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#TO / ANDORRA / Europe
ANDORRA
.AD
Official name:
Principality of Andorra
*Catalan / Principality of Andorra
Capital: Andorra la Vella
Idiom: Catalan
Form of Government: parliamentary co-principality
Currency: Euro
Demonym: Andorran/-na
Administrative divition: 7 Parishes
FLAG
The flag of Andorra features a vertical tricolor of blue, yellow, and red with the Andorran coat of arms in the center. Although the three vertical bars may at first appear to be the same width, the central yellow bar is slightly wider than the other two, so the ratio of the widths of the bars is 8:9:8 with an overall ratio of flags from 7:10.
A variant of the flag is said to have been created in 1866, although the design was standardized in 1993 after Andorra joined the United Nations.
The historical flag of Andorra, which was used from 1806 to 1866, featured two vertical (sometimes horizontal) red and yellow bands of the same size. It is claimed that this flag was awarded by Napoleon in 1806, but the use of the flag may date back much earlier. A variant of the modern flag without the coat of arms is said to have been designed by Napoleon III by adding a blue stripe representing France. From 1931 to 1939 a horizontal version of the flag was used which was to reflect the Spanish flag.
National flag
Ratio: 7 x 10
The design is related to the flags of France, Spain, Catalonia and Foix, the lands historically linked to the small country. The coat of arms of Andorra in the center of the flag contains the historical symbolism of the Bishop of Urgell, the Count of Foix, Catalonia and the Viscount of Béarn. The inclusion of the coat of arms makes it one of only 28 national flags to contain overtly Christian symbolism.
The three-bar design is similar to that of the French tricolor, while the pattern of a wider central stripe can be seen on the Spanish flag. The motto on the coat of arms (written in old Goudy style) in the central stripe Virtus Unita Fortior means "Virtue United is stronger". The blue and red of the Andorran flag are also found on the French flag, with red and yellow also being the colors of the Catalan flag (such as the former royal symbol of the Crown of Aragon) and the arms of the former county of Foix (currently part of France).
ICONOGRAPHY
Bishopric
MEANING
Coat of arms of the Bishopric of Urgel, in the Spanish province of Lleida. Made up of a miter and a staff.
Foix
MEANING
Coat of arms of the former French county of Foix.
Catalonia
MEANING
Coat of arms of Catalonia, Spain.
Béarne
MEANING
Coat of arms of the former Viscounty of Bearne, today an integral part of the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Motto
MEANING
Virtus Unita Fortior , "Virtue is stronger united"
CONSTRUCTION
A : 64 | B : 72 | C :37 | D : 50 | I : 66
F : 69 | G : 62
COLORS
32 %
Blue
HEX CODE
# 10069f
IT REPRESENTS:
TO THE FLAG OF FRANCE
32 %
Yellow
HEX CODE
# fedd00
IT REPRESENTS:
TO THE FLAG OF SPAIN
32 %
Red
HEX CODE
# d50032
4 %
Brown
HEX CODE
# c6aa76
IT REPRESENTS:
TO THE FLAG OF FRANCE AND SPAIN
HISTORY
Flag of
Andorra
1806 - 1866
Flag of
Andorra
1806 - 1866
Flag of
Andorra
1806 - 1866
Flag of
Andorra
1934
Flag of
Andorra
1939 - 1949
Flag of
Andorra
1939 - 1949
Flag of
Andorra
1939 - 1949
REGIONAL FLAGS
flag of the
parish of
Old Andorra
flag of the
parish of
Canillo
flag of the
parish of
Encamp
flag of the
parish of
Escaldes - Engordany
flag of the
parish of
La Massana
flag of the
parish of
Ordino
flag of the
parish of
Saint Julian of Loria
SHIELD
The coat of arms of Andorra is, together with the flag, the official symbol of the Principality as established in its Constitution in article 2.2 and is regulated by the Law on the use of State signs. Its heraldic description can be established by the following coat of arms:
"The coat of arms of the Principality of Andorra has traditionally been made up of four houses, two corresponding to each of the two co-princes. The four traditional houses are:
> that of the Bishopric, represented by a miter
and a golden staff on a background Red;
> that of Catalonia;
> that of Foix;
> Bearn's."
The shield may be accompanied by the motto "Virtus Unita Fortior". The shield can be surrounded by a halo, a scroll or crowned with the emblems of the lord (crown, hat). At some point in the history of Andorra, the colors have undergone variations, one of the four houses within the coat of arms has disappeared and the elements of a house have even been separated, for example, when the miter and the staff have been placed in two separate quadrants.
