LIECHTENSTEIN
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
LIECHTENSTEIN
@Liechtenstein:Geography
Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland
Map references: Europe
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIECHTENSTEIN - MAJOR CITIES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
VADUZ 5,000 47.08N, 9.32E 41-75 GMT+1
Schaan 5,000 47.10N, 9.31E 41-75 GMT+1
Balzers 4,000 47.04N, 9.32E 41-75 GMT+1
Triesen 3,000 47.07N, 9.32E 41-75 GMT+1
Eschen 3,000 47.13N, 9.32E 41-75 GMT+1
Mauren 3,000 47.13N, 9.33E 41-75 GMT+1
Triesenberg 2,000 47.07N, 9.32E 41-75 GMT+1
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Area:
total area: 160 sq km
land area: 160 sq km
comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total 78 km, Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: claims 1,600 square kilometers of Czech
territory confiscated from its royal family in 1918; the Czech
Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February
1948, when the Communists seized power
Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain;
cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
Natural resources: hydroelectric potential
Land use:
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 38%
forest and woodland: 19%
other: 18%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed,
but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Law of the
Sea
Note: landlocked; variety of microclimatic variations based on
elevation
@Liechtenstein:People
Population: 30,654 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 2,897; male 2,974)
15-64 years: 71% (female 10,853; male 10,777)
65 years and over: 10% (female 1,930; male 1,223) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.2% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.95 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 5.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.52 years
male: 73.86 years
female: 81.17 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein
Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other
2.8% (1988)
Languages: German (official), Alemannic dialect
Literacy: age 10 and over can read and write (1981)
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100%
Labor force: 19,905 of which 11,933 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from
Austria and Switzerland to work each day
by occupation: industry, trade, and building 53.2%, services 45%,
agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.8% (1990)
@Liechtenstein:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
conventional short form: Liechtenstein
local long form: Furstentum Liechtenstein
local short form: Liechtenstein
Digraph: LS
Type: hereditary constitutional monarchy
Capital: Vaduz
Administrative divisions: 11 communes (gemeinden, singular -
gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan,
Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
Independence: 23 January 1719 (Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein
established)
National holiday: Assumption Day, 15 August
Constitution: 5 October 1921
Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Prince Hans ADAM II (since 13 November 1989; assumed
executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und
zu Liechtenstein (born 11 June 1968)
head of government: Mario FRICK (since 15 December 1993); Deputy Head
of Government Dr. Thomas BUECHEL (since 15 December 1993)
cabinet: Cabinet; elected by the Diet; confirmed by the sovereign
Legislative branch: unicameral
Diet (Landtag): elections last held on 24 October 1993 (next to be
held by March 1997); results - VU 50.1%, FBP 41.3%, FL 8.5%; seats -
(25 total) VU 13, FBP 11, FL 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal
cases, Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
Political parties and leaders: Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Oswald
KRANTZ; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Otmar HASLER; The Free List
(FL)
Member of: CE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, GATT, IAEA, ICRM, IFRCS, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO
Diplomatic representation in US: in routine diplomatic matters,
Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy
US diplomatic representation: the US has no diplomatic or consular
mission in Liechtenstein, but the US Consul General at Zurich
(Switzerland) has consular accreditation at Vaduz
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold
crown on the hoist side of the blue band
Economy
Overview: Despite its small size and limited natural resources,
Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized,
free-enterprise economy with a vital service sector and living
standards on par with its large European neighbors. Low business taxes
- the maximum tax rate is 20% - and easy incorporation rules have
induced about 25,000 holding or so-called letter box companies to
establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein, providing 30% of state
revenues. The country participates in a customs union with Switzerland
and uses the Swiss franc as its national currency. Liechtenstein plans
to join the European Economic Area (an organization serving as a
bridge between EFTA and EU) in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $630 million (1990
est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $22,300 (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 1.5% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $259 million
expenditures: $292 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1990 est.)
Exports: $NA
commodities: small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps,
hardware, pottery
partners: EC countries 42.7%, EFTA countries 20.9% (Switzerland
15.4%), other 36.4% (1990)
Imports: $NA
commodities: machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor
vehicles
partners: NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 23,000 kW
production: 150 million kWh
consumption per capita: 5,230 kWh (1992)
Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics,
pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism
Agriculture: livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
Economic aid: none
Currency: 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes,
rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates: Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 -
1.2880 (January 1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992),
1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Liechtenstein:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 18.5 km; note - owned, operated, and included in statistics of
Austrian Federal Railways
standard gauge: 18.5 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
Highways:
total: 322.93 km
paved: 322.93 km
Ports: none
Airports: none
@Liechtenstein:Communications
Telephone system: 25,400 telephones; limited, but sufficient automatic
telephone system
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: linked to Swiss networks by cable and radio relay
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
radios: NA
note: linked to Swiss networks
Television:
broadcast stations: NA
televisions: NA
note: linked to Swiss networks
@Liechtenstein:Defense Forces
Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland
________________________________________________________________________