Andorra la Vella
Encyclopedia
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra
, and is located high in the east Pyrenees
between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish
that surrounds the capital.
The principal industry is tourism, although the country also earns foreign income from being a tax-haven. Furniture and brandies are local products.
. Being at an elevation of 1023 metres (3,356.3 ft), it is the highest capital city in Europe and a popular ski resort
.
(Dfb, according to the Köppen climate classification
), with cool summers and cold, snowy winters. The average annual precipitation is 1329 mm (52 in).
. The state is one of the Marca Hispanica
created and protected by Charlemagne
in the eighth century as a buffer from the Moorish
settlers in the Iberian Peninsula
.
The settlement of Andorra la Vella has been the principal city of Andorra since 1278 when the French and the Episcopal co-princes agreed
to joint suzerainty. Andorra La Vella's old town — the Barri Antic — includes streets and buildings dating from this time. Its most notable building is the Casa de la Vall — constructed in the early sixteenth century — which has been the state's parliamentary house since 1702. Andorra la Vella was, during this period, the capital of a largely isolated and feudal state, which retained its independence due to this principle of co-sovereignty.
Well into the twentieth century, the area around Andorra La Vella remained largely forgotten; indeed the state was not part of the Treaty of Versailles
, simply because it was not noticed. After political turmoil in the 1930s and an attempted coup by Boris Skossyreff
, an informal democracy developed.
In 1993, the country's first constitution formalised this parliamentary democracy
with executive, legislative, and judicial branches located in Andorra la Vella.
During this period, Andorra also developed as a tax haven
, resulting in the construction of modern banking offices in Andorra La Vella. The city also developed its skiing facilities, to the extent that Andorra la Vella was Andorra's applicant city for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, the 2010 Winter Olympics
. However, Andorra la Vella was not selected by the IOC as a candidate city, following the evaluation report of an IOC commission. It also hosted both the 1991 and 2005
Games of the Small States of Europe
.
and Santa Coloma.
(Tolosa in Occitan), Girona
, Perpignan (Perpinyà) and Barcelona
. This is a result of its small population size and highly mountainous terrain
. It also has no train station, although there is a bus service linking the city to the French train station at L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
, which has mainline services to Paris
and also to the airport of El Prat of Barcelona
.
, account for only a third (33%) of the population, with the plurality being Spanish
(43%), and notable minorities of Portuguese
(11%) and French
(7%) . Catalan
is the official language, although Spanish
, Portuguese
and French
are also spoken. Most of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, with a high life expectancy of over 80 years.
style in the eleventh century. As mentioned earlier, the old town also includes the country's historic parliament building. Probably the oldest building in the city is another church, dating from the ninth century, of Santa Coloma
.
The city is the country's cultural centre, with the Government Exhibition Hall acting as a main theatre and museum. The piazza
outside the parliament building is also the location of a number of events, and the town hosts a music festival every winter.
s and businesses that thrive from its tax haven
status. The state is not a member of the European Union
, but has a customs arrangement with the EU, and uses the Euro
.
with: Sant Pol de Mar
, Spain Valls
, Spain Šid
, Serbia
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, and is located high in the east Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish
Parishes of Andorra
Andorra consists of seven communities known as parishes . Until relatively recently, it had only six parishes; the seventh, Escaldes-Engordany, was created in 1978....
that surrounds the capital.
The principal industry is tourism, although the country also earns foreign income from being a tax-haven. Furniture and brandies are local products.
Geography
Andorra la Vella is located in the south west of Andorra, at 42°30′N 1°30′E, at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Valira del Nord and the Valira del Orient, which join to form the Gran Valira. It adjoins the urban area of Escaldes-EngordanyEscaldes-Engordany
Escaldes-Engordany is one of the parishes of Andorra. The parish is composed of the areas of les Escaldes, Engordany, Els Vilars d'Engordany, Engolasters, and El Fener. As of 2005 it has a population of 16,918. Notable events include the town's annual jazz festival....
. Being at an elevation of 1023 metres (3,356.3 ft), it is the highest capital city in Europe and a popular ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
.
Climate
Andorra la Vella has a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Dfb, according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
), with cool summers and cold, snowy winters. The average annual precipitation is 1329 mm (52 in).
History
The site of Andorra la Vella (literally, "Andorra the Old") has been settled since prior to the Christian era — notably by the Andosin tribe from the late NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
. The state is one of the Marca Hispanica
Marca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
created and protected by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
in the eighth century as a buffer from the Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
settlers in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
.
The settlement of Andorra la Vella has been the principal city of Andorra since 1278 when the French and the Episcopal co-princes agreed
Paréage of Andorra 1278
The first Paréage of Andorra was a feudal charter signed in Lleida on 8 September 1278. It codified a lay and ecclesiastical agreement between the Count of Foix, Roger-Bernard III, and the Bishop of Urgell, Pere d'Urtx, establishing their joint-sovereignty over the territory of Andorra...
to joint suzerainty. Andorra La Vella's old town — the Barri Antic — includes streets and buildings dating from this time. Its most notable building is the Casa de la Vall — constructed in the early sixteenth century — which has been the state's parliamentary house since 1702. Andorra la Vella was, during this period, the capital of a largely isolated and feudal state, which retained its independence due to this principle of co-sovereignty.
Well into the twentieth century, the area around Andorra La Vella remained largely forgotten; indeed the state was not part of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, simply because it was not noticed. After political turmoil in the 1930s and an attempted coup by Boris Skossyreff
Boris Skossyreff
Boris Skossyreff was an adventurer who attempted to seize power in the European state of Andorra during the early 1930s...
, an informal democracy developed.
In 1993, the country's first constitution formalised this parliamentary democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
with executive, legislative, and judicial branches located in Andorra la Vella.
During this period, Andorra also developed as a tax haven
Tax haven
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, good governance and a low corruption rate....
, resulting in the construction of modern banking offices in Andorra La Vella. The city also developed its skiing facilities, to the extent that Andorra la Vella was Andorra's applicant city for the XXI Olympic Winter Games, the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. However, Andorra la Vella was not selected by the IOC as a candidate city, following the evaluation report of an IOC commission. It also hosted both the 1991 and 2005
2005 Games of the Small States of Europe
The 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe, or the XIth Games of the Small States of Europe, were held in Andorra la Vella, Andorra from May 30 to June 4, 2005. Andorra la Vella previously hosted the games in 1991. Administration of the games was done jointly by the Andorran government and the...
Games of the Small States of Europe
Games of the Small States of Europe
The Games of the Small States of Europe is a biennial, multi-sport event, launched by the Republic of San Marino, organized by and featuring the National Olympic Committees of eight European small states since 1985...
.
Subdivisions
The parish of Andorra la Vella is divided into the villages of Andorra la Vella itself, La MarginedaLa Margineda
La Margineda is an Andorran village located in the parish of Andorra la Vella. It is noted for its 12th-century Romanesque bridge, Pont de la Margineda, which is the best-preserved and largest such bridge in Andorra, being 33 metres long and 9.2 metres tall.-See also:*Santa Coloma...
and Santa Coloma.
Transportation
Surprisingly for a capital city, it is three hours' drive from the nearest airports at ToulouseToulouse Blagnac International Airport
Toulouse Blagnac Airport or Aéroport de Toulouse - Blagnac is an airport located west northwest of Toulouse, just south of Blagnac, both communes of the Haute-Garonne département in the Midi-Pyrénées région of France....
(Tolosa in Occitan), Girona
Girona-Costa Brava Airport
Girona-Costa Brava Airport is an airport located southwest of the city of Girona, next to the small village of Vilobí d'Onyar, in the north-east of Catalonia, Spain...
, Perpignan (Perpinyà) and Barcelona
Barcelona International Airport
Barcelona El Prat Airport , simply known as Barcelona Airport, is located southwest of the center of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, lying in the municipalities of El Prat de Llobregat, Viladecans and Sant Boi.The airport is the second largest in Spain behind Madrid Barajas Airport and the...
. This is a result of its small population size and highly mountainous terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
. It also has no train station, although there is a bus service linking the city to the French train station at L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.The commune has a history of vulnerability to avalanches in winter. Avalanches hit the commune in 1895 killing 12, and again in 1906 and 1929. Avalanches have also closed the RN-20 road.-Population:-References:*...
, which has mainline services to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and also to the airport of El Prat of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Demographics and language
Native Andorrans, who are ethnically CatalanCatalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
, account for only a third (33%) of the population, with the plurality being Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
(43%), and notable minorities of Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
(11%) and French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
(7%) . Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
is the official language, although Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
are also spoken. Most of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, with a high life expectancy of over 80 years.
Sights and culture
The city's old town is characterized by old stone streets and houses. The central Església de Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen) church is part of the area that guidebooks often label as a picturesque part of the city. This was built in a RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style in the eleventh century. As mentioned earlier, the old town also includes the country's historic parliament building. Probably the oldest building in the city is another church, dating from the ninth century, of Santa Coloma
Santa Coloma of Andorra
Santa Coloma d'Andorra or briefly Santa Coloma is an Andorran town in the parish of Andorra la Vella, located near the Gran Valira river and 2 km away from the capital, Andorra la Vella.-Geography:...
.
The city is the country's cultural centre, with the Government Exhibition Hall acting as a main theatre and museum. The piazza
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
outside the parliament building is also the location of a number of events, and the town hosts a music festival every winter.
Economy
Andorra la Vella is the country's commercial centre. In the country as a whole, 80% of the GDP is derived from the 14 million tourists who visit annually. The city is also the centre for the many bankBank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s and businesses that thrive from its tax haven
Tax haven
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, good governance and a low corruption rate....
status. The state is not a member of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, but has a customs arrangement with the EU, and uses the Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
.
Notable people
- The Andorran ski mountaineers Joan Vilana DíazJoan Vilana Díaz-Career:Vilana was born in the Escaldes-Engordany parish of Andorra. He started ski mountaineering in 2000 and competed first in the Trofeu CTP Boí Taüll race in 2003.-Selected results:* 2004:...
and Sophie Dusautoir BertrandSophie Dusautoir BertrandSophie Dusautoir Bertrand is an Andorran ski mountaineer.Dusautoir was born in Andorra la Vella. She started ski mountaineering in 2002 and competed first in the Cronoescalada Pas de la Casa race in 2005.- Selected results :...
were born in Andorra la Vella.
Twin towns – sister cities
Andorra la Vella is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Sant Pol de Mar
Sant Pol de Mar
Sant Pol de Mar is a municipality in the comarca of Maresme inCatalonia, Spain. It is located on the coast between Canet de Mar and Calella...
, Spain Valls
Valls
Valls is the capital of the comarca of Alt Camp, in Catalonia, Spain. The typical food is calçots and also typical are the human towers called castells...
, Spain Šid
Šid
Šid is a town and municipality in the Srem District of Vojvodina, Serbia. Šid town has a population of 16,301, and Šid municipality 38,921.-Name:...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...