Liechtenstein (2001) | Svalbard (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | 11 communes (gemeinden, singular - gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
18.41% (male 2,992; female 2,996) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 11,455; female 11,511) 65 years and over: 10.99% (male 1,439; female 2,135) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products | - |
Airports | none | 4 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
Area | total:
160 sq km land: 160 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 61,020 sq km
land: 61,020 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island) |
Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
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. However, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money laundering. | First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. |
Birth rate | 11.53 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
Budget | revenues:
$424.2 million expenditures: $414.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $25.07 million
expenditures: $NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Vaduz | name: Longyearbyen
geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 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 | continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers | arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 3,587 km |
Constitution | 5 October 1921 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
Principality of Liechtenstein conventional short form: Liechtenstein local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein local short form: Liechtenstein |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen) |
Currency | Swiss franc (CHF) | - |
Death rate | 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
Debt - external | $0 (1996) | - |
Dependency status | - | territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 | Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the US, Claudia FRITSCHE, is dually accredited to the UN in New York | - |
Disputes - international | Liechtenstein's royal family claims restitution for 1,600 sq km of land in the Czech Republic confiscated in 1918 | despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone |
Economic aid - recipient | none | $8.2 million from Norway (1998) |
Economy - overview | 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 the urban areas of its large European neighbors. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 18% - and easy incorporation rules have induced 73,700 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 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and EU) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. | Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - exports | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Ruggeller Riet 430 m highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m |
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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, Desertification, 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 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Alemannic 87.5%, Italian, Turkish, and other 12.5% | Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) |
Exchange rates | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.6303 (January 2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999), 1.4498 (1998), 1.4513 (1997), 1.2360 (1996) | Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003) |
Executive branch | 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) head of government: Head of Government Mario FRICK (since 15 December 1993) and Deputy Head of Government Michael RITTER (since 2 February 1997) cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Diet; confirmed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Diet is usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Diet is usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch |
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005); Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice |
Exports | $2.47 billion (1996) | $197.6 million (2004) |
Exports - commodities | small specialty machinery, dental products, stamps, hardware, pottery | - |
Exports - partners | EU and EFTA countries 60.57% (Switzerland 15.7%) (1995) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band | the flag of Norway is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $730 million (1998 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $23,000 (1998 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 47 10 N, 9 32 E | 78 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation | northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government |
Heliports | - | 1 (2007) |
Highways | total:
250 km paved: 250 km unpaved: 0 km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Illicit drugs | multilateral organizations engaged in issuing international guidelines for financial sector oversight have found gaps in Liechtenstein's financial services controls that make it vulnerable to money laundering | - |
Imports | $917.3 million (1996) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles | - |
Imports - partners | EU countries, Switzerland (1996) | - |
Independence | 23 January 1719 Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established; 12 July 1806 established independence from the Holy Roman Empire | none (territory of Norway) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | electronics, metal manufacturing, textiles, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism | - |
Infant mortality rate | 4.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.5% (1997 est.) | - |
International organization participation | CE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, IAEA, ICRM, IFRCS, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO (observer), WIPO, WTrO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Superior Court or Obergericht | - |
Labor force | 22,891 of which 13,847 are foreigners; 8,231 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | industry, trade, and building 45%, services 53%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 2% (1997 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | total:
76 km border countries: Austria 35 km, Switzerland 41 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
24% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 35% other: 25% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2005) |
Languages | German (official), Alemannic dialect | Norwegian, Russian |
Legal system | local civil and penal codes; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral Diet or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 9-11 February 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 49.90%, VU 41.35%, FL 8.71%; seats by party - FBP 13, VU 11, FL 1 |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
78.95 years male: 75.32 years female: 82.6 years (2001 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Literacy | definition:
age 10 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1981 est.) |
NA |
Location | Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland | Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway |
Map references | Europe | Arctic Region |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Switzerland | demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 |
National holiday | Assumption Day, 15 August | - |
Nationality | noun:
Liechtensteiner(s) adjective: Liechtenstein |
- |
Natural hazards | NA | ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic |
Natural resources | hydroelectric potential, arable land | coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish |
Net migration rate | 4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA |
Political parties and leaders | Fatherland Union or VU [Dr. Oswald KRANZ]; Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Dr. Ernst WALCH]; The Free List or FL [Dr. Pepo FRICK, Karin JENNY, Rene HASLER] | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 32,528 (July 2001 est.) | 2,214 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 0.98% (2001 est.) | -0.007% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 21,000 (1997) | - |
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) |
- |
Religions | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 7.4%, unknown 7.7%, other 4.9% (1996) | - |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
NA (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
automatic telephone system domestic: NA international: linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay |
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 20,000 (1997) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997) | NA |
Terrain | mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third | wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts |
Total fertility rate | 1.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) | NA |
Unemployment rate | 1.8% (February 1999) | - |
Waterways | none | - |