How much do you know about Andorra? A country without an airport or an army

Vernon Shorts 4 years ago 3 min read

In recent weeks you may have read various headlines mentioned Andorra, Hopes Several YouTubers decided to move there With the intent to pay lower taxes or frozen accounts in that country to Mexican investors and businessmen. But how well do you know about this small country, plus it is considered a “tax haven” (even though the OECD removed it from its list a few years ago).

Andorra It is a small principality located southwest Europe, Between Spain and France. Here are 13 facts about him.

1. It has a land area of only 467 square kilometers. It would be suitable more than three times on the rooftop covered by Mexico City.

2. It does not have an airport. The closest one is located in the El Alto Urgel Spanish region of Catalonia; However, it only receives private, non-commercial flights. Barcelona Airport is approximately three hours’ drive away. You can get there by bus or train on Andorra.

3. Mountains, forests and lakes occupy most of its land. Only 8% are occupied by human settlements. It includes 65 mountains over 1900 meters high.

The emirate is divided into seven societies called parishes. Its capital is called Andorra la Vieja.

Photo: iStock

4. It is the only country in the world that uses the Catalan language as its official language. However, a large portion of the population can communicate fluently in both Spanish and French.

5. No army or defense ministry. Instead, in exceptional cases, there is Somatin, a popular militia made up of men between the ages of 21 and 60.

6. Its population is only 76,177, but it receives eight million visitors annually (before the epidemic).

7. It is one of the few countries in the world that has two presidents: the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France (Emmanuel Macron), as co-princes.

8. It has one of the oldest parliaments in existence. It was established in 1419 and continues to operate.

9. It is among the countries with the longest life expectancy, according to a study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle. The average is 82.19 years.

Photo: Unsplash. Aviv Peretz

10. If you like to hike, know that you can practically cross path Andorra Crossed nearly 60 mountain roads.

11. Every year, during the summer solstice, a festival called Fallas del Pirineo is held, which is the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In the original tradition, a “fala” is a large branch in which leaves of birch bark are inserted, which young people burn before they are taken from the mountain to the village. The torch is rotated to create fireballs.

12. It has a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Madrio-Peravita-Claror Valley. They are important because they are evidence of the way humans have exploited the resources of the Pyrenees mountain range over thousands of years.

13. The first document mentioned in it Andorra History of the initials of IX.