| Liechtenstein |
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| 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 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 resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money-laundering legislation over the past several years and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US went into effect in 2003. |
| Geography and Environmental |
Capital: name: Vaduz
geographic coordinates: 47 09 N, 9 31 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Area Total: 160 sq km |
| Area Land: 160 sq km |
| Area Water: 0 sq km |
| Area Comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline: 0 km (doubly 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 |
| Elevation Extremes Highest Point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m |
| Natural Resources: hydroelectric potential, arable land |
| Land Use Arable Land: 25% |
| Land Use Permanent Crops: 0% |
| Land Use Other: 75% (2005) |
| Irrigated Land: NA |
| Natural Hazards: NA |
| Environment Current Issues: NA |
| Geography Note: along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation |
| Population |
| Population: 34,247 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age Structure 0 to 14 Years: 17.1% (male 2,902/female 2,963) |
| Age Structure 15 to 64 Years: 70% (male 11,887/female 12,101) |
| Age Structure 65 Years And Over: 12.8% (male 1,862/female 2,532) (2007 est.) |
| Median Age Total: 40.1 years |
| Median Age Male: 39.5 years |
| Median Age Female: 40.5 years (2007 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: 0.745% (2007 est.) |
| Birth Rate: 10.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death Rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex Ratio At Birth: 1.01 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Under 15 Years: 0.979 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 15 to 64 Years: 0.982 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio 65 Years And Over: 0.735 male(s)/female |
| Sex Ratio Total Population: 0.946 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate Total: 4.58 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Male: 6.13 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Infant Mortality Rate Female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life Expectancy At BirthTotalPopulation: 79.81 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Male: 76.24 years |
| Life Expectancy At Birth Female: 83.4 years (2007 est.) |
| Total Fertility Rate: 1.51 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: NA |
| HIV AIDS People Living With HIV AIDS: NA |
| HIV AIDS Deaths: NA |
| Religions: Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2% (June 2002) |
| Languages: German (official), Alemannic dialect |
| Literacy Definition: age 10 and over can read and write |
| Literacy Total Population: 100% |
| Literacy Male: 100% |
| Literacy Female: 100% |
| Administrative Divisions: 11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz |
| Legal System: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| 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 its large European neighbors. The Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a large number of small businesses. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 20% - and easy incorporation rules have induced many 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 the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the EU) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. |
| GDP Purchasing Power Parity: $1.786 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP Real Growth Rate: 11% (1999 est.) |
| GDP Composition By Sector Agriculture: 6% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Industry: 39% |
| GDP Composition By Sector Services: 55% (2001) |
| Labor Force: 29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001) |
Labor Force By Occupation: agriculture: 2%
industry: 47%
services: 51% (31 December 2001 est.) |
| Unemployment Rate: 1.3% (September 2002) |
Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation Rate Consumer Prices: 1% (2001) |
| Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments |
| Industrial Production Growth Rate: NA% |
| Energy |
| Exports: $2.47 billion (1996) |
| Exports Commodities: small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products |
| Exports 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% (2004) |
| Imports: $917.3 million (1996) |
| Imports Commodities: agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles |
| Imports Partners: EU, Switzerland (2004) |
| Debt External: $0 (2001) |
| Communications |
| Telephones Main Lines In Use: 19,900 (2002) |
| TelephonesMobileCellular: 11,400 (2002) |
| Telephone System General Assessment: automatic telephone system |
| Telephone System Domestic: NA |
| Telephone System International: country code - 423; 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 Service Providers-ISPs: 44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) (2000) |
| Internet Users: 20,000 (2002) |
| Transportation |
| Waterways: 28 km (2005) |
| Disputes International: none |
| IllicitDrugs: has strengthened money laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector |