Compare Liechtenstein (2008) - British Virgin Islands (2008)

Compare Liechtenstein (2008) z British Virgin Islands (2008)

	Liechtenstein (2008)	British Virgin Islands (2008)

Administrative divisions	11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure	0-14 years: 17.1% (male 2,902/female 2,963) 15-64 years: 70% (male 11,887/female 12,101) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 1,862/female 2,532) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337) 15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products	fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports	-	3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 160 sq km land: 160 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
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 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 resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money-laundering legislation over the past several years and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US went into effect in 2003.	First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate	10.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $424.2 million expenditures: $414.1 million (1998 est.)	revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
Capital	name: Vaduz geographic coordinates: 47 08 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	name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline	0 km (doubly landlocked)	80 km
Constitution	5 October 1921	13 June 2007
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: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Death rate	7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$0 (2001)	$36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
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 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.	The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption	-	41.85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	-	45 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues	NA	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
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%	black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed)
Exchange rates	Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003)	the US dollar is used
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); 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 Otmar HASLER (since 5 April 2001); Deputy Head of Government Klaus TSCHUETSCHER (since 21 April 2005) 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 if there is a coalition government	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
Exports	$2.47 billion (1996)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products	rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
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% (2006)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 6% industry: 39% services: 55% (2001)	agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	11% (1999 est.)	1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	47 16 N, 9 32 E	18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note	along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	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	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports	$917.3 million (1996)	604.3 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles	building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners	EU, Switzerland (2006)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Independence	23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments	tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.58 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.13 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1% (2001)	2% (2005)
International organization participation	CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTO	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land	NA	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or Obergericht	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001)	12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 2% industry: 47% services: 51% (31 December 2001)	agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005)
Land boundaries	total: 76 km border countries: Austria 34.9 km, Switzerland 41.1 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (2005)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages	German (official), Alemannic dialect	English (official)
Legal system	local civil and penal codes based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations	English law
Legislative branch	unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by 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	unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.81 years male: 76.24 years female: 83.4 years (2007 est.)	total population: 76.86 years male: 75.71 years female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 10 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Europe	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Switzerland	defense is the responsibility of the UK
National holiday	Assumption Day, 15 August	Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Nationality	noun: Liechtensteiner(s) adjective: Liechtenstein	noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards	NA	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources	hydroelectric potential, arable land	NEGL
Net migration rate	4.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 20 km (2007)	-
Political parties and leaders	Patriotic Union or VU [Adolf HEEB] (was Fatherland Union); Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Marcus VOGT]; The Free List or FL [Claudia HEEB-FLECK and Egon MATT]	Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	34,247 (July 2007 est.)	23,552 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	0.745% (2007 est.)	1.923% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
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)	Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.979 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.735 male(s)/female total population: 0.946 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: automatic telephone system domestic: NA international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay	general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	20,000 (2005)	11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	27,500 (2005)	8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)	1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Terrain	mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate	1.51 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	1.3% (September 2002)	3.6% (1997)
Waterways	28 km (2006)	-

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