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As we all know, there are more than a dozen countries in the world today that are members of the Commonwealth, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, etc. These countries have one thing in common, that is, their head of state is the British head of state, and their own head of state is a foreigner. Such a peculiar political model is probably unmatched in the world.

But there is a political model in the world that is even more bizarre than the Commonwealth. How bizarre is it? Their own head of state is jointly held by two foreigners.

This country is the Principality of Andorra in Europe, abbreviated as Andorra. Many people may be familiar with Andorra because they often see many people's regions in WeChat, but they are not very clear about what kind of country it is.

Principality of Andorra

Andorra is located between France and Spain, has no access to the sea, and is a landlocked country. There is no record of its exact formation time. It is said that in the 9th century AD, Charlemagne, the King of the Carolingian Dynasty of the Frankish Kingdom in Europe, established this country in order to repay the Andorrans for resisting the Moors in Spain, but there was no head of state. In 1133 AD, the bishop of the Spanish Ugric Church extended his power to Andorra, which had no head of state.

Principality of Andorra

In 1278, the French Count of Foix claimed sovereignty over Andorra. Finally, after negotiation, the two sides established the Principality of Andorra, and both sides shared sovereignty over the Principality of Andorra. In the subsequent history, the Count of Foix became the King of Navarre, the King of France, and now the President of France, while the Bishop of Urgell has not changed for hundreds of years, and Andorra has not changed as a principality. In other words, the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell of Spain jointly serve as the Grand Duke of Andorra.

Principality of Andorra

In the 20th century, France and Spain had a small-scale conflict over Andorra's sovereignty, which later evolved into peace negotiations. Finally, the two sides reached an agreement that the French president would hold administrative power and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell would hold religious power. They would jointly serve as the head of state of Andorra, namely the Grand Duke of Andorra. This peculiar political model has continued to this day and there is no sign of any change.

Therefore, the Principality of Andorra is the most peculiar country in the world, with its own head of state being a Frenchman and a Spaniard. There is no other country like it in the world, and it is much peculiar than the members of the Commonwealth. Moreover, according to the current situation, Andorra's peculiar political model will continue for a long time.

Principality of Andorra

Andorra has a very small land area of ​​only 400 square kilometers, which is about the size of a small town. It has a total population of more than 80,000 and is one of the smallest countries in the world. Andorra has no army, and its national defense is jointly undertaken by France and Spain. However, Andorra is a highly developed capitalist country, with tourism as the mainstay of its economy. It is one of the most famous tax havens in the world.

Principality of Andorra