ANDORRA

One of the smallest states in Europe, to the point of not even having the status of a country, as it is a principality whose official name is the Principality of Andorra. Its political system is very unique, as the Andorran throne is shared between the Catalan Bishop of Urgell and the Head of the French State.

Andorra is so small that its territory is divided into seven parishes and its population does not reach 80,000 inhabitants (a number close to the population of our city of San Miguel de Allende). To the north and northeast, it borders France, and to the south and west, it borders Spain.

Its official language is Catalan, which is somewhat unusual since even in Catalonia, Catalan is not the official language. But French and/or Spanish are also spoken interchangeably.

The territory of this principality is mountainous. The capital is Andorra La Vella, a picturesque city located in the heart of the mountains. It wonderfully reflects the charm of the country with its 25,000 inhabitants.

Historically, Andorra was an isolated and poor place, practically rural with tobacco cultivation in the present day, until winter tourism discovered it was a skiing paradise and investors found another paradise there: a tax haven. Since 1990, it has been considered an associate member of the European Union but is not a full member. In 2011, it adopted the euro as its currency.

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The Andorra Music Band, whose sounds evidently have a lot of Spanish and French influence, allows us to get to know Andorra through its music.

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Text adaptation: Homero Adame