We are visiting Andorra, one of the smallest and highest countries in the world! It is tucked away in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. About 80,000 people live here, and the capital is called Andorra la Vella, which is the highest capital city in all of Europe.

Take a look at the map! Andorra is tiny. It covers only 468 square kilometers, or 181 square miles. To imagine that, the entire country is about two and a half times the size of Washington D.C., or small enough to fit inside the city of London more than three times! Because it is so small and covered in mountains, there isn’t even a single airport or a train station in the whole country. Everyone travels by car or bus on winding mountain roads.

Andorra has a very unusual government. It is a “Co-Principality,” which means it has two princes who lead it together, but neither of them is actually from Andorra! One is a Bishop from Spain, and the other is the President of France. It’s the only country in the world that works this way.

The most popular sport here is Skiing because it snows so much in the mountains, but people also love Football. Their national animal is the Chamoix, which looks like a mix between a goat and an antelope. These amazing animals can jump across steep, icy rocks without falling.

The flag of Andorra has three colors: Blue, Yellow, and Red. In the middle, there is a coat of arms that shows a mitre and a staff for the Bishop, and two cows to represent the farmers who have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years.

The food is perfect for cold mountain weather. A famous dish is Escudella, which is a very thick stew made with meat, beans, and pasta.

Here is something strange: Andorra is one of the oldest countries in Europe, but it didn’t have a national television station until 1995! Also, if you visit the mountains, you might find people eating grilled snails right off the fire. Some people even have “snail-eating festivals” where they cook thousands of them at once with lots of salt and spice. It might look a bit slimy, but the people there think they are a delicious mountain snack!

From the snowy peaks to the shopping streets, Andorra is a tiny country with a giant personality. Gràcies! That means “Thank you!”