Andorra

From Wikitia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Andorra, also known as the Principality of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked microstate located on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees, and is bounded to the north by France and to the south by Spain. Andorra was first governed by the count of Urgell until 988, when it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. It is widely held that Charlemagne was the one who established the principality of Andorra. In the year 1278, a charter was used to establish the present-day principality. The bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, and the president of France share the role of co-princes of this organisation. Its capital and biggest city is Andorra la Vella.

Andorra is the sixth-smallest state in Europe, with a population of around 79,034 people and a land area of 468 square kilometres (181 square miles). The Andorran people are descended from Catalan speakers and belong to the Romance language family. Andorra is the 16th smallest nation in terms of land area and the 11th smallest country in terms of people. Andorra la Vella, the nation's capital, is at a height of 1,023 metres (3,356 feet) above mean sea level, making it the highest capital city in all of Europe. Catalan is the language of instruction in schools, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also extensively used in daily life.

The nation of Andorra receives an estimated 10.2 million tourists each year due to its thriving tourism industry. The European Union does not yet include Andorra as a member state. Since 1993, it has been a part of the United Nations family of member states.