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Many people visiting Andorra ask about it's history, how it came into being and basically why is it still here. Let's have a history lesson and look at some of the history, facts and quirks so you can catch up before you arrive !

Andorra is a tiny principality, barely 464 sq km in area. It nestles in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. According to one tradition, Charlemagne gave the region the name Andorra for its supposed likeness to the biblical town of Endor. Tradition also asserts that Charlemagne granted the Andorran people a charter in return for their help in fighting the Moors, and that Charlemagne's son Louis I, king of France, confirmed the charter.

Although Andorra is an independent country, its neighbours, France and Spain, have a hand in its administration. Under treaties signed in the 1200's, Andorra is ruled by the bishop of Urgel (Spain) and the president of France – together known as 'the princes of Andorra'. A 28-member General Council makes the country's laws, but only with the consent of the two princes.

in return, the country is required to pay the princes a small sum of money every other year. The bishop is also given 6 hams, 6 cheeses and 12 hens,!

Andorrans speak both French and Spanish, but the official language of the country is Catalan, the only country in the world which has Catalan as it's national language.

Andorra formally became a parliamentary democracy in May 1993 following approval of a new constitution by a popular referendum in March 1993. The new constitution retained the French and Spanish co-princes although with reduced, and narrowly defined, powers. Civil rights were greatly expanded including the legalization of political parties and trade unions, and provision was made for an independent judiciary. Andorra entered into a customs union with the European Communities (now the EU) in 1991 and was admitted to the UN on 28 July 1993.

Population: (2005) 74,800. A recent UN survey reported that Andorra is the number 1 country for life expectancy at 82 years !