The Principality was formed in 1278. The rôle of monarch is shared between the President of the French Republic and the Bishop of Urgell, Catalonia, Spain. It is a prosperous country mainly because of its tourism industry, which services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually, and also because of its status as a tax haven. It is not a member of the European Union, but the euro is the de facto currency. The people of Andorra have the 2nd highest human life expectancy in the world - 82 years at birth.

A Brief History of Andorra

Andorra is the last independent of the buffer states (Marca Hispanica) that were created by Charlemagne (742-814) to keep the Moors from invading France. In the 9th century the counts of Urgell became overlordof Andorra. Later on they gave the land to the Diocese of Urgell. Andorra was in 1396 and 1512 briefly annexed by the Kingdom of Aragon. The Counts de Foix were co-prince from 1278 to 1517, the royal house of Navarre from 1517 to 1572. Afterwards the kings of France became co-prince. An edict of 1607 officially established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra.

First Sovereign: Joan Enric Vives i Sicília, Bishop of Urgell (Barcelona, Spain, July 24th, 1949). Son of Francesc Vives y Pons and Cornèlia Sicília Ibáñez. Succeeds Joan Martí Alanis, who was co-prince from 1971 to 2003. Co-Prince since: 12 May 2003. 

Second Sovereign: Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarkozy (Paris, France, January 28th, 1955). Son of Pál Sárközy and Andrée Mallah. Succeeds Jacques Chirac, who was co-prince from 1995 to 2007. Co-Prince since: 16 May 2007.