About Andorra. Hotels, country travel, flights to Andorra.

Andorra is tiny principality in the Pyrenees - a mere bump on the border between France and Spain -- has set about transforming itself into a playground of spas, ski resorts and shopping malls. One of the smallest countries in Europe, Andorra was once a mountain backwater where the main occupations were raising mules and smuggling tobacco. Today, it has one of the highest standards of living in the world. The change has come about because of country's status as a tax-free port, its huge tourism industry and its "offshore" banking facilities.

Andorra is administratively divided into seven districts. The people are made up of Andorrans of Catalan stock (about 33%), Spanish (43%), Portuguese (11%), and French (7%), the remaining being mostly recent immigrants from other countries. Andorra's official language is Catalan; its institutions are based in Catalonian law, and a large proportion of the Spanish immigrants (or their descendants) in Andorra are Catalan, although Spanish, French, and Portuguese are also spoken. Most of the population is Roman Catholic.

Tourism is Andorra's leading industry, exploiting the scenic attractions of the mountains and the area's excellent opportunities for winter sports. Because of the lack of customs duties and low or nonexistent taxes, Andorra also became an important international centre of retail trade.