Andorra Culture

Andorra Culture and Mass Media

Newspapers in Andorra

Andorra’s largest newspapers are the daily newspapers El Periòdic d’Andorra (founded in 1997) and Diari d’Andorra (founded in 1991), both in Catalan. The one-day newspaper El Poble Andorrà (founded in 1974) was also important but closed in 1993.

In Andorra, the private radio station Radio-Andorre was started in the early 1940s with advertising -financed broadcasts with easy entertainment in French, which annoyed the French state which stopped the station by founding the counter station Andorradio. Later, the Spanish-language radio station Radio Andorra was also established. The stations, which gained an audience far outside Andorra, ceased in 1981 and were replaced by two advertising-funded public service stations, French-language Radio Valira (1985) and Spanish-language Radio Andorra (1991), which in 1995 established the television company Andorra Televisió.

Culture

The culture is mainly Catalan and includes traditional dances and church paintings. Music is an important cultural expression and a major event is the annual international jazz festival. Traditional dances such as marratxa and contrapàs are still common at festivals and village parties. Roman-style church paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries are preserved.

The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, a dramatic mountain and glacier landscape in the Pyrenees, belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mass Media

Freedom of the press and opinion is enshrined in the Constitution and is also respected in practice. The press has small editions and largely contains local news. There are two newspapers: Diari d’Andorra and El Periòdic d’Andorra. In addition, there is the free magazine Bondia.

The state-run etheric media company RTVA has a radio station and a TV channel. In addition, there are three commercial radio stations. Andorran also has access to French and Spanish radio and TV broadcasts.

FACTS – MASS MEDIA

Percentage of the population using the internet

92 percent (2017)

Number of mobile subscriptions per 100 residents

107 (2018)

Andorra Culture

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