| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
conventional short form: Liechtenstein
local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
local short form: Liechtenstein |
| Capital: |
Vaduz |
| Location: |
Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
47 16 N, 9 32 E |
| Area: |
total: 160 sq km
land: 160 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 76 km
border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 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 |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
hydroelectric potential, arable land |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
hereditary constitutional monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz |
| Independence |
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (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 |
18 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); note - on 15 August 2004, HANS ADAM transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but HANS ADAM retains status of chief of state
head of government: Head of Government Ottmar HASLER (since 5 April 2001) and Deputy Head of Government Rita KIEBER-BECK (since 5 April 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet elected by the parliament, confirmed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by NA 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL 13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or Obergericht |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
Patriotic Union (was Fatherland Union) or VU [Heinz FROMMELT]; Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Johannes MATT]; The Free List or FL [Dr. Pepo FRICK, Elisabeth TELLENBACH-FRICK, Adolf RITTER] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
33,717 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 17.6% (male 2,938/female 3,009)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 11,795/female 11,927)
65 years and over: 12% (male 1,685/female 2,363) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 39.22 years
male: 38.74 years
female: 39.68 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein |
| Ethnic groups: |
Alemannic 86%, Italian, Turkish, and other 14% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2% (June 2002) |
| Languages: |
German (official), Alemannic dialect |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
19,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
11,400 (2002) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997) |
| Internet country
code: |
.li |
| Internet hosts: |
3,727 (2004) |
| Internet users: |
20,000 (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 250 km
paved: 250 km
unpaved: 0 km |
| Highways: |
|
| Waterways: |
28 km (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 20 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
none |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
none (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
|
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
