Thursday, March 16, 2017

Andorra




What defines a country is fuzzy. They come to life by agreement. Andorra was created by a charter in 988, with the principality formed in 1278. The heads of state are a monarchy - two co-princes (The President of France, and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain). It is not a member of the European Union, but its official currency is the Euro. It is a member of the United Nations, and has a population of about 85,000 people. It doesn't have its own armed forces. Stuck away in the mountains, it's relative isolation has allowed it to exist mostly outside of the mainstream of European history. In 2013, the people of Andorra had the highest life expectancy in the world, at 81 (according the Lancet). Coincidence? Tourism accounts for about 80% of the GDP, with about 10 million annual visitors.

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