Liechtenstein

Airports

none

Highways

total: 322.93 km paved: 322.93 km

Railroads

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

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

Note

defense is responsibility of Switzerland

Agriculture

livestock, vegetables, corn, wheat, potatoes, grapes

Budget

revenues: $259 million expenditures: $292 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Currency

1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi

Economic aid

none

Electricity

capacity: 23,000 kW production: 150 million kWh consumption per capita: 5,230 kWh (1992)

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)

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)

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$NA commodities: machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles partners: NA

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.4% (1990)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $630 million (1990 est.)

National product per capita

$22,300 (1990 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

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.

Unemployment rate

1.5% (1990)

Area

total area: 160 sq km land area: 160 sq km comparative area: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total 78 km, Austria 37 km, Switzerland 41 km

Land use

arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 38% forest and woodland: 19% other: 18%

Location

Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

hydroelectric potential

Note

landlocked; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Terrain

mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Administrative divisions

11 communes (gemeinden, singular - gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz

Capital

Vaduz

Constitution

5 October 1921

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

Digraph

LS

Diplomatic representation in US

in routine diplomatic matters, Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy

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

Flag

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band

Independence

23 January 1719 (Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal cases, Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases

Legal system

local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO

Names

conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein conventional short form: Liechtenstein local long form: Furstentum Liechtenstein local short form: Liechtenstein

National holiday

Assumption Day, 15 August

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

hereditary constitutional monarchy

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

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic divisions

Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%

Infant mortality rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

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)

Languages

German (official), Alemannic dialect

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.46 years male: 73.76 years female: 81.03 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 10 and over can read and write (1981) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Nationality

noun: Liechtensteiner(s) adjective: Liechtenstein

Net migration rate

6.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

30,281 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.26% (1994 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%, other 2.8% (1988)

Total fertility rate

1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)