British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) | Liechtenstein (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 17.4% (male 2,922/female 2,988)
15-64 years: 70.2% (male 11,842/female 12,022) 65 years and over: 12.4% (male 1,773/female 2,440) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products |
Airports | 1 (2001) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 160 sq km
land: 160 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | 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 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. Shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money laundering. Liechtenstein has, however, implemented new anti-money-laundering legislation and recently concluded a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US. |
Birth rate | - | 10.21 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $424.2 million
expenditures: $414.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Vaduz
geographic coordinates: 47 09 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 |
Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers |
Coastline | 698 km | 0 km (doubly landlocked) |
Constitution | - | 5 October 1921 |
Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
conventional short form: Liechtenstein local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein local short form: Liechtenstein |
Death rate | - | 7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $0 (2001) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein, but the US Ambassador to Switzerland is also accredited to Liechtenstein |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Claudia FRITSCHE
chancery: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-0590 FAX: [1] (202) 331-3221 |
Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain | in February 2005, the ICJ refused to rule on the restitution of Liechtenstein's land and property assets in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1945 as German property |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $0 |
Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | 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 living standards on a par with its large European neighbors. 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 or so-called letter box 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. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | 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 |
Ethnic groups | - | Alemannic 86%, Italian, Turkish, and other 14% |
Exchange rates | - | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers 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 Ottmar HASLER (since 5 April 2001) and Deputy Head of Government Rita KIEBER-BECK (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch |
Exports | - | $2.47 billion (1996) |
Exports - commodities | - | small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products |
Exports - partners | - | EU 62.6% (Germany 24.3%, Austria 9.5%, France 8.9%, Italy 6.6%, UK 4.6%), US 18.9%, Switzerland 15.7% (2004) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 6% NA%
industry: 39% services: 55% NA% (1999) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 11% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 47 16 N, 9 32 E |
Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | has strengthened money-laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector |
Imports | - | $917.3 million (1996) |
Imports - commodities | - | agricultural products, raw materials, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles |
Imports - partners | - | EU, Switzerland (2004) |
Independence | - | 23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 4.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1% (2001) |
International organization participation | - | CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or Obergericht |
Labor force | - | 29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 2%
industry: 47% services: 51% (31 December 2001) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 76 km
border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km |
Land use | arable land: NEGL
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (2005) |
Languages | - | German (official), Alemannic dialect |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL 13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 79.68 years
male: 76.1 years female: 83.28 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 10 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
Location | Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | defense is the responsibility of Switzerland |
National holiday | - | Assumption Day, 15 August |
Nationality | - | noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | hydroelectric potential, arable land |
Net migration rate | - | 4.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 20 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Patriotic Union (was Fatherland Union) or VU [Adolf HEEB]; Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Otmar HASLER]; The Free List or FL |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.) |
33,987 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.78% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | - | 9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2006) |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 7%, unknown 10.6%, other 6.2% (June 2002) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: NA international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 19,900 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 11,400 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997) |
Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.51 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 1.3% (September 2002) |
Waterways | none | 28 km (2005) |