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.
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.)
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
Google 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Myspace 
Yahoo 
Digg 
Del.icoi.us 
Windows Live 
Reddit 
Blogger 
