Franco-Andorran relations have existed since 1278, when Andorra

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...

 was granted sovereignty through paréage

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...

 by the Count of Foix in southern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The President of France

President of the French Republic

The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....

, currently Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....

, is considered a prince

Prince

Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

 in Andorra. They both have a same head of state.

Trade

Over a quarter of Andorra's annual trade is done with France. In 2000, Andorran exports to France were worth 11.9 million USD, compared to 269.7 million USD worth of French imports. This creates a total Franco-Andorran trade benefit of 257.8 million USD towards France. As Andorra is such a small country, and has little room for manufacturing, imports outnumber exports 22:1.

Daily Life

Uncharacteristic of most bilateral relations, Andorra is reliant on France for many common conveniences. The postal service, internet, television, and radio are partially provided for by France. Many Andorran high school graduates attend college in France, and there are French-subsidized French-speaking schools within Andorra. France is also the source for a substantial part of Andorra's GDP through tourism.