Free and believing: Andorra is a country without an army, prisons and sales tax (10 photos)

What kind of country is this, you ask, why are so few people able to say where it is, and some have not even heard of its existence? There are no prisons, but there is no crime, there are no minerals and industry, but high salaries, there are no airports and train stations, but thousands of tourists find a way to come to this country and fall in love with it forever. Meet Andorra - mysterious and unique, amazing and contradictory.





Andorra is a dwarf principality, which consists of two narrow valleys located between France and Spain and separated by high cliffs. Its name comes from the Catalan andurrial - “wasteland”.

There are only seven cities in Andorra, which have almost already merged into one. But the official capital is the city of Andorra la Vella, located in the Pyrenees at a level of 1029 m, the highest capital of Europe, where 28 thousand people live. And the total population of Andorra is approximately 80 thousand people, 99% of whom are Catholics.

Andorra gained sovereignty in 1278, when an agreement was signed between a French count and a Spanish bishop. For a long time, Andorra was a closed state - Andorrans tried to preserve their cultural characteristics. Still established in 1278, Andorra's border is the oldest surviving state border in the world.

Andorra is divided into 7 communities, and according to its political structure it is a constitutional monarchy under the joint protectorate of France and the Bishop of Urgell. It is worth noting that most of the country’s landscape is made up of mountains, there is very little space here and land is expensive, so Andorrans try to use every piece of land wisely. People literally live in the mountains, building houses there.



The standard of living in Andorra is high, with an average life expectancy of 84.4 years. At the same time, people do not leave the country to work in more developed countries. The average age of the population is about 40 years.

There is virtually no unemployment, and the country receives its main income from the tourism industry. 78% of the country's population is employed in the service sector.

Despite the fact that the country has not developed social protection of the population and does not pay benefits, the standard of living in Andorra is very high - the salary cannot be lower than 1,100 euros, mostly 2,500 euros.

Moreover, prices here, when compared with other European countries, are even lower. People from neighboring countries come here for shopping, since there is no need to pay customs duties, because in Andorra there are special benefits - here, like in Duty Free, there is no sales tax. And in terms of the number of shops per person, Andorra is the leader and is included in the Guinness Book of Records.





Health care in the country is provided to all workers and members of their families under the state social insurance system, which is financed by contributions from employers and employees, proportional to wages. The cost of medical care is covered by insurance at a rate of 75% for outpatient treatment (medicine and doctor visits), 90% for hospitalization, and 100% for work-related accidents. The remaining costs may be covered by a private insurance policy.



Being an Andorrian is very prestigious, and you can only get Andorran citizenship by birthright in this country.

The country has mineral deposits, but no one is developing their extraction due to transport inaccessibility. There is agriculture, but it is almost non-existent: only 2% of the land here is suitable for cultivation, and accordingly, only 1% of the population works in this industry. Andorra exports only a small amount of tobacco products and furniture, but this is not something decisive in the country’s income. By the way, if a country has collected more tobacco than it could export, the excess is burned.



Education is compulsory for all children from 6 to 16 years of age. Secondary education is provided by the state free of charge.

There are three types of schools - Andorran, French and Spanish. Training is conducted in Catalan, French and Spanish, respectively. Parents can choose the type of school their children attend. All schools are built and maintained by the Andorran authorities, but teachers in French and Spanish schools are paid mainly by France and Spain. About 50% of Andorran children go to French primary schools, the rest to Spanish or Andorran ones.



Despite its tiny size, Andorra has its own university, which was founded relatively recently - in 1997, and has its own football team, albeit a semi-professional one.



The Principality of Andorra is considered one of the safest in Europe. There are about 200 police officers in the entire country, and there is no army at all. In 1864, lawyers were prohibited here at the legislative level. They are considered defenders of criminals, and the law says: “the appearance of learned lawyers who can make black white is prohibited in our courts.” Local residents joke that they even tried to ask people on the street to rob themselves, but they found no takers.

However, even if a crime happens in Andorra, anything can happen, the person will be brought to justice, and he will serve his sentence in neighboring countries: France or Spain.



Despite the fact that 80% of this state's GDP comes from tourism (mostly skiing), this country has neither an airport nor a train station. Travelers have to get here through neighboring countries - Spain and France. As a rule, tourists fly to the nearest large city by plane, and there they rent a car and go to Andorra.



All year round, this tiny but very “hospitable” country receives a huge number of tourists (about 9 million), and from early December to mid-April there is a real ski holiday here - vacationers flock to Anorra from all over the world. This small country has 5 excellent ski centers at its disposal. The Principality is world famous for its ski resorts, affordable shopping and excellent hospitality infrastructure.

But in Andorra there is a bus service with other cities: Barcelona, ​​Reus, Tarragona, Toulouse and Girona. Most bus services are owned by private companies rather than the government.

Andorra has several commercial heliports and cable cars are also in demand.



In addition, Andorra is a real paradise for nature lovers: 90% of its territory is covered with forests.

You can see so many interesting things here! But the main thing is that you will be warmly greeted everywhere by local residents and owners of cozy, atmospheric hotels and hotels. The Little Principality in the Pyrenees is ready to give tourists a luxurious holiday. Magnificent hotels, beautiful nature and luxurious shopping are the undeniable advantages of Andorra.

Come!