Liechtenstein Country Overview

Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein, state in Central Europe, in the northern Alps to the right of the Alpine Rhine with (2018) 37,900 residents; The capital is Vaduz.

Country facts

• Official name: Principality of Liechtenstein
• License plate: FL
• ISO-3166: LI, LIE (438)
• Internet domain:.li
• Currency: 1 Swiss franc (sfr) = 100 cents
• Area: 160 km²
• Population (2018): 37 900
• Capital: Vaduz
• Official language (s): German
• Form of government: Parliamentary monarchy
• Administrative division: 11 municipalities
• Head of State: Prince Hans Adam II.
• Prime Minister: Adrian Hasler
• Religion (s) (2015): Christians (73.4% Catholics; 6.3% Protestants, 3.5% other Christians), 5.9% Muslims, 7% non-denominational, 4% other / n / a
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National holiday: August 15th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): Central Europe
• Position (coordinates): between 47 ° 03 ‘and 47 ° 14’ north latitude and 9 ° 29 ‘and 9 ° 38’ east longitude
• Climate: Relatively mild, humid in winter
• Highest mountain: Vorder-Grauspitz (2,599 m)
• Road network (2019): 630 km (paved)
• Railway network (2018): 9 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2020): 0.75%
• Birth rate (2020): 10.4 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2020): 7.8 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2020): 43.7 years
• Average life expectancy (2020): 82.2 years (men 79.9; women 85)
• Age structure (2020): 15.2% younger than 15 years, 18.9% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older): N / A
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 122 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 98 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita: n / a
• Total GDP: n / a
• GNI per capita (2009): US $ 116,430
• Education expenditure (2011): 2.6% of GDP
• Military expenditure: n / a
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older): n / a

Geography

Location

Liechtenstein borders in the south and west on Switzerland (canton Sankt Gallen and canton Graubünden), in the east on Austria (Vorarlberg).

Liechtenstein lies on the western roof of the Eastern Alps to the Rhine; it encompasses the extreme west of the Rätikon (Northern Limestone Alps) with the (middle and upper) Samina valley opening to the north with the Valorsch and Malbuntal valleys in the entire south-east as well as the valley of Lawena, oriented towards the Rhine, in the south; The highest point is the Vorder-Grauspitz (2,599 m above sea level) on the border with Graubünden. The Rhine valley, which widens sharply to the north, was shaped by the Rhine glacier from the Würme Ice Age up to around 1,700 m above sea level; the foot of the mountain line rubbish fans and alluvial land cones; in the far north it is dominated by the Eschnerberg, an isolated limestone dome (up to 698 m above sea level).

The mountain slopes are forested above 550 m above sea level, below about 1,300 m above sea level covered with deciduous, above that with coniferous forest, above 1,800 m above sea level there is alpine shrub, herb and grass vegetation.

Climate

Liechtenstein’s climate is mild with relatively high mean temperatures of −1.7 ° C in January and 18.8 ° C in July. The amount of precipitation is between 800 mm and in ridge layers 2,100 mm annually (Vaduz 1,150 mm).

Population and Religion

Population

Most of the Liechtenstein people are of Alemannic descent. Among the foreigners, who make up a third of the total population, the majority are Swiss (9.5% of the total population), Austrians (5.8%), Germans (4.1%) and Italians (3.2%). The population density is (2017) 237 residents / km ². The main settlement area is the Rhine plain; the appearance is determined by smaller communities and villages. The largest places are Schaan and Vaduz, furthermore Triesen (south of Vaduz), Balzers (in the extreme southwest), Eschen and Mauren (in the north). Overall, the proportion of the urban population is only 14%.

Religion

The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and guarantees the free exercise of religion, whereby the Catholic Church, as a “regional church” with public law status, has a privileged legal position compared to the other religious communities organized under the law of associations.

According to mysteryaround, the Princely House and a good 73% of the resident population officially belonged to the Catholic Church in 2015 (census) (belonging to the exemte Archdiocese of Vaduz; established in 1997 by separation from the Diocese of Chur), around 7.5% were Protestants (mostly Reformed and Lutherans), 1, 2% Orthodox Christians. Almost 6% professed Islam.

Law

Ordinary jurisdiction (for civil and criminal matters) has three levels and consists of a regional court, a higher court and a supreme court; The latter two are collegial courts, with the judiciary consisting of lawyers (including those from Austria and Switzerland) and lay judges (who form the majority of the judges at the collegiate courts). Depending on the situation, a single judge or a collegial panel is active at the regional court. The administrative jurisdiction consists of the administrative complaints authority and the state court.

Property law, personal and company law and public law largely follow the Swiss model. The other parts of civil law and criminal law, on the other hand, are largely based on the Austrian model. Compulsory civil marriage was introduced in 1974, and equality between men and women was enshrined in the constitution in 1992.

Education

The entire education and teaching system is under state supervision. General school attendance is compulsory for ages 7 to 16. The primary school lasts 5 years, after the 5th grade the school system is divided into 3 school types: Oberschule (corresponds to the German Hauptschule), Realschule and Gymnasium. Liechtenstein has 4 higher education institutions (Liechtenstein University of Applied Sciences, Liechtenstein Institute, International Academy of Philosophy, University of Human Sciences) and is one of the sponsors of the Interstate University of Technology in Buchs (Canton of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland). The Liechtenstein Matura (after 12 school years) also entitles you to study at a university in Switzerland and Austria.

Media

The country’s two daily newspapers, “Liechtensteiner Vaterland” (Vaduz) and “Liechtensteiner Volksblatt”, appear six times a week, while the “Liechtensteiner Wochenzeitung” (both Schaan) appears on Sundays. The »Press and Information Office of the Principality of Liechtenstein« publishes official bulletins. The private radio broadcaster “Radio L” (Triesen) has been broadcasting since 1995, and on January 1, 2004 it was converted into the national public broadcaster “Radio Liechtenstein”.