A Little Taste of Andorra Trivia Quiz

Answer: An airport

Andorra is among a handful of countries in the world that don't have an airport. And in fact, of the six countries in the world without airports, five are in Europe. These are Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. (The sixth is the Palestinian Territories). There are varying reasons for not having airports, and these include the size of the country and stability of the land. In the case of Andorra, the reason for not having an airport is partly its size, and partly because Andorra sits on a mountain range.

The closest airport to Andorra is the Girona-Costa Brava Airport in Spain. Failing that, you can also fly to Barcelona, Spain, or Toulouse, France.

Answer: Andorra doesn't have a coastline

As well as not having an airport, Andorra does not have a coastline either, as it is a landlocked country sandwiched between France and Spain. Specifically, Andorra is located in the south-west of the Eurasian continent, in the eastern part of the Pyrenees.

The closest body of water is the Mediterranean Sea which can be accessed by driving through Spain. Depending on driving conditions it would take 2-3 hours to get to the sea.

Answer: Catalan

Catalan is a Western Romance language which is native to Spain, Italy, France and of course, Andorra, where it is their only official language. The only other places where Catalan is the official language are three autonomous communities in eastern Spain. These are: Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and the Balearic Islands.

If you are wondering what the difference is between Spanish and Catalan, Spanish is from Iberian-Romance, which includes Portuguese, while Catalan is from Gallo-Romance, which includes French. In the main, people who speak Spanish cannot understand Catalan (and vice versa) as they are very different languages.

Although Catalan is the official language of Andorra, about 60% of residents also speak Spanish, while some 6% also speak French. English is not widely spoken in Andorra, except in tourist areas.

Answer: Ski slopes

Andorra is famous for its ski slopes. While there are three main ski areas in Andorra, Grandvalira is by far the largest and the most popular ski area. The Grandvalira 'Super-ski' area is made up of Soldeu, El Tarter and Pas de la Casa, and provides holidaymakers and residents with 210km of skiing and 74 ski lifts.

The ski season typically lasts from December to April each year. In Andorra you can also ride a snowmobile, ice-dive or even build an igloo! Also, unlike a lot of the places in the Alps, heli-skiing is actually allowed in Andorra.

Answer: It is the highest capital in Europe

Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, sitting at an elevation of 3,356 feet (1,023 meters). It has a population of around 22,300 people (as at 2023) and is located in the south west of Andorra. Andorra la Vella has been the principal city of Andorra since 1278 when Andorra became a country.

The city's 'old town' is characterized by old stone streets and has many historic buildings including the country's parliament building. One of the oldest buildings in the city is a church called the Church of Santa Coloma d'Andorra, which dates back to the ninth century. Considering there is a relatively small population in the city, there are quite a lot of shops, at around 400.

Answer: A very high life expectancy

Andorra has one of the longest life expectancies in the world, with its citizens enjoying a median life expectancy of around 83 years in 2022 compared to the worldwide average of around 72 years.

It is believed the people of Andorra live quite a while longer than the citizens of other countries because of a number of reasons: one is that exercise is not only encouraged, but is easily accessible, another is that Andorra has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and a third is that most people in this country enjoy a Mediterranean diet which includes lean meat, vegetables and olive oil.

Other reasons for their high life expectancy include that Andorra has a very high vaccination rate (99% of their citizens have been vaccinated); they have access to both excellent water supplies and sanitation services, and finally, crime is almost non-existent in Andorra.

Answer: 8 million

Andorra enjoys a staggering number of tourists for a country that could fit into London three times over! (Or, to put it another way, the United States is 2,101,079% larger than Andorra.)

The majority of tourists are from France, Spain and the UK. They visit Andorra because the ski resorts provide a range of skiing options including gentle slopes which are perfect for beginners and families. Shopping in Andorra is another drawcard since the shops are duty-free.
Visitors usually also take time to see the capital, which has many historic buildings including medieval churches.

Answer: True

Andorra has the lowest violent crime rate in Europe (it is even lower than the Vatican), and an incredibly low rate for other crimes. The Andorran Police force have a visible, but very non-intrusive presence. The general feeling of security citizens and tourists have in Andorra is uncommon to most other cities in Europe (excepting Monaco). Having said this, the Andorran Authorities do still hand down strong penalties for the use of social drugs, and, of course, any acts of vandalism that may occur.

Andorra has only one prison for its 80,000-odd residents. However, if Andorra really doesn't want someone within their borders, the Minister of Interior Affairs has the power to expel individuals from the country. They then become 'Persona Non Grata' (a person who is not welcome) in the Principality.

Answer: 90%

This information definitely surprised me. Over 90% of the country's 468 kmē area is made up of rugged mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and meadows - meaning less than 10% of the country has been built on.

The country is also very high, having an average elevation of 1,996 metres (or 6,549 feet). The highest mountain, which is just one of 65 mountain peaks, is Coma Pedrosa at 2,942 metres (9,652 ft).

If you are an avid birdwatcher, Andorra might be a place of interest for you: the whole of Andorra has been recognised by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because of its important forest and mountain birds. These include populations of rock buntings, red-billed choughs and citril finches.

Answer: Charlemagne

Andorra was one of several 'buffer' states that were originally created by the French leader Charlemagne (768-814) in the Middle Ages. He had recovered the region from the Muslims in 803 and wanted to keep the Moors out of France at all costs. The remit then for the Andorrans, was that they were to repel the Moors by any means necessary. In return for this, Charlemagne granted them a charter. Although several of these buffer states were created, Andorra is the last one that is still an independent country.

Andorra had a series of rulers starting with Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, in the 7th century. After that, the state had several leaders; sometimes these leaders inherited the state as a reward and sometimes it was passed down through marriage. In 1278 a dispute arose regarding who owned Andorra - France or Spain. To solve the dispute, the two countries decided to share it (which was a rather grown-up decision in those times) so Andorra was henceforth ruled by two co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell from Spain and the French President. Andorra is still ruled by these two to this day.