:Liechtenstein Geography

Total area:
    160 km2
Land area:
    160 km2
Comparative area:
    about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
    78 km; Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km
Coastline:
    none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
    none - landlocked
Disputes:
    none
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%
Environment:
    variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
Note:
    landlocked

:Liechtenstein People

Population:
    28,642 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
    13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    5 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    1.5 children born/woman (1992)
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:
    100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 10 and over can read and write (1981)
Labor force:
    19,905, of which 11,933 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from Austria and
    Switzerland to work each day; industry, trade, and building 53.2%, services
    45%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.8% (1990)
Organized labor:
    NA

:Liechtenstein Government

Long-form name:
    Principality of Liechtenstein
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
Constitution:
    5 October 1921
Legal system:
    local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
    reservations
National holiday:
    Assumption Day, 15 August
Executive branch:
    reigning prince, hereditary prince, head of government, deputy head of
    government
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Diet (Landtag)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases and Superior Court
    (Obergericht) for civil cases
Leaders:
  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:
    Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978); Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert
    WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
    Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto HASLER; Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP),
    Emanuel VOGT; Free Electoral List (FW)
Suffrage:
    universal at age 18
Elections:
  Diet:
    last held on 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993); results - percent
    of vote by party NA; seats - (25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
Member of:
    CE, CSCE, EBRD, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU,
    WIPO
Diplomatic representation:
    in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the
    Swiss Embassy
  US:
    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

:Liechtenstein 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 that of Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living
    standards parallel those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth
    rate NA% (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)
Exports:
    $1.6 billion
  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:
    23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries:
    electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food
    products, precision instruments, tourism
Agriculture:
    livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes
Economic aid:
    none
Currency:
    Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural - francs, franken, or franchi); 1
    Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi
Exchange rates:
    Swiss francs, franken, or franchi (SwF) per US$1 - 1.5079 (March 1992),
    1.4340 (1991), 1.3892 (1990), 1.6359 (1989), 1.4633 (1988), 1.4912 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Liechtenstein Communications

Railroads:
    18.5 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, electrified; owned, operated, and
    included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
Highways:
    130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads
Civil air:
    no transport aircraft
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

:Liechtenstein Defense Forces

Branches:
    Police Department
Note:
    defense is responsibility of Switzerland