Languages of Andorra
Encyclopedia
The following languages are currently spoken in the Principality of Andorra
.
It is also the main language of about 25% of Spanish immigrants (who constitute 43% of Andorra's population), usually those who immigrated since 1985 from nearby Catalonia
or Valencia
.
Recently the Government of Andorra is enforcing the learning and use of the language within the immigrant labor force as a means to fully apply the constitution and overcome the issue of people living in a country without knowing its only native language.
Unusually, although Catalan has more than 10 million speakers, a thriving culture, and official recognition by the United Nations
, Andorra, with less than 50,000 speakers, is the only country in which Catalan has official status in all of its territory.
national immigrants (the remaining 5% speak Galician
). Most came to the country between 1955 and 1995 from the traditionally less developed southern, western and central regions of the Iberian Peninsula
(Andalusia
, Extremadura
, Castile-La Mancha
, Murcia
, Galicia etc) and from those next to the Bay of Biscay
(Asturias
, Cantabria
etc) that suffered a crisis in the metallurgy industry due to the integration of Spain
into the European Union
.
The low degree of development of Andorra, the limited education in the immigrants' homelands, and the fear of an invasion by Spain during the Franco regime made it more difficult for the immigrants to integrate fully until 1993, when the constitution of the country was approved. Since then, Spanish has become the second most used language of the population living in the country.
Since Andorra also shares both Spanish and French education systems, children can be taught at school in the Spanish language, if parents choose it.
population of about 13% of the country's total.
, the reduced tax-free cost of living, and job opportunities in the thriving tourist industry have resulted in 7% of the country's total population being French nationals, mainly immigrants from Francophone Africa.
As with Spanish, children can be taught at school in the French language, if parents choose it.
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
.
Catalan
Catalan is the only official language of Andorra. It is also the historical and traditional language of the country used by government, television, radio, and other national media and is the main language of all the people living in the territory of Andorran nationality, who constitute 33% of the total population.It is also the main language of about 25% of Spanish immigrants (who constitute 43% of Andorra's population), usually those who immigrated since 1985 from nearby Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
or Valencia
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
.
Recently the Government of Andorra is enforcing the learning and use of the language within the immigrant labor force as a means to fully apply the constitution and overcome the issue of people living in a country without knowing its only native language.
Unusually, although Catalan has more than 10 million speakers, a thriving culture, and official recognition by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Andorra, with less than 50,000 speakers, is the only country in which Catalan has official status in all of its territory.
Spanish and Galician
Spanish is the main language of about 70% of SpanishSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
national immigrants (the remaining 5% speak Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
). Most came to the country between 1955 and 1995 from the traditionally less developed southern, western and central regions of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
(Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
, Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Galicia etc) and from those next to the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
(Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
etc) that suffered a crisis in the metallurgy industry due to the integration of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
into the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
The low degree of development of Andorra, the limited education in the immigrants' homelands, and the fear of an invasion by Spain during the Franco regime made it more difficult for the immigrants to integrate fully until 1993, when the constitution of the country was approved. Since then, Spanish has become the second most used language of the population living in the country.
Since Andorra also shares both Spanish and French education systems, children can be taught at school in the Spanish language, if parents choose it.
Portuguese
The traditional economic situation in southern Portugal (mainly Algarve and Alentejo) prompted a large migration flux to the country between 1960 and 1980, increasing the Portuguese population to 11% of the total, which added to a small community of Brazilians which migrated to Andorra in the 1990s has led to a present day lusophonePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
population of about 13% of the country's total.
French
The nearby border with FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the reduced tax-free cost of living, and job opportunities in the thriving tourist industry have resulted in 7% of the country's total population being French nationals, mainly immigrants from Francophone Africa.
As with Spanish, children can be taught at school in the French language, if parents choose it.