The tiny country of Andorra in the Pyrenees will in future require foreigners who settle in the country to learn a minimum of the official language Catalan.
The language requirement was adopted in the National Assembly on Thursday, as a measure to strengthen the Catalan language.
Andorrans make up around half of the 80,000 inhabitants of the small country sandwiched between Spain and France. With around 25,000 Spaniards in the country and a number of migrant workers from Latin America, Spanish has become the everyday language for many.
Around 3,000 people who have to renew their residence permit this year will be faced with the new language requirement. Those who do not pass the test must take a 30-hour language course.
Catalan is also spoken in the Spanish region of Catalonia, which Andorra borders.
Andorra also has two heads of state as a result of a conflict in the 13th century over who had dominion over the area. The solution was to share power between the Spanish bishop of Urgell and the French count of Foix. The latter’s title was later united with the French throne, and after the revolution it is finally the president of France who has inherited the role of co-prince of Andorra together with the bishop.
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Tags: Andorra sets language requirements immigrants Document
