Andorra is a country that most people probably know nothing about or even know where it's located in the world. Andorra is a small landlocked nation in southwest Europe located on the border between France and Spain. It is one of the smallest countries in Europe and the entire world and is located in the Pyrenees Mountains. It is the last remaining independent survivor of the buffer states that were created by Charlemagne in the late 10th century to keep the Islamic Moors from moving into Christian France. Andorra's borders haven't changed since 1278 and is still co-ruled by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain as co-princes of Andorra. Therefore, it is a co-parliamentary system, but also a monarchy, although the strength of the monarchy has weakened in recent decades. During World War II, Andorra remained neutral between the Allied and Axis powers, but was used as a route to get downed airmen out of France. In 1993, the country became a parliamentary democracy and is a member of the United Nations, but not a member of the European Union. Currently, Andorra is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and achieved 0% unemployment in 2007. In 2013, Andorra ranked first among nations with the highest life expectancy in the world at 81 years. The Andorran economy is driven largely by the finance and tourism industries and over 10 million tourists visit the country each year, in large part to visit the mountains and their ski resorts.
Andorra's prominence of ski resorts plays a pivotal role in the country's sports culture, as it plays host to millions of Europeans who visit their snow parks. The traditional sport in Andorra has been rugby union, but in recent decades the sport of football has become the most popular sport. Also popular are the sports of basketball and roller hockey. Regardless of which sport an Andorran desires to play, it is almost guaranteed that he or she has to travel outside of the country to play above an amateur level.
Football
- Andorra's most popular sport
- In 1994, the Andorran Football Federation was founded
- Andorra's top level professional domestic league, Primera Divisio was formed in 1995
- They were unable to participate as a nation in international competitions until 1996, however, until they were recognized by FIFA and UEFA
International Competitions
- Men's Team
- Has existed since 1996
- They played their first match that year against Estonia, losing 3-1
- They played their first FIFA-sanctioned match in 1998, losing to Armenia, again by a score of 3-1, in a qualifier for UEFA Euro 2000
- They won their first intentional match during the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, beating Macedonia by a score of 1-0
- They have only ever won three matches in its history, all at home
- Has failed to qualify for the World Cup or the UEFA Euro Championships
- They are currently ranked 203rd in the world by FIFA
- Women's Team
- July 1, 2014 - played its first international match in the UEFA Development Tournament, winning 1-0 against Gibraltar
- They participated in the qualifying for the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro tournament, losing all three matches against Malta, the Faroe Islands, and Georgia
- Both the men and women's teams play their home matches at the Comunal d'Andorra la Vella in Andorra's capital, Andorra la Vella
Domestic Competitions
- Primera Divisio
- Top football league in Andorra
- Semi-professional league with the clubs and players being part-time
- 8 clubs
- Started in 1995 by the Andorran Football Federation
- Able to compete in all UEFA competitions
- All matches are played in stadiums owned by the federation
- All clubs play each other twice during the year
- After the regular season when the clubs play each other, the top four teams play in a competition to decide the Andorran champion
- The bottom four clubs play to avoid relegation to the Segona Divisio, Andorra's second division
- Most successful club and most recent champion:
- FC Santa Coloma - 10 titles
- Segona Divisio
- Founded in 1999
- 14 clubs
- Promotion to Primera Divisio
- Copa Constitucio/Andorran Cup
- Began in 1990
- Affiliated with both FIFA and UEFA since the 1994-1995 season
- Is a knockout tournament between the eight clubs of the Primera Divisio and four clubs from the Segona Divisio
- Winner competes in the Europa League
- Most recent winner - UE Santa Coloma
- Most successful club - FC Santa Coloma - 8 titles
- Andorran Supercup
- Played since 2003
- Single match at the beginning of the football season between the winners of the Primera Divisio and the Andorran Cup
- Most recent winner: UE Santa Coloma
- Most successful clubs: FC Santa Coloma and UE San Julia - 5 titles each
- Andorran football club that plays in the Spanish football system instead of the Primera Divisio in Andorra
- Is the only true professional football club in Andorra
- Established in 1942
- Plays in the Primera Catalana or its relegation league, Segona Catalana, both on the fifth level of the Spanish football system
- Segunda Division B, the third tier of the Spanish football system, is the highest level that the club has played in
- Won Copa Catalunya once, in 1993-1994, the club's highest achievement
Basketball
- Andorran Basketball Federation was founded in 1988
- Men's Team
- Participates in the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries
- Has been successful in the competitions it has entered, winning five gold medals at the Championship for Small Countries and one gold at the Games of the Small States
- Most recently won gold in 2014 at the Championship for Small Countries
- Youth teams have done well too, winning two under-18 championships and two under-16 championships
- Currently unranked by FIBA
- Women's Team
- Has not been as successful as the men's team
- Has only competed at the Championship for Small Countries, where their highest finish was 3rd in 2000
- Currently unranked by FIBA
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| BC Andorra Logo |
- Amateur men's league called Lliga Andorrana de Basquet
- Five teams
BC Andorra
- Only professional basketball team in Andorra
- Competes in Liga ACB (first tier) of the Spanish basketball system
- Club was founded in 1970
- Has had extensive success in league competitions and has won 2nd and 3rd division championships
Rugby Union
- Introduced to Andorra in the 1960s
- Popular in Andorra due to the prominence of the sport in southern France in many
- Also popular because of the tax protection Andorra offers to foreigners, bringing in many exiles from rugby-playing nations and because college-aged students often leave the country to attend universities in areas where rugby is popular. They then return to Andorra and have spread the game
- Andorran Rugby Federation was founded in 1986
- As of 2012, there were 192 playing members, of which 22 were women
- Two clubs
International Competitions
- Compete in the European Nations Cup in the second division with Malta, Israel, Croatia, and Cyprus
- Participates in the qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup
- Played their match in 1987 against Luxembourg, winning 24-3
- They are currently unranked
Roller Hockey
- Very little information can be found about roller hockey in Andorra except that it currently competes in the European Roller Hockey Championships (CERH) and the Federation of International Roller Sports (FIRS) Roller Hockey World Cup
Winter Hockey
- Andorra has become a popular destination for Europeans to ski
- The country has 303 kilometers of runs, 109 lifts, 1400 ski cannons covering 60% of the country, and 6 snowparks
- The Andorran government, recognizing the importance of the tourism industry to the country's economy, ensures that the ski resorts are all well-maintained
In Closing
- This is the first country that I've covered where money is no object or where terrorism doesn't actively play a role in the safety of its citizens. Instead, Andorra's only issue is its size, which limits its resources and the number of sports it can operate. Andorrans are often forced to leave the country to play sports at a high level, often going to Spain or France. Sports can also be a struggle because it is difficult to get to the capital of Andorra, also the hub for Andorran sports. There is no easy way for visitors to even access Andorra since there is no international airport in the country and people have to fly into Spain or France and then travel via train or bus.
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