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:
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:
local long form:
     Furstentum Liechtenstein
local short form:
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