Long-form name: Principality of Andorra

Type: unique coprincipality under formal sovereignty of president of France and Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials called verguers

Capital: Andorra la Vella

Administrative divisions: 7 parishes (parroquies, singular--parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria

Independence: 1278

Constitution: none; some pareatges and decrees, mostly custom and usage

Legal system: based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September

Branches: legislative (General Council of the Valleys) consisting of 28 members; executive--syndic (manager) and a deputy subsyndic chosen by General Council; judiciary chosen by Co-Princes who appoint two civil judges, a judge of appeals, and two battles (court prosecutors); final appeal to the Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan, France, or to the Ecclesiastical Court of the bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain

Leaders: @m5Chiefs of State--French Co-Prince Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981), represented by Veguer de Franca Louis DEBLE; Spanish Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan MARTI y Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Veguer Episcopal Francesc BADIA Batalla; @m5Head of Government--Josep PINTAT Solans (since NA 1984)

Suffrage: those 18 or over who are second-generation Andorrans can vote for General Council members

Elections: 28-member General Council chosen every four years; last election December 1985

Political parties and leaders: political parties not yet legally recognized; traditionally no political parties but partisans for particular independent candidates for the General Council on the basis of competence, personality, and orientation toward Spain or France; various small pressure groups developed in 1972; first formal political party, Andorran Democratic Association, was formed in 1976 and reorganized in 1979 as Andorran Democratic Party

Communists: negligible

Member of: CCC, UNESCO

Diplomatic representation: none--the US has no diplomatic relations with Andorra, but includes it within the Barcelona (Spain) Consular District and the US Consul General visits Andorra periodically; Consul General Ruth DAVIS; Consulate General at Via Layetana 33, Barcelona 3, Spain; telephone Õ34å (3) 319-9550

Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flag of Chad which does not have a national coat of arms in the center; also similar to the flag of Romania which has a national coat of arms featuring a mountain landscape below a red five-pointed star and the words @m5REPUBLICA SOCIALISTA ROMANIA at the bottom

NOTE: The information regarding Andorra on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Andorra Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Andorra Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.