or ANDORRA, Republic of, a small state of about 190 square miles in extent, occupying a valley on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. It is a hilly district, with some good pasture for sheep, and several mines of iron, which are worked by the numerous rapid streams that pass through the district in their course towards Catalonia. It is divided into six parishes, viz., Andorra la Vieja, San-Julian-de-Loria, Encap, Camilla, Ordino, and Masana. Pop. in 1846, from 5000 to 6000. The capital is Andorra, the principal parish of the valley. The Andorrans are a robust and well-proportioned race, of an independent spirit, and simple and severe in their manners. All the inhabitants capable of bearing arms are reviewed once a year. Though each parish has a school, education has made little progress among them. They speak the Catalan language. Their religion is the Roman Catholic. This small state has preserved its independence since the time of Charlemagne, who, about the year 790, declared it a free state in reward for the services the inhabitants had rendered him in assisting his passage through the defiles of the mountains of Catalonia when he was marching against the Moors in Spain. Louis le Débonnaire ceded to the bishop of Urgel a part of the rights over Andorra which Charlemagne had reserved to himself and his successors; and in virtue of this right the bishop still exercises a spiritual jurisdiction over the country. In civil affairs its nominal protector is France, to which it pays an annual tribute of 960 francs for the privilege of importing from that country, free of duty, a stipulated quantity of certain specified articles, the produce of the country being insufficient for the wants of the inhabitants. The Andorrans manfully resisted the invasion of the Spaniards; and, during the wars of the Pyrenees, they rendered to France every assistance in their power. The government is composed of a supreme council of twenty-four members, of whom each parish elects four. The council chooses a syndic, whose office is for life, and who exercises the executive power. Justice is administered by two judges; one nominated by France, the other, who must be an Andorran, by the bishop of Urgel. The former is usually the justice of peace for the canton of Ax. The expenses of government are defrayed by a species of rent paid by owners of flocks to the community for the use of the pasture land.