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Liechtenstein
| Introduction
::Liechtenstein |
Background:
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The Principality of Liechtenstein
was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both
French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic wars, it became a
sovereign state in 1806 and joined the Germanic Confederation in 1815.
Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation
dissolved. 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. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted
in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money
laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money-laundering
legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US that went
into effect in 2003.
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| Geography ::Liechtenstein |
Location:
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Central Europe, between Austria and
Switzerland
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Geographic coordinates:
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47 16 N, 9 32 E
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 160
sq km
18
land:
160 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.9 times the size
of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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total: 76
km
border countries:
Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km
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Coastline:
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0 km (doubly landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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Current Weather
continental; cold, cloudy
winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy,
humid summers
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Terrain:
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mostly mountainous (Alps)
with Rhine Valley in western third
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Ruggeller
Riet 430 m
highest point:
Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m
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Natural resources:
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hydroelectric potential,
arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 25%
permanent crops:
0%
other:
75% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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along with Uzbekistan,
one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of
microclimatic variations based on elevation
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Population:
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35,002 (July 2010 est.)
10
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.4%
(male 2,845/female 2,888)
15-64 years:
69.2% (male 11,941/female 12,263)
65 years and over:
14.5% (male 2,197/female 2,868) (2010 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 41.4
years
male:
40.8 years
female:
41.9 years (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.683% (2010 est.)
43
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Birth rate:
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9.69 births/1,000
population (2010 est.)
97
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Death rate:
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7.49 deaths/1,000
population (July 2010 est.)
18
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Net migration rate:
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4.63 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 14%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.006
male(s)/female
under 15 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.2
deaths/1,000 live births
05
male:
5.45 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
2.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 80.19
years
0
male:
76.73 years
female:
83.66 years (2010 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.53 children born/woman
(2010 est.)
83
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective:
Liechtenstein
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Ethnic groups:
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Liechtensteiner 65.6%,
other 34.4% (2000 census)
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 76.2%,
Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2% (June 2002)
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Languages:
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German (official),
Alemannic dialect
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Literacy:
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definition: age
10 and over can read and write
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 15
years
male:
16 years
female:
13 years (2004)
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Education expenditures:
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NA
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| Government ::Liechtenstein |
Country name:
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conventional long form: Principality of
Liechtenstein
conventional short form:
Liechtenstein
local long form:
Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
local short form:
Liechtenstein
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy
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Capital:
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name: Vaduz
geographic coordinates:
47 08 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
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Administrative divisions:
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11 communes (Gemeinden,
singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken,
Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
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Independence:
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23 January 1719
(Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence
from the Holy Roman Empire)
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National holiday:
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Assumption Day, 15 August
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Constitution:
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5 October 1921; amended
15 September 2003
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Legal system:
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local civil and penal
codes based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Prince
HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 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 Klaus TSCHUETSCHER (since 25
March 2009)
cabinet:
Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by
the monarch
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag usually
appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the
largest minority party in the Landtag usually appointed the deputy head
of government by the monarch if there is a coalition government
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or
Landtag (25 seats; members elected by popular vote under proportional
representation to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 8 February 2009 (next to be held in
February 2013)
election results:
percent of vote by party - VU 47.6%, FBP 43.5%, FL
8.9%; seats by party - VU 13, FBP 11, FL 1
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Oberster
Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or Obergericht
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Political parties and leaders:
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Die Freie Liste (The Free
List) or FL [Wolfgang MARXER]; Fortschrittliche Buergerpartei
(Progressive Citizens' Party) or FBP [Alexander BATLINER];
Vaterlaendische Union (Fatherland Union) or VU [Adolf HEEB]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA,
ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
Schengen Convention (de facto member), UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Claudia FRITSCHE
chancery:
2900 K Street, NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC
20007
telephone:
[1] (202) 331-0590
FAX:
[1] (202) 331-3221
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an
embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited
to Liechtenstein
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Flag description:
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two equal horizontal
bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the
blue band; the colors may derive from the blue and red livery design
used in the principality's household in the 18th century; the prince's
crown was introduced in 1937 to distinguish the flag from that of Haiti
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Economy - overview:
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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 the highest per capita income in the world. 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 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. In 2008, Liechtenstein came under renewed
international pressure - particularly from Germany - to improve
transparency in its banking and tax systems. In December 2008,
Liechtenstein signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the US.
Upon Liechtenstein's conclusion of 12 bilateral information-sharing
agreements, the OECD in October 2009 removed the principality from its
"grey list" of countries that had yet to implement the organization's
Model Tax Convention.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$4.16 billion (2007)
66
$4.035
billion (2006 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$4.603 billion (2007)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.1% (2007 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$122,100 (2007 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 8%
industry:
39%
services:
54% (2007)
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Labor force:
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32,440 of whom 16,200
commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (2008)
02
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Labor force -
by occupation:
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agriculture: 1.7%
industry:
43.5%
services:
55.4% (December 2006)
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Unemployment rate:
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1.5% (31 December 2007)
1.3%
(September 2002)
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Population
below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:
NA%
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Budget:
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revenues: $943
million
expenditures:
$820 million (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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0.5% (2009)
country comparison to the world: 37
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$NA
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, barley, corn,
potatoes; livestock, dairy products
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Industries:
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electronics, metal
manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food
products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Exports:
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$3.92 billion (2008)
11
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Exports - commodities:
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small specialty
machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles,
dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment,
optical products
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Imports:
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$2.59 billion (2008)
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Imports - commodities:
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agricultural products,
raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles,
foodstuffs, motor vehicles
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Debt - external:
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$0 (2001)
97
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Exchange rates:
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Swiss francs (CHF) per US
dollar - 1.1081 (2009), 1.0774 (2008), 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006),
1.2452 (2005)
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| Communications
::Liechtenstein |
Telephones - main lines in use:
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19,600 (2008)
95
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Telephones -
mobile cellular:
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34,000 (2008)
00
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: automatic
telephone system
domestic:
fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely
available; combined telephone service subscribership exceeds 150 per 100
persons
international:
country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by
cable and microwave radio relay (2008)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0
(1998)
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Television
broadcast stations:
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NA (linked to Swiss
networks) (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.li
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Internet hosts:
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9,287 (2009)
18
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Internet users:
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23,000 (2008)
87
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| Transportation
::Liechtenstein |
Pipelines:
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gas 20 km (2009)
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Railways:
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9 km 1.435-m gauge
(electrified)
note:
belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting
Austria and Switzerland (2008)
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Roadways:
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total: 380
km
00
paved:
380 km (2010)
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Waterways:
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28 km (2008)
07
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Military branches:
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no regular military forces
(constitutionally prohibited); Principality of Liechtenstein National
Police (Landespolizei, LP) (2010)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 8,041
(2010 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 6,559
females age 16-49:
6,782 (2010 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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male: 209
female:
208 (2010 est.)
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Military - note:
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Liechtenstein has no
military forces but is interested in European security policy and is an
active member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE)
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| Transnational Issues
::Liechtenstein |
Disputes - international:
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none
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Illicit drugs:
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has strengthened money
laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to
Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector
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