Ethnic divisions: Alemannic 95%, Italian and other 5%
Religion: Roman Catholic 87.3%, Protestant 8.3%, unknown 1.6%,
other 2.8% (1988)
Language: German (official), Alemannic dialect
Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 10 and over can
read and write (1981)
Labor force: 12,258; 5,078 foreign workers (mostly from
Switzerland and Austria); industry, trade, and building 54.4%; services
41.6%; agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 4.0%
Organized labor: NA
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Principality of Liechtenstein
Independence: 23 January 1719, Imperial Principality of
Liechtenstein established
Constitution: 5 October 1921
Legal system: local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Saint Joseph's Day, 19 March
Executive branch: reigning prince, hereditary prince, head
of government, deputy head of government
Legislative branch: unicameral Diet (Landtag)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for criminal
cases and Superior Court (Obergericht) for civil cases
Leaders:
Chief of State--Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989;
assumed executive powers 26 August 1984);
Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS von und zu Liechtenstein (born 11 June 1968);
Head of Government--Hans BRUNHART (since 26 April 1978);
Deputy Head of Government Dr. Herbert WILLE (since 2 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Fatherland Union (VU), Dr. Otto HASLER;
Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP), Emanuel VOGT;
Free Electoral List (FW)
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
Diet--last held on 5 March 1989 (next to be held by March 1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(25 total) VU 13, FBP 12
Communists: none
Member of: CE, CSCE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO
Diplomatic representation: in routine diplomatic matters,
Liechtenstein is represented in the US by the Swiss Embassy;
US--the US has no diplomatic or consular mission in Liechtenstein,
but the US Consul General at Zurich (Switzerland) has consular
accreditation at Vaduz
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a
gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band
ECONOMY
Overview: The prosperous economy is based primarily on small-scale
light industry and tourism. Industry accounts for 54% of total
employment, the service sector 42% (mostly based on tourism), and
agriculture and forestry 4%. The sale of postage stamps to collectors is
estimated at $10 million annually. Low business taxes (the maximum tax
rate is 20%) and easy incorporation rules have induced about 25,000
holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in
Liechtenstein. Such companies, incorporated solely for tax purposes,
provide 30% of state revenues. The economy is tied closely to that of
Switzerland in a customs union, and incomes and living standards parallel
those of the more prosperous Swiss groups.
GDP: $630 million, per capita $22,300; real growth rate NA% (1990
est.)
