1.
[syn: Liechtenstein, Principality of Liechtenstein]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Liechtenstein \Liechtenstein\ prop. n.
a small principality in central Europe.
[WordNet 1.5]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Liechtenstein
n 1: a small landlocked principality (constitutional monarchy)
in central Europe located in the Alps between Austria and
Switzerland [syn: Liechtenstein, Principality of
Liechtenstein]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Liechtenstein
Introduction Liechtenstein
--------------------------
Background: The Principality of Liechtenstein
was established within the Holy
Roman Empire in 1719; it became a
sovereign state in 1806. Until the
end of World War I, it was closely
tied to Austria, but the economic
devastation caused by that conflict
forced Liechtenstein to conclude a
customs and monetary union with
Switzerland. Since World War II (in
which Liechtenstein remained
neutral) the country's low taxes
have spurred outstanding economic
growth. However, shortcomings in
banking regulatory oversight have
resulted in concerns about the use
of the financial institutions for
money laundering.
Geography Liechtenstein
-----------------------
Location: Central Europe, between Austria and
Switzerland
Geographic coordinates: 47 10 N, 9 32 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 160 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 160 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.9 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 76 km
border countries: Austria 35 km,
Switzerland 41 km
Coastline: 0 km (doubly landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m
Natural resources: hydroelectric potential, arable land
Land use: arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 75% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-
Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: along with Uzbekistan, one of only
two doubly landlocked countries in
the world; variety of microclimatic
variations based on elevation
People Liechtenstein
--------------------
Population: 32,842 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 3,003;
female 3,001)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 11,530;
female 11,639)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male
1,494; female 2,175) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.94% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 11.24 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.1 years
female: 82.74 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.47 years
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein
Ethnic groups: Alemannic 87.5%, Italian, Turkish,
and other 12.5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 7.4%,
unknown 7.7%, other 4.9% (1996)
Languages: German (official), Alemannic dialect
Literacy: definition: age 10 and over can read
and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (1981 est.)
Government Liechtenstein
------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Principality
of Liechtenstein
conventional short form:
Liechtenstein
local short form: Liechtenstein
local long form: Fuerstentum
Liechtenstein
Government 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; 12 July 1806
established independence from the
Holy Roman Empire
National holiday: Assumption Day, 15 August
Constitution: 5 October 1921
Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage: 20 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, son of
the monarch (born 11 June 1968)
elections: none; the monarch is
hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the
majority party in the Diet is
usually appointed the head of
government by the monarch and the
leader of the largest minority party
in the Diet is usually appointed the
deputy head of government by the
monarch
cabinet: Cabinet elected by the
Diet, confirmed by the monarch
head of government: Head of
Government Otmar HASLER (since 5
April 2001) and Deputy Head of
Government Rita KIEBER-BECK (since 5
April 2001)
Legislative branch: unicameral Diet or Landtag (25
seats; members are elected by
direct, popular vote under
proportional representation to serve
four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by
party - FBP 49.90%, VU 41.35%, FL
8.71%; seats by party - FBP 13, VU
11, FL 1
elections: last held 11 February
2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Oberster
Gerichtshof; Superior Court or
Obergericht
Political parties and leaders: Fatherland Union or VU [Heinz
FROMMELT]; Progressive Citizens'
Party or FBP [Johannes MATT]; The
Free List or FL [Dr. Pepo FRICK,
Karin JENNY, Rene HASLER]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization CE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, IAEA, ICRM,
participation: IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WHO
(observer), WIPO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Claudia
FRITSCHE
chancery: 633 Third Avenue, 27th
floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-0220
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0064
Diplomatic representation from the the US does not have an embassy in
US: Liechtenstein, but the US Ambassador
to Switzerland is also accredited to
Liechtenstein
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue
(top) and red with a gold crown on
the hoist side of the blue band
Economy Liechtenstein
---------------------
Economy - overview: Despite its small size and limited
natural resources, Liechtenstein has
developed into a prosperous, highly
industrialized, free-enterprise
economy with a vital financial
service sector and living standards
on a par with the urban areas of its
large European neighbors. Low
business taxes - the maximum tax
rate is 18% - and easy incorporation
rules have induced 73,700 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. It imports
more than 90% of its energy
requirements. Liechtenstein has been
a member of the European Economic
Area (an organization serving as a
bridge between European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) and EU) since May
1995. The government is working to
harmonize its economic policies with
those of an integrated Europe.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $730
million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,000
(1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2001)
Labor force: 22,891 of which 13,847 are
foreigners; 8,231 commute from
Austria and Switzerland to work each
day
Labor force - by occupation: industry, trade, and building 45%,
services 53%, agriculture, fishing,
forestry, and horticulture 2% (1997
est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.8% (February 1999)
Budget: revenues: $424.2 million
expenditures: $414.1 million,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1998 est.)
Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing,
textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals,
food products, precision
instruments, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA%
other: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
Electricity - consumption: NA kWh
Electricity - exports: NA kWh
Electricity - imports: NA kWh
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, corn, potatoes;
livestock, dairy products
Exports: $2.47 billion (1996)
Exports - commodities: small specialty machinery, dental
products, stamps, hardware, pottery
Exports - partners: EU and EFTA countries 60.57%
(Switzerland 15.7%) (1995)
Imports: $917.3 million (1996)
Imports - commodities: machinery, metal goods, textiles,
foodstuffs, motor vehicles
Imports - partners: EU countries, Switzerland (1996)
Debt - external: $0 (1996)
Economic aid - recipient: none
Currency: Swiss franc (CHF)
Currency code: CHF
Exchange rates: Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6668
(January 2002), 1.6876 (2001),
1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498
(1998), 1.4513 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Liechtenstein
----------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 20,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: automatic
telephone system
domestic: NA
international: linked to Swiss
networks by cable and microwave
radio relay
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 21,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)
Televisions: 12,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .li
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland)
(2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Liechtenstein
----------------------------
Railways: total: 18.5 km
standard gauge: 18.5 km 1.435-
m gauge (electrified)
note: owned, operated, and included
in statistics of Austrian Federal
Railways (2001)
Highways: total: 250 km
paved: 250 km
unpaved: 0 km
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: none (2001)
Military Liechtenstein
----------------------
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
Switzerland
Transnational Issues Liechtenstein
----------------------------------
Disputes - international: Liechtenstein's royal family claims
restitution for 1,600 sq km of land
in the Czech Republic confiscated in
1918
Illicit drugs: multilateral organizations engaged
in issuing international guidelines
for financial sector oversight found
gaps in Liechtenstein's financial
services controls that made it
vulnerable to money laundering, but
Liechtenstein has become less
attractive as a haven for illicit
funds, based on implementation in
2001 of new anti-money-laundering
legislation and improved mutual
legal assistance cooperation with
other countries