Andorra is an independent country.The ‘country of the mountains’ or Andorra is a territory in the Pyrenees mountain valleys and many tourists who travel to France or Spain often forget to visit this beautiful nation. The country of Andorra has many interesting historical details and cultures.Andorra is a remarkably small country that can fit three times into the city of London in England! The capital of Andorra, which is Andorra La Vella, is the highest capital city in all of Europe. Andorra’s capital has this status because Andorra La Vella is 3,356 ft (1,023 m) above sea level! Andorra La Vella is also the busiest tourist attraction in the country, being situated high in the Pyrenees mountains. Andorra has had strong ties with the region of Catalonia in northern Spain that run deep throughout history.Only a small proportion of the population in this nation is actually of Andorran nationality. Most of the population are either French, Portuguese, or Spanish. The majority of people who live in this country are Spanish. During World War II, the country of Andorra became a smuggling route for various commodities between Vichy in France and Spain. Andorra has no national bank! As a result, even if its population uses the Euro, they have to go to a private bank in case they need loans or debt.Skiing and winter sports are the main reasons why Andorra, being one of the smallest countries in the world, attracts around 10 million tourists and visitors! Another reason why people do not hesitate in exploring Andorra is because it is also one of safest countries in the world and ranks eighth in the world in terms of life expectancy. This further supports the fact that Andorra has a very low crime rate.If you enjoyed this article on the facts about Andorra: the hidden European country, be sure to check out our other articles on facts about Honolulu, Hawaii, and Barcelona Spain facts.Fun Facts About AndorraAndorra is a tiny country in the Pyrenees that is sandwiched between two very large countries, France and Spain. Andorra is commonly called ’the hidden European country’, however there are lots of things to know about this country.It is a country but officially it is known as a principality which means that it will be governed by either a king, queen, prince, or princess. Therefore, Andorra is ruled or rather governed jointly by two princes, Emmanuel Macron, who is the president of France, and Joan Enric Vives Sicília, who is the Bishop of Urgell. These two people currently serve as Andorra’s co-princes. Andorra is a sovereign parliamentary democracy which means that it has two leaders who take responsibility for the roles, functions, and activities that take place in the country.The capital of Andorra is Andorra La Vella and its capital city is the highest capital in all of Europe!Many world history researchers and statisticians have stated that Andorra is, in fact, one of the oldest countries in the world, taking 14th place and dating back to 803 A.D. This makes Andorra 1216 years old!Even Catalan, which is the official language of Andorra, is an extremely old language. Catalan is one of the oldest languages in the world and is the official language of Andorra. Andorra is the only country in the world that has Catalan as its official language!The population of Andorra is not large with only a very small portion consisting of people who are of pure Andorran descent or nationality. The population is made up of people with either Spanish, French, or Portuguese descent.The people of Andorra also have a high life expectancy.They are all mostly Roman Catholic. Catholicism is a huge part of their culture and if you visit the museums and churches of Andorra, you’ll find a lot of Romanic art and sculptures.They use Euro as their currency but are not part of the European Union. They have a seat in the United Nations and the Council of Europe.Historical Facts About AndorraNow it is time to learn some interesting historical facts about this country.Andorra, officially called the Principality of Andorra, is one of the smallest countries in Europe and the world. There are many people around the world and in Europe who fail to recognise that a country like Andorra exists, however some believe it is one of the oldest countries.It lies in a cluster of valleys in the Pyrenees mountain range and is between Spain and France.Due to its extremely small size, Andorra is sometimes forgotten or is not recognized as a country.Andorra was created by Charlemagne. In 988, it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell.The present principality is headed by the president of France and the Bishop of Urgell which is Catalonia.Andorra La Vella is the capital of Andorra and is the largest city in Andorra and the highest capital city in Europe.Andorra is quite a rich and wealthy country in Europe, despite being poor economically and socially in the beginning. The Pyrenees also sees plenty of tourists and visitors all year round due to activities like skiing.Andorra is also a country that has never had its own currency! Before adopting the Euro, they used to use the French franc or the Spanish pesetaDespite being in Europe and using the Euro as its currency, Andorra is not part of the European Union. . Andorra joined the United Nations in 1993 and the Council of Europe in 1994 subsequently.Facts About Andorra’s ClimateAndorra is definitely a country that you should visit, not just for its beautiful scenery but also for its climate.Being a mountainous country, Andorra experiences mild summers and cold winters.Having many sunny days, the general weather can be quite dry.The most rainfall in Andorra happens during fall and winter sees good conditions for skiing.Due to the four rivers and several mountain lakes, Andorra attracts many visitors and tourists throughout the year.December, January, and February are the coldest months in the country while June, July, and August tend to be the warmest.Andorra is known for experiencing 300 days of sunshine in a year!The ski slopes and ski resorts around Andorra always keep the place busy and bustling with loads of people.Facts About Andorra’s GeographyHere are some interesting facts about this landlocked country!Andorra is a southwestern European country that lies on the Pyrenees mountain range and is entirely landlocked.With an area of just 180 sq mi (466 sq km), Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world.The capital is Andorra La Vella and is a very high city. It is 3,356 ft (1,023 m) above sea level!Andorra’s topography consists of many rugged mountains, narrow valleys, open pastures, rivers, and mountain lakes.The highest peak point in Andorra is the Pic de Coma Pedrosa which is at 9,665 ft (2,946 m) and the lowest peak point is Riu Runer which is at 2,756 ft (840 m).The Madriu River and Perafita River are rivers that flow into the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.Andorra is landlocked by France and Spain. Andorra has no airports and this country can be only be reached by land.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked reading these facts about Andorra, why not take a look at facts about France or fun facts about Italy that you are sure to love!
Andorra is an independent country.
