The principality of Andorra is sandwiched between France and Spain in the eastern Pyrenees. The sixth-smallest country in Europe, with an area of 180 sq miles (468 sq km), it is smaller than every English county apart from Rutland.
Landlocked, and lying entirely above 840 metres (2,750ft), the climate is, as you would expect, mostly continental and alpine. Because Andorra lies on the southern, Spanish side of the highest peaks, which run along its northern border, it is more sheltered and drier than locations on the French side.
Winters are fairly cold, dry and sunny, with as much as five hours of daily sunshine in January and February. Winter temperatures in the capital, Andorra la Vella, are mostly a few degrees above freezing and precipitation is mostly low – just 160mm (6.3in) from December to February. However, heavy snowfalls can occur, especially when fronts sweep in from the Atlantic to the west. In Soldeu, at an altitude of 1,800 metres (5,900ft), temperatures are much colder throughout the year, staying below freezing from December to March.
Temperatures rise rapidly from May onwards, with average daily maxima of the mid-20s Celsius (high 70s Fahrenheit) in the summer months; pleasantly warm but rarely very hot. The wettest months are usually May and June, when there are regular thunderstorms. Rainfall is low and fairly regular for the remainder of the year.
