The surface area of the country is 468 sq.km with a population of 72,320 inhabitants. Andorra is divided up administratively into seven parishes which are: Canillo, Encamp,Andorra la Vella,Ordino,la Massana, Sant Julià de Lòria iEscaldes-Engordany.
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In Andorra the word parish means both the ecclesiastical and the civil division. The ecclesiastical part is governed by the parish priest appointed by the Bishop of Urgell. The civil part is called the Comú.
The Comú is the body or council which governs, represents and administers the interests and the property of the parish and is sited in the main village of the parish. Each Comú represents and defends the interests of the parish, draws up and manages its working budget and directs parish policies. To carry out these duties, the Comú may issue rules - called ordinances, regulations and decrees - to be obeyed on the territory of the parish. The Comú may also submit draft laws affecting the country as a whole for the approval of the General Council. The Council of the Comú is democratically elected in elections held every four years. It consists of representatives who are the mayor, the deputy mayor and a number of councillors of the Comú which may be from 8 to 14 depending on the parish. Some parishes also have a lesser territorial unit called the "quart" or "veïnat". The parishes of Ordino, La Massana and Sant Julià de Lòria are divided up into "quarts". The parish of Canillo is divided up into "veïnats".