About Andorra

Andorra is a small (pop. 73,100, size 464 km squared), mountainous country in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe, and is located on the Iberian peninsula, on the border between France and Spain, in Southern Europe.

Cities

Andorra is arguably a city-state and has no distinct cities as such.

• Andorra La Vella - capital city (pop. 23,300) of Andorra, and the main shopping destination.
• Pas de la Casa -- skiing resort located right on the French border.
• Encamp
• Soldeu

Climate

Befitting its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of 1996 meters with the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 2946 meters. These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the Valira river, leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra's lowest point of 870 m).

Andorra's climate is similar to its neighbors' temperate climates, but its higher altitude means there is on average more snow in winter and it is slightly cooler in summer.

By car

Roads in Andorra are generally of a good quality. Entering from the Spanish side is a relatively straightforward drive; however entering from France is a more stressful affair involving many hairpin bends. Border control officers at both sides are generally fine. However, be sure your car is in good condition, since Andorra has a very high altitude.

Speed limits in Andorra are:

90 km/h - open road
60 km/h - town

Culture

The only official language is Catalan, the language of the adjacent autonomous region of Catalonia (and of the nearby autonomous region of Valencia and the Balearic Islands) with which Andorra shares many cultural traits; Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken. The predominant religion is Catholicism.

Andorra's long history has provided it with a rich folklore and an abundance of folk tales, with roots originating as far as Andalusia in the south and the Netherlands in the north.

Andorran culture is Catalan in essence, since the native-born population of Andorra is Catalan. It has given a significant and easily identifiable contribution to the conglomerate of Catalan culture.

Two writers renowned in Catalonia and the region, Michèle Gazier and Ramon Villeró, both come from Andorra.

Andorra is home to folk dances like the contrapàs and marratxa, which survive in Sant Julià de Lòria especially. Andorran folk music has similarities to all of its neighbors, but is especially Catalan in character, especially in the presence of dances like the sardana. Other Andorran folk dances include contrapàs in Andorra la Vella and Saint Anne's dance in Escaldes-Engordany.

Modified: 11.02.2007 09:50:41 CET
Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Andorra, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra

Image Gallery

Andorra, la station de ski de Vallnord avec vol de ballon captif Autor: Roger-11	Andorre "La Cathedrale" Autor: Pierre-Jean Durieu
ANDORRA Centro Termo-Lúdico Caldea, Andorra la Vella Autor: Talavan	Centro Andorra La Vella Autor: Xavier A. Rivera