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Andorra Proves
Old Adage Wrong by Paul la Vella
Famous American Benjamin
Franklin said that tax and death were certainties there were few who would
disagree with him then, and even fewer today.
But the tiny country Andorra,
tucked away in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is doing her best
to prove him wrong.
On the tax side Andorra is
one of Europe's two best tax havens, Monaco being the other, with both
offering residents a life free of income tax.
But remarkably, as well as
having a tax free life, Andorra citizens enjoy the best life expectancy
in the world.
Of all the countries in the
world none can better Andorra's 83 (and a half!) years of living. It betters
the US by nearly six years.
As well as having a stress
free economic life the people of Andorra enjoy fresh mountain air, with
some of her peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet.
Andorra has a population
of 67,000 people, and around a third of those are people who have moved
from elsewhere, notably the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Portugal,
for her tax benefits primarily, with the added years of life coming as
a surprise extra to many newcomers.
For those Andorrans who do
become not as well as the rest of the population, they can relax in the
knowledge that the country has one of the best equipped hospitals in Europe,
and if they choose to go private a room costs under US $100 a day.
Andorra Holidays
 Well
known for her ski resorts, Andorra has transformed her ski holiday image
over the last 20 years from a 'poor man's Switzerland' to a fully functional
ski country able to compete with other European countries during the December
April European ski season.
So successful has the transformation
been that nearly ten million tourists visit the country each year.
And for this year's ski season
Andorra has opened a new family friendly ski park in Arinsal, moving away
further still from her old image of a cheap and cheerful ski holiday for
18-30 year olds to one that caters well for all.
The snow park includes a
conveyor belt and a game zone, designed to give children confidence before
they ski and use the chair lifts.
Well known ski villages in
Andorra include Soldeu, Ordino as well as Arinsal where Crystal ski holidays
have hotel bases for their clients.
Other new developments in
Andorra for the 2007 ski season include a 540 space underground car park
in La Massana close to the cable car, and an extension of the beginners
area in Arinsal.
Commenting on the new facilities,
travel guide for Andorra YourAndorra.com claim that the investment in Andorra's
infrastructure is ongoing, and will allow Andorra to compete with other
ski areas in Europe for years to come.
About the Author
YourAndorra.com
includes facts and figures about Andorra, as well as details about skiing
holidays in Andorra and cheap Barcelona hotels for those en route to Andorra. |
