Madriu-Perafita-Claror
Valley (2004, 2006)
Andorra
The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley offers a microcosmic perspective of the way people have harvested the resources of the high Pyrenees over millennia. Its dramatic glacial landscapes of craggy cliffs and glaciers, with high open pastures and steep wooded valleys covers an area of 4,247-ha., 9% of the total area of Andorra.
It reflects past changes in climate, economic fortune and
social systems, as well as the persistence of pastoralism and a strong mountain
culture. The site features houses, notably summer settlements, terraced fields,
stone tracks, and evidence of iron smelting.
The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley is a microcosm of the way its inhabitants have harvested the scarce resources of the high Pyrenees over the past millennia to create a sustainable living environment in harmony with the mountain landscape. The Valley is a reflection of an ancient communal system of land management that has survived for over 700 years. |
|
|
|
Andorra is a parliamentary principality in southwestern Europe, situated in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains, bordered on the north and east by France, and on the south and west by Spain. Also called Valleys of Andorra, the country has an area of 468 sq km (181 sq mi) and a population of 67,627. The overall population density is 145 persons per sq km (374 per sq mi). The capital is Andorra la Vella. Andorra is a region of narrow valleys and mountain peaks that reach heights of more than 2700 m (8860 ft). The country is bordered on the north and east by France and on the south and west by Spain.Andorra Tourist Office
|
Land and Resources
Andorra is a region of narrow valleys and mountain peaks that reach heights of more than 2,700 m (8,860 ft). The principal stream is the Valira River. The land has iron and lead deposits and marble quarries; forests of pine and birch are found on the mountains, and low-lying areas have pastureland where sheep are grazed.
Andorra has no railroad or airport but possesses an excellent road system.
Deforestation is an issue in Andorra, and overgrazing has caused soil erosion in the mountain meadows.
Note the inscription on half French, half Catalan, language. |
 |
|
Population
The native-born inhabitants of Andorra (only about one-fourth of the entire population) are Catalan in ancestry and language; Spanish and French immigrants make up the majority of the remainder. The main religion is Roman Catholicism.
Look at the stamps, and you will see that Catalan and French are used
simultaneously.
|
|
Economy Andorra’s economy was formerly based on pastoral farming and the processing of tobacco and timber. Tourism has boomed since the 1950s and now dominates the principality’s economic life. Tourists are drawn by the winter ski facilities, the cool summer climate, and the availability of duty-free goods. The Andorran government collects revenue through a small number of taxes and the sale of postage stamps. Immigration and investment have been encouraged by low tax rates.
|
| Government For 715 years Andorra was ruled jointly by the leader of France and Spain’s Bishop of Urgel, who were acknowledged as coprinces. In March 1993 Andorran voters approved their first constitution, which transferred power to the “parliamentary coprincipality” of Andorra. The constitution defined the fundamental rights and obligations of Andorran citizens and delineated the separate functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The coprinces remained Andorra’s heads of state but were given very little power. The Andorran legislature is the General Council, which has 28 members, elected to four-year terms. The executive organ of government is the Executive Council, which is headed by a president who is elected by the General Council and formally appointed by the coprinces. The president appoints the other members of the Executive Council.
|
|
History
Andorra is traditionally held to have been declared a free state by Charlemagne in the 9th century
AD. In 1278 it came under the joint control of the Catalan bishop of Urgel and of the count of Foix of France; through the latter, French rights passed successively to the kings and chiefs of state of France. Andorra pays a nominal biennial tribute to France and to the bishop of Urgel. In 1970 women received the right to vote. Andorra was admitted to the United Nations in 1993.
Sources and links:
Revised 18 aug 2007 |
|
