Andorra

Andorra is a small, independent country high in the Pyrenees mountains, tucked between France and Spain! About ninety thousand people live here, in a country that covers just four hundred and sixty-eight square kilometres. The capital, Andorra la Vella, sits in a green valley, and the official language is Catalan. Friends say "Hola!" or "Ei!" to say hello, "Bon dia!" for good morning, and "Gràcies!" to say thank you.

Andorra has been a principality since 1278. It has its own parliament and government, and two heads of state called co-princes: the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain. Football is the main sport, and in winter the mountains fill with skiing and snowboarding. Students sing the national anthem, El Gran Carlemany, with pride. From Catalan words in the streets to snowy ridges above the valleys, Andorra shows how a tiny mountain country can have its own language, history, and story.