Liechtenstein

Geography

Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Map references: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

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 620 square miles 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, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note: landlocked; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

People

Population: 30,281 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.26% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 13.08 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 6.6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population 77.46 years
male 73.76 years
female 81.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1994 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)

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. Otto HASLER; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Emanuel VOGT; Free Electoral List (FL)

Member of: CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, 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: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale light industry and tourism. Industry accounts for 53% of total employment, the service sector 45% (mostly based on tourism), and agriculture and forestry 2%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is estimated at $10 million annually. 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. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes, provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to Switzerland's economy in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.

National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $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% (1990)

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 EFTA countries 20.9% (Switzerland 15.4%), EC countries 42.7%, 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 - 1.4715 (January 1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Railroads: 18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways

Highways:
total 322.93 km
paved 322.93 km

Airports: none

Telecommunications: limited, but sufficient automatic telephone system; 25,400 telephones; linked to Swiss networks by cable and radio relay for international telephone, radio, and TV services

Defense Forces

Note: defense is responsibility of Switzerland