| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
47° 16' North Latitude
9° 32' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
160 sq km |
| Climate |
Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers |
| Natural Resources |
Hydroelectric potential, arable land |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Principality of Liechtenstein |
| Capital City |
Vaduz |
| Government Type |
Hereditary constitutional monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis |
| Administrative Divisions |
11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz |
| Independence Day |
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
33,717 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Liechtenstein |
| Ethnic Groups |
Alemannic 86%, Italian, Turkish, and other 14% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2% (June 2002) |
| Languages |
German (official), Alemannic dialect |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.82% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Swiss franc (CHF) |
| Industries |
Electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments |
| Labor Force |
29,000 of whom 19,000 are foreigners; 13,000 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 1.3%, industry 47.4%, services 51.3% (31 December 2001 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products |
| Export Commodities |
Small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products |
| Export Partners |
EU 62.6% (Germany 24.3%, Austria 9.5%, France 8.9%, Italy 6.6%, UK 4.6%), US 18.9%, Switzerland 15.7% |
| Import Commodities |
Agricultural products, raw materials, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles |
| Import Partners |
EU, Switzerland |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
250 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 20 km (2004) |
| Airports |
none |
| Ports and Harbors |
none |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+41 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.li |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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 enter into 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. Shortcomings in banking regulatory
oversight have resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money laundering. Liechtenstein has, however, implemented new anti-money-laundering
legislation and recently concluded a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US. |
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