Liechtenstein

Airports

none

Civil air

no transport aircraft

Highways

130.66 km main roads, 192.27 km byroads

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

Branches

Police Department

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)

Currency

Swiss franc, franken, or franco (plural - francs, franken, or franchi); 1 Swiss franc, franken, or franco (SwF) = 100 centimes, rappen, or centesimi

Economic aid

none

Electricity

23,000 kW capacity; 150 million kWh produced, 5,340 kWh per capita (1989)

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)

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)

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth rate NA% (1990 est.)

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)

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.

Unemployment rate

1.5% (1990)

Climate

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

Coastline

none - landlocked

Comparative area

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Land area

160 km2

Land boundaries

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%

Maritime claims

none - landlocked

Natural resources

hydroelectric potential

Note

landlocked

Terrain

mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Total area

160 km2

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Vaduz

Constitution

5 October 1921

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

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

Executive branch

reigning prince, hereditary prince, head of government, deputy head of government

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 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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Diet (Landtag)

Long-form name

Principality of Liechtenstein

Member of

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

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 (FW)

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

hereditary constitutional monarchy

Birth rate

13 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%

Infant mortality rate

5 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

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)

Languages

German (official), Alemannic dialect

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Literacy

100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 10 and over can read and write (1981)

Nationality

noun - Liechtensteiner(s); adjective - Liechtenstein

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

28,642 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (1992)