Sixth European Urban and Regional Studies Conference. 21-24 September 2006; Comwell Hotel, Roskilde, Denmark. Governance, territoriality and network policies or Diverse economies in Europe. Boundaries and Connections 3 (After lunch, Sat 23rd Sept’06): Governance and borders THE TWIN CITY MODEL IN THE PYRENEES TERRITORY: ANDORRA AND ALT URGELL BORDER REGION. TULLA, A.F.; PALLARES-BLANCH, M.; PALLARES-BARBERA, M.; VERA, A. Department of Geography, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) Edifici B – Campus UAB – 08193 Bellaterra (Spain). [email protected] ABSTRACT The new Europe of 25 countries still has different boundary spots inside like Switzerland with special agreements. One of these cases is the Principat d’Andorra in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. Since the 1960’s decade this mountainous country of 465 sq. km has grown from 6,000 to more than 70,000 inhabitants in 2005 taking advantage of commercial and financial opportunities in relation to French and Spanish states but also to the European Union laws. At the beginning of the 21rst century different policies from the government of Andorra have tried to diversify economic activities, to bring under control urban growth and developing territorial links with Alt Urgell a Catalan county of 22,000 inhabitants close to the southern boundary. There are human, goods, services and capital movements in both directions and public and private transport is very important. Because of that is possible to say that a twin city system is in process to be implemented. Our research group has completed a study which has elaborated primary data results on different type of relations in this city system. The first wave of migration into Andorra was from Catalonia after the Spanish Civil War and from Alt Urgell and surroundings (1960-80) promoting important links between families. Many of them now have Andorran nationality. After the 1980 was there an important Spanish and Portuguese migration with an actual population of Andorrans 38%, Catalans 22%, Spaniards 17%, Portuguese 10%, French 6% and others 7%. The official language is Catalan and the currency is the euro. The number of visitors in Andorra was more than 13 million people in 2005 with important winter resorts. The Government of Andorra, recently, has taken the important decision to strengthen relations with the European Union, adapting several laws, even with a risk of reducing financial and commercial advantages. In this paper we explain a model of reciprocal networks to be set up between economies and citizens of both, Andorra and Alt Urgell, territories. Mainly, there are flows in both directions, in relation to labour force mobility, goods and services purchase and direct economic investment. There are also plans to increase efficient transport networks and to make agreements related to environmental management. Andorra has more population and economic and financial initiatives whereas Alt Urgell has more urban and agrarian land available but also cultural and specific retail trade to give satisfaction to the whole population of twin city system. On top of that, the special governance of Andorra gives an important role to Alt Urgell. The Bishop of Urgell is at the same time the co- Princep of Andorra, together with the French President, and the seat of both religious and political positions are in the Seu d’Urgell. 1 SUMMARY 1. A twin city in a very rural mountainous area. 2. Some broadly geographical features. 3. Main historical and political characteristics. 4. An accelerated economic process: from subsistence to glocal. 5. Consolidation of a border economic territory: a flow network structure. 6. The Andorra and Alt Urgell border region as a real twin city model. 7. Forecast of the region: a growing economy in front a qualitative environment. 1. A twin city in a very rural mountainous area. In this paper we explain a model of reciprocal networks to be set up between economies and citizens of both, Andorra and Alt Urgell, territories. Mainly, there are flows in both directions, in relation to labour force mobility, goods and services purchase and direct economic investment. Nevertheless, these flows are different in each direction. Andorran capital and savings are invested in the Catalan side mainly in land, properties and firms when in the other way are chiefly saving banks of people and firms and remuneration of service firms. There are also other flows like salaries to people who life in the Catalan side and work in Andorra or commercial spending of Andorran people in the other side. To strengthen those links there are plans to increase efficient transport networks and to make agreements related to environmental management (Pallares-Blanch et alii, 2005). Andorra has more population and economic and financial initiatives whereas Alt Urgell has more urban and agrarian land available but also cultural, including education, and specific retail trade to give satisfaction to the whole population of twin city system. On top of that, the special governance of Andorra gives an important role to Alt Urgell. The Bishop of Urgell is at the same time the co-Princep of Andorra (State President), together with the French President, and the seat of both, religious and political locations, are in the Seu d’Urgell (Bricall et alii, 2001). This border economy case is important because it is located in a very mountainous area, with a stable political situation of nearly eight hundred years, where European growth from 1960’s has helped to develop a twin city model (Beaujeu-Garnier, 1963). The characteristics of each side of the border area are different and because of that relations of diverse nature, complementary but also with a multiply activity effect exist (Tulla, 1997). Coming back to Hartshorne theory of twin city district, the centres of both areas are functional independent but “certain of the most striking cultural features of the one city are not found in the other” (Hartshorne, 1932). This model is at the same time a result of a methodological analysis and a cultural and humanistic reality (Campbell, 1994). H.Clout (1975) and D. Burtenshaw (1976) present similar situations in the Franco-Belgian and Saar-Lorraine borders. Andorra and Catalonia are members of the association of European Border Regions (AEBR) organized in the Pyrenees Working Commission (CTP) with other three regions of the Spanish state and three of the French state (see figure 1). There are four working groups dealing with infrastructures and transport systems, technological development, cultural matters and sustainable development. An executive member of each region occupies the presidency of the CTP for two years. The four working groups are also run by executive of other different regions. In practice is a lobby to defend their objectives (Muñoz, 1995). 2 Figure 1: Comunitat de Treball dels Pirineus. Source: COMUNITAT DE TREBALL DELS PIRINEUS (http://www.ctp.org) (2006). 2. Some broadly geographical features. The Principat d’Andorra is an independent country of 464 sq. Km. and 70,000 inhabitants in 2005 (Sanguin, 1973). It’s a mountainous region mainly in the upper basin of Valira River, a tributary of Segre and Ebro rivers in the Mediterranean side of the Pyrenees. The highest peak, Coma Pedrosa, has 2,946 m. and the lowest point in the Spanish southern entrance of the country has 840 m. The Envalira Pass (2.400 m.) is on the way to France. Recently has been built a tunnel at 1,900 m. height. There is a small area of Andorra in the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees (Pas de la Casa, 2,091 m.) where the French border is located. The whole region is located in the main Pyrenees axis, between Spain in the South and France in the north, with hercinian and alpin folding. Landscape and Climate give good conditions for winter resorts but also for summer tourism. There are three different areas following the river courses structure, similar to a “Y”. Flat land or moderated slope fields at the bottom of valleys is about 20 % of the territory. The southern area, close to Spain, concentrates most of the population and service activities. It’s a river shaped basin and has most of the useful land. The northeast area, glacier shaped basin, is on the way to France and offers retail trade and winter resorts mainly to French costumers. The northwest area, also a glacier shaped basin, has several ski resorts and presents some of the most beautiful landscapes. 3 Table 1: Total population of Andorra, main nationalities. Year inhabitants Andorran Spanish French Portuguese Others 1832 3.900 - - - - - 1900 5.231 - - - - - 1930 4.142 - - - - - 1950 6.176 42,90% 54,40% 2,30% 0,10% 0,30% 1960 8.392 33,30% 62,20% 3,60% 0,50% 0,40% 1970 19.545 30,30% 61,30% 5,50% 1,60% 1,30% 1980 35.460 27,20% 58,30% 6,40% 3,40% 4,70% 1990 54.507 28,60% 49,70% 7,60% 7,20% 6,90% 1995 63.859 30,80% 45,10% 6,70% 10,80% 6,60% 2000 67.844 33,20% 42,90% 6,70% 10,70% 6,50% 2005 72.320 37,90% 38,80% 6,50% 10,00% 6,80% Source: BRICALL, J.M. (1975); and Ministeri de Justícia i Interior d’Andorra. Population has grown very fast in the last forty years (see table 1) and it is distributed among 7 parishes. Andorra la Vella, Les Escaldes-Engordany and Sant Julià de Lòria, with 70 % of the total 70,000 inhabitants in 2005, occupy the southern area with 120 sq. Km. Encamp and Canillo with 20 % of the population and 194 sq. Km. fits with the northeast area. La Massana and Ordino with 10 % of the population and 150 sq.