Andorra as a Country
- elizabethhelenpier
- Jan 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 19
Andorran Geography
Andorra is a tiny country in Southern Europe bordering Spain and France. It is set to the south-east of the Pyrenees mountains with alpine fauna and flora. It stands at a 2h30 drive to the Catalan Capital of Barcelona, and a similar driving distance to the southern French city of Toulouse.
Andorran Climate
It offers its residents over 300 days of sunshine a year within its mountainous scenery. Winters are long and mildly cold (for an Alpine country) with mid to heavy snowfalls in the deeper winter months and average temperatures of 1-5c. Summers are fresh and warm with highs of 28-30c.
Andorran Population
It has a population of just over 85,000 in 2024. When looking at nationality:
46% are Andorran
24% are Spanish
10% are Portuguese
4.5% are French
3% are Argentinian
There are currently 794 British citizens living here making up 1% of the Andorran population, 644 Italians, 337 Dutch, 255 Germans, 135 Americans, 87 Australians, 73 Swedish, 65 Danish. Other nationalities are grouped together in the official Andorran statistics.
Languages in Andorra
There is only one official language in Andorra which is the Catalan language. French and Spanish are considered foreign languages in Andorra although you will find about 90% of the population speak Spanish while only 60-70% speak Catalan. In comparison, approximately 40% speak French and 25% speak English. The Andorran government are currently trying to improve the usage of their native Catalan language among new immigrants. They offer free Catalan courses for all levels, that continue throughout the school year.
Culture of Andorra
Culturally there is a heavy influence from Spain in Andorra. Spanish nationals making up over 50% of the immigration throughout most of its history, means Spanish culture is very much alive and kicking in Andorra. Expect a big bar terrace culture, children out in summer until 10pm, village parties, a mediterranean diet and a love of the seaside. Also take note that northern and southern Spain are culturally very varied, and Andorra takes most of its influence from the north. Therefore, the southern Spanish extrovert character is not so abundant in Andorra.
Religion in Andorra
Catholicism, like much of Southern Europe, has historically been the leading religion in Andorra, and in second place come protestant denominations. As of 2022 there were approximately 2000 Muslims residing in Andorra and around 100 Jewish citizens. As with most countries in Europe religious belief rates are dropping over time.
Schooling in Andorra
A unique feature of Andorra is its three public school systems: Andorran, French and Spanish. Each are controlled and budgeted by their respective governments but are free of cost in Andorra. The Andorran system is trilingual Catalan, French and Spanish. The French system is exclusively French and the Spanish exclusively Spanish. There are two further schools which are paid private schools, one that offers bilingual English Spanish and the other exclusively English based on the British system.
Economics of Andorra
The Andorran GDP stood at €3,488M million and €40,511 per capita at the end of 2023 which is similar to rates found in Eastern Europe. The main service industry which includes tourism, real estate and finance, accounts for approximately 75% of its GDP. Real estate and construction combined make up the largest sector of the Andorran GDP, while car repair and public services take second and third place. Banking and then hotel and restaurants follow as the next major sectors. Sadly, agriculture only accounts for 1% of the GDP.
Politics of Andorra
Andorra has a parliamentary democracy, holding elections every 4 years. The key parties are the Democrats (center-right), the social democrats (center-right) and Concordia (center-left). With it being a co-principality, the co-princes (or Heads of State) are the Bishop of La Seu d’Urgell in Spain and the President of France, both of which have a more honorific position. This peculiarity has little effect on the politics of the country however, the prime minister is the chief executive in Andorra. The right to vote is only held by Andorran nationals and not residents meaning the voting power in the country is in fact a minority.
