The Principality of Andorra, an European Country with Only 75,000 People.

Most people in the world today, assuming they don't have a background in geography or tourism, probably won't be familiar with the word Andorra. Well, in actuality, Andorra isn't a word per-say it's a country, though a very small one at that. The Principality of Andorra, most often referred to by its shortened form, Andorra, is a tiny country that is nestled in southwestern Europe. Andorra is situated between France and Spain, two countries that dwarf Andorra by comparison. There are approximately 75,000 that live in Andorra, which ranks it as the 194^th most populous sovereign nation in the world today. There isn't a large demand for a vast amount of geographic area in Andorra, thus the country only spans approximately 179 square miles. The capital and largest city in Andorra is Andorra la Vella, with a population of 25,000, it's the cultural and economic center of the country. The nation of Andorra is located on the southern side of the Pyrenees Mountains, and the geographic terrain is largely mountainous and made-up of valleys.

Andorra has strong ties to both France and Spain and Andorra pays homage to both countries. Andorra is essentially an enclave of both countries and contains a mixture of both French and Spanish culture. As a result of its location, other than Andorran, the second most frequent ethnicity in Andorra is Spaniard. The official language of Andorra is Catalan, a regional language that is spoken throughout Catalonia. In addition to Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish, and French are spoken. Like its neighbors, Christianity is also the predominant religion in Andorra, specifically Roman Catholicism.

The national economy of Andorra is expectedly rather small in comparison to much of Europe, especially in comparison to France and Spain, two of the world's economic powers. Until the 1950s, the Andorran economy was somewhat traditional and relied upon the timber industry and agriculture. However, since then, Andorra's economy has been reshaped and is largely composed of the tourism sector now. Andorra, due to its relative location (situated on the Pyrenees), is a very popular ski resort area, and experiences a large influx of visitors from throughout Europe. In fact, it is estimated that nine million tourists a year visit this tiny country, contributing immensely to the Andorran economy. Other industries that are prevalent in Andorra today are banking, cigarettes, furniture, and distilleries. The agricultural sector, while not as dominant, still is active in Andorra and tobacco, grapes, vegetables, and grains are produced. Additionally, there is a mining industry in Andorra that largely revolves around iron and lead minerals. Andorra is somewhat energy independent, as it is powered by a hydroelectric plant that produces nearly 45 percent of the national energy.