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According to the legend, Andorra was founded
by Emperor Charlemagne as a reward to the inhabitants
of the valleys for having led his army during
the battle against the Arabs.
The fact is that in the Act of Consecration
in the Seu d'Urgell Cathedral -9th. Century- the
Andorran "Parròquies" (Districts) are mentioned
and it is stated that they belonged to the Countship
of Urgell. From the 11th. Century onwards, the
Counts of Urgell progressively gave up their rights
to the church in Urgell, until 1113 when Count
Ermengol IV transferred all his possessions in
the Andorran Valleys to the Bishop of Urgell and
requested the Andorrans to pay homage to the Bishop
as their Lord.
Several war hostilities of the neighbouring Lords
against the church in Urgell, obliged the bishop
to submit to the protection of the Caboet family.
In 1159 both parties signed a treaty in which
the lordship of the Bishop of Urgell over Andorra
was recognized, and to enfeoff the territory to
the House of Caboet. Various war conflicts confronted
the Count of Foix -heir of the House of Caboet
and Castellbó to the Bishop of Urgell.
The sovereignty over Andorra was at stake. On
the 8th. September, 1278 the first joint sovereignty
was signed. In this document, the lordly, military,
economic and judicial attributions were determined,
and the obligation of the Andorrans to pay their
Lords, in an alternative way, the tribute of the
"questia" was stated.
Ten years later, the second joint sovereignty
was signed, ending the disputes between both Lords.
In 1419, the men from Andorra requested from their
Lords the faculty to be able to meet in council
in order to solve some problems of the community.
By means of a privilege granted by both Lords,
the "Consell de la Terra" was established, which
is the forebear of the present "Consell General"
formed by representatives of all the Andorran
districts.
From the 16th. Century onwards, when Henri II
of Foix and III of Navarra was acclaimed as the
king, the rights of Count of Foix became property
of the Kingdom of France. His son, Louis XI I
of France, confirmed the incorporation to the
French Crown of the rights of the Houses of Caboet,
Castellbó, Foix and Bearn.
The sovereignty over Andorra was shared, therefore,
by both feudal lords: the bishop of Seu d'Urgell
and the king of France. This reality was momentarily
interrupted by the French Revolution. On the 27th.
March, 1806, however, Napoleon I, at the petition
of the Andorrans, accepted to reestablish the
co-princedom by imperial decree. On the 22nd.
April, 1866, the New Reform was enacted. It stipulated
that the members of the "Consell General" would
be elected by means of a censal suffrage of all
the heads of the family. On the 17th. July, 1933,
the male universal suffrage was established on
the 14th. April, 1970, women were granted the
right to vote. In 1978, the traditional number
of 6 districts increased to 7.
The districts (administrative and territorial
divisions), managed by the commons (town-halls)
are: Canillo, Encamp, Ordino, La Massana, Andorra
la Vella, Sant Julia de Lòria and Escaldes-Engordany.
Out of each district, four general counsellors
are elected, who become the "Consell General"
(Parliament), presided by the general trustee
and the sub-trustee.
On the other hand, on the 15th. January, 1981
, the "Consell Executiu" was instituted. It is
presided by the head of the government and composed
by four to six government consellers (ministers),
and its objective is to apply the estate policy.
Between 1990 and 1992, the constituent process
which led the three negotiating parties -services
of the Episcopal co-prince, of the French co-prince
and of the "Consell General"-, in December 1992,
to consent the text of the first constitution
in the country took place.
The modernization of Andorra culminated on 14
March 1993 with the approval by referendum of
the text of the Constitution, which defines the
country as a democratic, social, constitutional
state. Thanks to the Constitution, Andorra is
progressively becoming part of international organizations:
it entered the United Nations in July 1993 and
de Council of Europe in November 1994.
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