Andorra

THE SMALL PRINCIPALITY of Andorra is located in the Pyrenees Mountains on the border between Spain and France. It is a landlocked country. The summers in this mountainous region are generally warm and dry. Andorra's natural resources include timber, iron ore lead, and hydroelectric power generation. Arable land is limited to just over two percent of the total land area. As such most of Andorra's food is imported from other countries, mainly Spain and France. The country is the focus for several important land routes through the Pyrenees.

The economic mainstay of Andorra is tourism. Approximately 80 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) derives from this thriving industry. Andorra boasts of a duty-free status, a factor that accounts in large measure for its success in attracting over nine million tourists per year. The Andorran labor force reflects the country's emphasis on services: agriculture represents only one percent of the workforce. Industry claims 20 percent (primarily in tobacco and wood products), while the service sector accounts for over 80 percent of total workers. In addition, Andorra's banking industry is highly efficient. Not surprisingly, Andorra's chief trading partners are Spain and France, together accounting for over 90 percent of both imports and exports. A number of significant environmental issues are currently being addressed in the country; these include deforestation and overgrazing, both contributing to significant soil erosion, and air pollution primarily emanating from the capital and largest urban area, Andorra la Vella (population 21,000).

Andorra became a sovereign state in 1993. For several centuries prior to attaining sovereignty and beginning in 1278, Andorra existed under the joint governance of France and Spain. A French count and the Spanish bishop of Urgel jointly held all executive, legislative, and judicial power in the government. A series of reforms was initiated in 1966, resulting in the formation of a parliament and eventually in the granting of suffrage to women in 1970. Clarifications in the requirements for Andorran citizenship were also accomplished in the 1970s.

The population of Andorra is 70,549 (July 2005). Its population growth rate is slightly under one percent per year, a rate lower than the world average and on a par with the most developed countries in the world. Life expectancy at birth in Andorra is exceptionally high: for the total population it is 83.5 years, for males 80.6 years, and for females 86.6 years. Ethnic groups in Andorra include Spanish (43 percent), Andorran (33 percent), Portuguese (11 percent), and French (seven percent). The literacy rate for the country is reported to be 100 percent.

Although Andorra was a very poor region for most of its existence, it now exhibits no poverty. The coun-try's GDP per capita is over $27,000 and its unemployment rate in the last 10 years remains at or near zero.

Human Development Index Rank: Not included.

Human Poverty Index Rank: Not included.