Sayings of Andorran origin
Women and cats in the house, men and dogs in the street.
With patience you go beyond knowledge.
Wisdom goes not always by years.
The best word is the unspoken word.
In times of famine no bread is stale.
Honey is sweet, but the bees sting.
He who hears no advice will not reach old age.
Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.
By perseverance everything reaches its target.
As the old crow sing, so sings its fledglings.
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Created under a charter in A.D. 988, the present Principality was formed in A.D. 1278. It is known as a principality as it is a monarchy headed by two Co-Princes – the Spanish/Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell and the President of France.
Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and a population of approximately 85,000. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken. (External link to Wikipedia Page on Andorra dor further reading!)
Andorra’s tourism services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually. It is not a member of the European Union, but the euro is the de facto currency. It has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. The people of Andorra have one of the highest life expectancies in the world and as of December 2014, according to The Lancet, have the highest in the world, at 81 years in 2013.
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital.
The Great Charlemagne “El Gran Carlemany” is the national anthem of the Principality of
Andorra. (YouTube Video)
Lyrics
The great Charlemagne, my father,
from the Saracens liberated me
And from heaven he gave me life,
of Meritxell, the great Mother.
I was born a Princess, a Maiden
neutral between two nations.
I am the only remaining daughter,
of the Carolingian empire
Believing and free for eleven centuries,
a believer and free I will be.
The laws of the land be my tutors,
and my Princes[A] defenders!
And my Princes defenders!