Liechtenstein

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

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
lowest point: Ruggleller Riet 430 m
highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m

Natural Resources

Hydroelectric potential

Land Use

Arable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 38%
Forest and woodland: 19%
Other: 18%

Irrigated Land

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

PEOPLE

Population

31,122 (July 1996 est.)
30,654 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

19% (male 2,961; female 2,871) (July 1996 est.)
19% (male 2,974; female 2,897) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

70% (male 10,775; female 11,113) (July 1996 est.)
71% (male 10,777; female 10,853) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

11% (male 1,366; female 2,036) (July 1996 est.)
10% (male 1,223; female 1,930) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.08% (1996 est.)
1.2% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

11.47 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
12.95 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

6.81 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 78.84 years (1996 est.), 77.52 years (1995 est.)
Male: 75.92 years (1996 est.), 73.86 years (1995 est.)
Female: 82.17 years (1996 est.), 81.17 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.37 children born/woman (1996 est.)
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 that can read and write (1981)

Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

Labor Force

20,000 of which 12,000 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day

By occupation:

Industry, trade, and building 48.1%
Services 50.2%
Agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.7% (1993)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
Conventional short form: Liechtenstein
Local long form: Furstentum Liechtenstein
Local short form: Liechtenstein (Pronunciation

Digraph

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, IAEA, ICRM, IFRCS, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTrO

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

National Product Per Capita

$22,300 (1990 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

5.4% (1990)

Unemployment Rate

0.9% (1995)
1.5% (1994)

Budget

Revenues: $455 million (1995 est.), $259 million (1990 est.)
Expenditures: $442 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.), $292 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1990 est.)

Exports

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

Commodities:

Machinery
Metal goods
Textiles
Foodstuffs
Motor vehicles

Partners:

External Debt

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 - 1.1810 (January 1996), 1.1825 (1995), 1.3677 (1994), 1.4776 (1993), 1.4062 (1992), 1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990)