Liechtenstein
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Geography

Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Geographic coordinates:
47 10 N, 9 32 E

Map references:
Europe

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 35 km, Switzerland 41 km

Coastline: 0 km (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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m

Natural resources:
hydroelectric potential, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 16%
forests and woodland: 35%
other: 25% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

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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 conclude 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.

People

Population: 32,207 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 2,970; female 2,988)
15-64 years: 71% (male 11,379; female 11,370)
65 years and over: 11% (male 1,393; female 2,107) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.02% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 11.83 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.64 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
5.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.81 years
male: 75.16 years
female: 82.47 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.49 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein

Ethnic groups:
Alemannic 87.5%, Italian, Turkish, and other 12.5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 7.4%, unknown 7.7%, other 4.9% (1996)

Languages: German (official), Alemannic dialect

Literacy:
definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (1981 est.)

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Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 19,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: automatic telephone system
domestic: NA
international: 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): 115 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) (1999)

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Transportation

Railways:
total: 18.5 km; note - owned, operated, and included in statistics of Austrian Federal Railways
standard gauge: 18.5 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)

Highways:
total: 250 km
paved: 250 km
unpaved: 0 km

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
none

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