Gallery of the Nations
Andorra
Principality of the Valleys of Andorra
Andorra is the 6th smallest nation in the world with a land area of only 468 square kilometers. It is a
landlocked country and a tourist haven in the eastern Pyrenees mountains, sandwiched between France to the north
and Spain to the south.
Traditionally it is believed that Charlemagne gave the Andorrans a free state charter for their help in wars
against the Moors. Andorra was controlled by the Count of Urgell who, in 988, gave the territory to the Bishop of
Urgell. To save his territory from being taken over by rulers of Urgell, the Bishop of Urgell went into alliance
with the Lord of Caboet in 1095. They became co-sovereigns over Andorra.
The Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, as it is formally known, was given its current territorial and
political form through a treaty mediated by Aragon in 1278. Through a series of marriage arrangements and dispute
resolutions, the Caboet side of the co-sovereignty passed on to the French head of state.
Andorra pays a nominal biennial tribute to France and the bishop of Urgel. Since 1993 the country has been a
member of the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
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