flag of Andorra

An agreement in 1278 between the bishop of Urgel (now in Spain) and the count of Foix (now in France) gave them joint jurisdiction over this small community in the Pyrenees between their own domains. Consequently, the coat of arms of Andorra incorporated their symbols: the mitre and crosier of the bishop appear next to the three red bars on yellow that constitute the arms of the count. The yellow shield with four red bars of Catalonia, Spain, and the two red cows of Béarn, France, complete the design. Below is the Latin motto “Virtus unita fortior” (“Strength united is stronger”). A centuries-old carving of this coat of arms appears on the outside wall of the national parliament building, which is known as the General Council of the Valleys.

The national flag is said to date from 1866, but the first legal authority for it is unknown. Early versions often had horizontal instead of vertical stripes, and private citizens usually flew the flag without the coat of arms in the centre. The design was standardized in July 1993 at the time Andorra joined the United Nations. The flags of Andorra’s neighbours, France and Spain, cannot be ignored as possible influences for the three flag colours. The Spanish flag has horizontal stripes of red-yellow-red, while the French Tricolour has blue-white-red vertical stripes. According to the constitution of 1993, the Spanish bishop of Urgel and the president of France remain the coprinces and heads of state of Andorra, although their roles are now largely ceremonial.