 16.30 with a lunch break from 12.00 till 14.00.

Andorra is a country of duty-free trade with the lowest VAT in Europe (4.5%). The prices for luxury, perfume, clothes, some foods, alcohol, tobacco, household appliances are 15-20% lower than the European ones. The article “Shopping in Andorra” can be found here.

The inseparable beauty of landscapes and resorts, skis, thermal springs, duty and excise free trade, low level of criminal activity, excellent ecological conditions, a relatively low cost of living in comparison to the neighbor France and Spain attract approximately 10 mln of tourists per year. Look for 13 “CONS” for Andorra skiing here

Antique Roman art traces are visible everywhere and could be found in most small churches and medieval bridges. The majority of festivals and popular traditional holidays correspond to the religious events and natural cycles of the Earth.

90% of the population consider themselves Catholics. In accordance to the Constitution of Andorra, Catholicism is not a state religion. Though there is a freedom of religion in the country, Catholic Church is mentioned separately in the Major low.