Our Lady of Meritxell Day in Andorra

People all across ANDORRA are celebrating a feast day known as Our Lady of Meritxell to commemorate the eponymous patron saint. She is even mentioned in the national anthem of Andorra. Happy Our Lady of Meritxell Day!

Andorra Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org) and MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity (atlas.media.mit.edu), the following items are major exports of ANDORRA: audio alarms, automobiles and automobile parts, blank audio media, cigarette paper, compasses, essential oil, furniture, gold, grain, hobby models, house linens, integrated circuits, iron, machinery, orthopedic appliances, perfume, petroleum gas, stuffed animals, telephones, tobacco products, various vegetables, and video displays.

Countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports include Spain (top importer), Switzerland, Mauritania, France, the United States, Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Chile, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mexico, Guatemala, Senegal, Central African Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Canada, and Palau.

For the complete list of the world's countries and their main exports and trading partners, access the Countries & Their Exports post (↗) — published today!

Map of Andorra

Above is a map of ANDORRA I recently created, and this is my first map creation the new year! Access my Andorra post for captivating information about this tiny principality in Europe!

Andorra Flag

A small principality between France and Spain in Western Europe's Pyrenees Mountains, ANDORRA has a tricolor flag with three vertical bars and a size ratio of 7:10. From left to right, the bars are colored blue, yellow, and red, and the middle bar is slightly larger than the other two. The blue bar represents France's flag, yellow represents Spain's flag, and red represents both country's flags; these colors overall represent the colors of France and Spain, especially considering Andorra is governed as a principality by co-princes from France and Spain. The yellow middle bar contains Andorra's coat of arms, which has a shield design with the Latin phrase Virtus Unita Fortior ("Virtue United is Stronger") below it. For more information about Andorra, visit my Andorra post!

Andorra Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ lists 28 species that are either endangered or critically endangered in ANDORRA, a tiny western European principality between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. Fortunately, there are no critically endangered species listed for Andorra. Also, there are only three endangered species on this list: Aurelio's Rock Lizard (Iberolacerta aurelioi), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), and the Thick Shelled River Mussel (Unio crassus). I recently discovered that the IUCN Red List organization made online distribution maps of many species. According to the now-defunct map of the Aurelio's Rock Lizard, the lizard is found in a very small geographic area: western Andorra, extreme southern France, and extreme northeastern Spain. The also-defunct map of the Egyptian Vulture, however, showed a vast range on the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe yet the species is still endangered.

Andorra's Parishes

Located south of France and north of Spain, the small principality of ANDORRA is found amongst the high Pyrenees Mountains in Western Europe. The country is administratively divided up into seven parishes, known as parròquies in the Catalan language. The parishes are Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, and Sant Julià de Lòria. In the parish with the same name, Andorra la Vella is the capital of Andorra.

The shapefiles used to make this map in ArcGIS 10.1 came from the website Global Administrative Areas, located at www.gadm.org. Click on the map to view it larger.

Smallest Countries in Europe

The smallest country in Europe, and as a matter of fact the whole world, is VATICAN CITY. Being the center of attention in current events because of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation and the Catholic Church's quest to find a new pope, the Vatican City is only 0.17 square miles and 0.44 square kilometers in area. It is located inside Rome, Italy's capital, to the left of the main metropolitan area.

Six other European countries are less than 1,000 square miles in area. They are particularly dispersed throughout Western Europe. They are ANDORRA (south of France, north of Spain), LIECHTENSTEIN (west of Austria, east of Switzerland), LUXEMBOURG (east of Belgium, west of Germany), MALTA (island country in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy), MONACO (on the Mediterranean coast, southeast of France), and SAN MARINO (enclave inside northeast Italy).

Quick Fact About Andorra

ANDORRA is a tiny principality situated in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.

Andorra

Officially known as Principat d'Andorra in the Catalan language, ANDORRA is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula (Península Ibèrica). This small and wealthy country borders Spain and its Catalonia autonomous community to the south and France and its Occitanie region to the north. The fact that the longest length of Andorra is only about 18 miles and 29 kilometers reveals the country's small areal size! In 1278, a paréage (feudal treaty) established Andorra as a principality led by co-princes from France and Spain. In fact, Andorra's tricolor flag combines the blue color of France's flag, Spanish flag's yellow color, and both countries' red color. The currency is the Euro, which has been used since 2002. Its ISO 4217 currency code is EUR. Andorra previous had its own currency (Andorran Diner), but this was only used to issue commemorative coins for global distribution and collectibility. The French Franc and Spanish Peseta were once used as legal tender.

● ● ● ● ●  People and Places  ● ● ● ● ●  Population statistics found on the Internet and literature are conflicting. However, the principality's official Departament d'Estadística (Statistics Department) website (↗) reveals the estimated population of Andorra: 73,105 in 2016. This figure is a 3,347 and 2.34% increase from 69,758 in 2012. 100% of the Andorran population is literate. With a 2016 population of 19,230, Andorra la Vella is the nation-state's capital. Other major communities throughout Andorra include Aldosa, Arinsal, Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Les Bons, Ordino, Pas de la Casa, Sant Julià de Lòria, and Santa Coloma.

Despite Andorra's small geographic size, TripAdvisor lists over 480 "Things to Do" in Andorra as of April 2017. The Casa de la Vall [House of the Valley] (Andorra la Vella), Grandvalira Ski Resort (Andorra la Vella), El Tartar and Soldeu ski resort villages, Estany d'Engolasters [Lake Engolasters] (Encamp), Estanys de Tristaina [Tristaina Lakes] (El Serrat), Miniature Museum (Ordino), National Automobile Museum (Encamp), and Tobotronc (Sant Julià de Lòria) theme park are some popular sights and attractions for residents and tourists alike. Seven parishes (parròquies) comprise the administrative divisions of Andorra (↗).

Catalan is the official language of Andorra. French, Portuguese, and Spanish are also widely used for communication — not a surprise considering that France, Portugal, and Spain are three countries in close proximity. Native Andorrans comprise almost half of the population, followed by Spanish (25%), Portuguese (15%), and French (4%) people. Over 90% of Andorrans are Roman Catholic Christians, followed by Muslims (0.7%), Hindus (0.45%), Jewish (0.34%) people, and Bahá'ísts (0.15%). Public holidays celebrated in Andorra include but are not limited to New Year's Day, Constitution Day (March 14th), Easter, Our Lady of Meritxell (Virgin Mary) feast day (September 8th), and Christmas. Parades are hosted and fireworks are lit on New Year's Day, and Andorrans celebrate Saint John's Eve (Midsummer; June 23rd) with festivals and large bonfires.

● ● ● ● ●  Land and Water Features  ● ● ● ● ●  The Pyrenees (Pirineus) mountain range separates the Iberian Peninsula from the European mainland and crosses through Andorra. The landscape generally features mountain valleys with minor streams, the waters of which flow into the northeast-to-southwest Valira river. Streams include Arinsal (northwest), Coma (northeast), Incles (northeast), Madriu (south), Ós (southwest), Perafita (south), Rialb (northwest), Tristaina (northwest), Valira del Nord (North Valira), and Valira d'Orient (East Valira). For its breathtaking landscapes and local people's environmentally-friendly lifestyles, the Madriu-Perafita-Claror valley was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (↗) in 2004.

Many areas have elevations higher than 7,000 feet (~2,000 meters). The country's highest point lies near the trinational border point in northwest Andorra. This mountain is Coma Pedrosa, standing at 2,946 meters and 9,665 feet tall in elevation. Comprised of compact and loose iron-red rocks, Coma Pedrosa is topped by a cairn (human-made rock pile) and even a bare flag pole to attach your nationality's flag. Mountain passes along the border include Coll d'Aquell, Coll de Finestres ("neck of windows"), Port de l'Arbella, Port de Baiau (near Coma Pedrosa), Port de Cabùs, Port de l’Estany Esbalçat, Port d'Incles-de Fontargent, and Port de Rat.

Post was updated with a new map on January 16th, 2015.
Additional information was added on April 27th, 2017.