Andorra
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra is a small landlocked country located in
the eastern Pyrenees Mountains and bordered by Spain
and France.
Given its relative isolation, Andorra
has existed outside the mainstream of European history, with few ties to
countries other than France
and Spain.
It is currently a prosperous country mainly because of tourism and its status
as a tax haven. The people of Andorra
are currently listed as having the highest human life expectancies on Earth, at
an average of 83.52 years.
Tradition holds that Charles the
Great granted a charter to Andorran people in return for fighting against the
Moors. In 1278 the signing of a paréage provided that Andorra's sovereignty be
shared between the French head of state and the bishop of La Seu d'Urgell, in
Catalonia, Spain. This gave the small principality its territory and political
form.
Its political system was
thoroughly modernized in 1993, the year in which it became a member of the
United Nations.