The date of the appearance of the state of Andorra is very difficult to identify in the time period. The thing is that due to the small size of the territory, there are very few mentions in the annals and documents about it. In Andorra there’re some documents have been preserved but they do not give a clear idea of how independent the state was in ancient times.
The most popular of the opinions is that Andorra was a kind of autonomous republic, which was founded by King Charlemagne to defend its territory from the Arabs. It is documented that in 805, Louis I successfully defended the borders from the Saracens in the territory of Andorra with the help of the Andorran people, for which the territory received the Charter of Liberties from Charles, while de facto it’s still remaining under the power of monarch for many years. However, it is this year that is considered to be the date of the founding of Andorra as a state.
The problem of the Principality of Andorra was that the state was very small, which meant constant encroachments on its territory from other countries and neighboring feudal lords. Therefore, there was a constant change of power and confrontation between feudal lords and the church.
Only in 1278 the detachment of the country between Spain and France stopped. A document was signed stating the joint ownership of the Andorran lands and the Principality of Andorra was officially recognized.
How the state of Andorra developed
An interesting and revealing moment happened in 1793, during the French Revolution. The new government decided to abandon Andorra, giving it independence, since its feudal system of power contradicted the new rules of the republican revolutionaries. However, the residents of the principality did not like this at all (as they say today, it is church did not like it), and they demanded to return under the patronage of France, wrote a letter to Napoleon. In their opinion, this was completely at odds with the traditions and foundations of Andorra. For the sake of such a case, the commander decided to make an exception and returned everything as it was.
The first constitution of the principality is dated 1866. Its main achievement was the limitation of the power of the church within the country, which led to the final decline of the feudal order. About 50 years later, this issue was developed and the people, who had their own voice, demanded autonomy. Spain was ok with it, but France flatly refused to do it. Then the country was headed by a certain Boris Skosyrev, a Russian emigrant, who became the first king of Andorra and for some time remained neutral in this matter. It lasted for some time, but the war arrived and Skosyrev was sent to a concentration camp, where he died in 1944.
After that, no one was particularly concerned with the issue of Andorra's sovereignty, and only in 1981 the Executive Council was created in Andorra and began the adoption and promotion of a number of reforms. On March 14, 1993, on this very day, the Andorran Constitution was adopted. The principality became parliamentary, three main branches of government were introduced, and the French and Spaniards no longer had full control over the country. Also in 1993, the state entered the United Nations Organization and the first independent elections within the country were held.
The history of the principality is very interesting and complex. Throughout its history, it was the object of feudal wars, the center of various conflicts, the first obstacle on the path of warring peoples, but at the same time, Andorra has not lost its face and state identification, continuing to develop and gracefully maneuver between two fires.
Today it is a modern European country that has preserved its historical appearance and traditions, which is why it is of great interest. And it's a pleasure to live here. The crime rate is so low here that there is not even a single prison. As well as the Army. The governments of France and Spain are responsible for military security here. Andorra has perfectly found its niche — 80% of GDP is recreation. Everything here speaks of a measured, quiet, and pleasant life.
If you have any questions regarding moving or traveling to the Principality of Andorra, you are interested in what you should pay attention to, what documents you need, and other related questions, then be sure to write to us and we will answer you.
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