The most interesting facts about Andorra, from the heaviest smokers in the world to the highest country and capital city in Europe.
Fast facts
Official name: Principality of Andorra
Population: 85,370
Area: 468 sq km
Capital city: Andorra la Vella
Major languages: Catalan, French, Castilian, Portuguese
Major religions: Christian
Time zone: UTC+1 (Central European Time)
Interesting facts about Andorra
1. Andorra is aย landlockedย country in Southwestern Europe bordering France and Spain. Landlocked countries are completely surrounded by land and do not have access to the open sea.
2. Andorra is the worldโs 21st-smallest sovereign country by area and 11th-smallest by population.
3. Andorra dates back to 803 when Emperor Charlemagne regained the region from the Moors. After Charlemagneโs death, Andorra was given to Spainโs Count of Urgell by Charles II, Charlemagneโs grandson.
4. Andorra is one of just three sovereign principalities in the world. The others are Liechtenstein and Monaco. A principality is a sovereign state ruled by a monarch with the title of prince and/or princess.
5. Andorra is the worldโs only co-principality. The co-princes of the French president and the Spanish Bishop of Urgel are Andorraโs heads of state, but the roles are largely ceremonial.
6. Andorraโs flag is vertically striped with the colors blue, yellow and red, with a coat of arms in the centre which features the motto โVirtus unita fortiorโ (โStrength united is strongerโ). The flag is a blend of the Spanish and French national flags.
See how Andorraโs flag compares to other European flags.
7. ย Andorraโs flag is very similar to several other national flags. Chad, Romania and Moldova all have the same colour scheme (although the shades differ slightly) while Moldovaโs is identical other than a different coat of arms in the centre.
8. At 84 years, Andorra has one of the longest life expectancies among sovereign nations.
9. Located at an elevation of 1,023m (3,356ft), Andorraโs capital city, Andorra la Vella, is the highest capital in Europe.
10. Andorra is the worldโs only country with Catalan as its sole official language. Some countries, such as Spain, have autonomous regions where Catalan is a co-official language.
11. Even though Andorra is not a member of the European Union, the country enjoys a special relationship with the union and uses the Euro as its currency.
12. Andorra does not have its own currency and does not have a central bank. Before introducing the Euro, Andorra used the Spanish Peseta and the French Franc.
13. Andorra has one UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley. Inscribed in 2004, the site is an example of how people have lived in the mountainous high Pyrenees for thousands of years.
14. Even though Andorra is tiny, it is the largest of the six European microstates. It is followed by Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.
15. The origin of Andorraโs name is uncertain, though it is thought to derive from the Arabic โad-darra,โ meaning โthe forest.โ This likely refers to its time as part of the Spanish March, a defensive buffer zone against the invading Moors in the 8th century.
16. Andorra is Europeโs highest country. Its average elevation is 1,996m (6,548ft), which is Europeโs highest and the worldโs seventh-highest.
17. Around 9.2 million people visited Andorra in 2023. Tourist attractions include outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking.
18. Today, tourism is the pillar of the Andorran economy, but historically, tobacco was the countryโs leading industry.
19. Andorra did not officially participate in either of the world wars of the 20th century although it was reported to be still at war with Germany until 1958 after failing to sign a peace treaty in 1918 after World War I.
20. However, Andorra was occupied by French forces from 1936 to 1939 to protect the country from spillover from the Spanish Civil War.
21. Russian Boris Skossyreff attempted to seize the monarchy of Andorra in 1934, announcing himself as Boris I of Andorra. His coup ultimately failed and he was arrested after declaring war on the Bishop of Urgel and he was transferred to Spain.
22. In 1993, Andorra finally became a parliamentary democracy when it held its first general elections under a new constitution. It joined the United Nations shortly afterwards.
23. For years, Andorra was considered a tax haven. However, in 2016, lawmakers agreed to end banking secrecy in the country as part of a crackdown on tax evasion following the 2008 global financial crisis.
24. Andorra does not have any airports. All travelers visiting Andorra by public transport will arrive by bus.
25. Andorra is one of just 21 countries that do not have an army or regular military force. Instead, the countryโs defense is the responsibility of France and Spain.
26. Andorra is considered to be one of the safest countries in the world to visit. It has been assessed as carrying an โinsignificantย travel security riskโ.
27. Andorrans have some of the highest smoking rates in the world, withย daily smokers accounting for 36% of the population in 2026.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.