Careers, Opportunities in Ministry
| Introduction | Andorra |
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Background:
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For 715 years, from
1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality,
ruled by the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of
Urgel. In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular
heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a
parliamentary democracy. Long isolated and impoverished,
mountainous Andorra achieved considerable prosperity since World
War II through its tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and
illegal) are attracted to the thriving economy with its lack of
income taxes. |
| Geography |
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Location:
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Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 468
sq km water: 0 sq km land: 468 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 120.3
km border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers |
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Terrain:
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rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Riu Runer 840 m highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m |
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Natural resources:
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hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead |
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Land use:
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arable land:
2.22% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.78% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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avalanches |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the Pyrenees |
| People |
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Population:
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69,865 (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
15% (male 5,478; female 4,988) 15-64 years: 71.6% (male 26,268; female 23,766) 65 years and over: 13.4% (male 4,659; female 4,706) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39.7
years male: 40 years female: 39.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.32 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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6.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.05
deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 83.5 years male: 80.59 years female: 86.59 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Andorran(s) adjective: Andorran |
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Ethnic groups:
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Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6% (1998) |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic (predominant) |
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Languages:
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Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
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Literacy:
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definition:
NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Government |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Principality of Andorra conventional short form: Andorra local short form: Andorra local long form: Principat d'Andorra |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented locally by coprinces' representatives |
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Capital:
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Andorra la Vella |
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Administrative divisions:
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7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria |
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Independence:
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1278 (was formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix and the Spanish bishop of Urgel) |
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National holiday:
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Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278) |
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Constitution:
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Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991; approved by referendum 14 March 1993; came into force 4 May 1993 |
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Legal system:
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based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented
by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish Coprince
Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003),
represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA) elections: Executive Council president elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year term; election last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: Marc FORNE MOLNE elected executive council president; percent of General Council vote - NA% cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive Council president head of government: Executive Council President Marc FORNE MOLNE (since 21 December 1994) |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral General
Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las Valls (28
seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from a
single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the 7
parishes; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 46.1%, PSD 30%, PD 23.8%, other 0.1%; seats by party - PLA 15, PSD 6, PD 5, independents 2 |
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Judicial branch:
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Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party or
PD (formerly part of National Democratic Group or AND) [Ladislau
BARO SOLO]; Liberal Party of Andorra or PLA [Marc FORNE MOLNE]
(used to be Liberal Union or UL); Liberal Union or UL [Francesc
CERQUEDA]; National Democratic Group or AND [Ladislau BARO
SOLO]; National Democratic Initiative or IDN [Vicenc MATEU
ZAMORA]; New Democracy or ND [Jaume BARTOMEU CASSANY]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD (formerly part of National Democratic
Group of AND) [leader NA]; Union of the People of Ordino (Unio
Parroquial d'Ordino) or UPO [Simo DURO COMA] note: there are two other small parties |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V.
PIA-COMELLA chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017 FAX: [1] (212) 750-6630 telephone: [1] (212) 750-8064 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: (3493) 280-2227; FAX: (3493) 205-7705 |
| Economy |
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Economy - overview:
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Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy, accounts for roughly 80% of GDP. An estimated 9 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its "tax haven" status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars, and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.8% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (1995-96) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.3% (2000) |
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Labor force:
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33,000 (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 1%, industry 21%, services 78% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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0% (1996 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$385 million expenditures: $342 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
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Industries:
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tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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NA kWh |
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Electricity - imports:
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NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France; Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower |
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Agriculture - products:
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small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep |
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Exports:
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$58 million f.o.b. (1998) |
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Exports - commodities:
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tobacco products, furniture |
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Exports - partners:
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Spain 58%, France 34% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$1.077 billion (1998) |
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Imports - commodities:
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consumer goods, food, electricity |
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Imports - partners:
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Spain 48%, France 35%, US 2.3% (2000) |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR) |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
| Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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35,000 (2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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23,500 (2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and Spain |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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0 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ad |
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Internet hosts:
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3,200 (2001) |
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Internet users:
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24,500 (2001) |
| Transportation |
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Highways:
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total: 269
km paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km (1994) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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none |
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Airports:
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none |
| Military |
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Military branches:
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no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of France and Spain |
| Transnational Issues |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004