Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a
German-speaking
German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a ...
microstate
A microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area, usually both. However, the meanings of "state" and "very small" are not well-defined in international law.Warrington, E. (1994). "Lilliputs ...
located in the
Alps between
Austria and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Liechtenstein is a
semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the
prince of Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein is bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east and north. It is
Europe's fourth-smallest country, with an area of just over and a population of 38,749 (). Divided into
11 municipalities, its capital is
Vaduz, and its largest municipality is
Schaan. It is also the smallest country to border two countries. Liechtenstein is a
doubly landlocked
A landlocked country is a country that does not have territory connected to an ocean or whose coastlines lie on endorheic basins. There are currently 44 landlocked countries and 4 landlocked de facto states. Kazakhstan is the world's largest ...
country between Switzerland and Austria.
Economically, Liechtenstein has one of the
highest gross domestic products per person in the world when adjusted for
purchasing power parity
Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries' currency, currencies. PPP is effectively the ratio of the price of ...
. The country has a strong
financial sector centred in Vaduz. It was once known as a billionaire
tax haven, but is no longer on any official blacklists of uncooperative tax haven countries. An
Alpine country
The term Alpine states or Alpine countries refers to the territory of eight countries associated with the Alpine region, as defined by the Alpine Convention of 1991: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerl ...
, Liechtenstein is mountainous, making it a
winter sport destination.
Liechtenstein is a member of the
United Nations, the
European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerlan ...
, and the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
. Although not a member of the
European Union because it was not designed with microstates in mind, it participates in both the
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
and the
European Economic Area. It has a
customs union and a
monetary union with Switzerland.
History
Early history
The oldest traces of human existence in the area of present-day Liechtenstein date back to the
Middle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...
era.
[History](_blank)
swissworld.org. Retrieved 27 June 2009 Neolithic farming settlements appeared in the valleys around 5300 BC.
The
Hallstatt and
La Tène cultures flourished during the late
Iron Age, from around 450 BC—possibly under some influence of both the
Greek and
Etruscan __NOTOC__
Etruscan may refer to:
Ancient civilization
*The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy
*Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization
**Etruscan architecture
**Etruscan art
**Etruscan cities
**Etruscan ...
civilisations. One of the most important tribal groups in the Alpine region were the
Helvetii
The Helvetii ( , Gaulish: *''Heluētī''), anglicized as Helvetians, were a Celts, Celtic tribe or tribal confederation occupying most of the Swiss plateau at the time of their Switzerland in the Roman era, contact with the Roman Republic in the ...
. In 58 BC, at the
Battle of Bibracte,
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
defeated the Alpine tribes, thereby bringing the region under close control of the
Roman Republic. By 15 BC,
Tiberius—later the second Roman emperor—with his brother,
Drusus
Drusus may refer to:
* Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Drusus) (10 BC–AD 54), Roman emperor from 41 to 54
* Drusus Caesar (AD 8–33), adoptive grandson of Roman emperor Tiberius
* Drusus Julius Caesar (14 BC–AD 23), son of Roman emperor Tiberius
...
, conquered the entire Alpine area. Liechtenstein then became integrated into the
Roman province of
Raetia. The area was garrisoned by the
Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval continu ...
, which maintained large legionary camps at
Brigantium (
Austria), near
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
, and at
Magia
''Magia''Distant WL (1907) Rhynchotal notes xli. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. London. (Ser. 7) 19: 277-295. is a genus of Australian planthoppers in the tribe Acarnini, erected by William Lucas Distant in 1907.
Species
''Fulgoromorpha ...
(Swiss). The Romans built and maintained a
road which ran through the territory. Around AD 260 Brigantium was destroyed by the
Alemanni
The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes
*
*
*
on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...
, a
Germanic people who later settled in the area around AD 450.
In the
Early Middle Ages, the Alemanni settled the eastern
Swiss plateau by the 5th century and the
valleys of the Alps by the end of the 8th century, with Liechtenstein located at the eastern edge of
Alemannia. In the 6th century the entire region became part of the
Frankish Empire following
Clovis I's victory over the Alemanni at
Tolbiac in AD 504.
[Switzerland history](_blank)
Nationsencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 27 November 2009
Nationsonline.org. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
The area that later became Liechtenstein remained under Frankish hegemony (
Merovingian and
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
dynasties) until the
Treaty of Verdun divided the Carolingian empire in AD 843, following the death of
Charlemagne in 814.
The territory of present-day Liechtenstein formed part of
East Francia
East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire, empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided t ...
. It would later be reunified with
Middle Francia under the
Holy Roman Empire, around AD 1000.
Until about 1100, the predominant language of the area was
Romansch, but thereafter
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
began to gain ground in the territory. In 1300 another Alemannic population—the
Walsers, who originated in
Valais—entered the region and settled; the mountain village of
Triesenberg today preserves features of the
Walser dialect
Walser German (german: Walserdeutsch) and Walliser German (, locally ) are a group of Highest Alemannic German, Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in parts of Switzerland (Valais, Ticino, Grisons), Italy (Piedmont, Aosta Valley), Liechtenstein ( ...
.
Foundation of a dynasty
By 1200, dominions across the Alpine plateau were controlled by the Houses of
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
,
Zähringer,
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
, and
Kyburg. Other regions were accorded the
Imperial immediacy
Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...
that granted the empire direct control over the mountain passes. When the Kyburg dynasty fell in 1264, the Habsburgs under
King Rudolph I (Holy Roman Emperor in 1273) extended their territory to the eastern Alpine plateau that included the territory of Liechtenstein.
This region was
enfeoffed to the
Counts of Hohenems until the sale to the
Liechtenstein dynasty in 1699.
In 1396
Vaduz (the southern region of Liechtenstein) gained
imperial immediacy
Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...
, i.e. it became subject to the Holy Roman Emperor alone.
The family from which the principality takes its name originally came from
Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, which they had possessed from at least 1140 until the 13th century (and again from 1807 onwards). The Liechtensteins acquired land, predominantly in
Moravia,
Lower Austria,
Silesia, and
Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
. As these territories were all held in
feudal tenure from more senior feudal lords, particularly various branches of the
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial diet (parliament), the . Even though several Liechtenstein princes served several Habsburg rulers as close advisers, without any territory held directly from the Imperial throne, they held little power in the Holy Roman Empire.
For this reason, the family sought to acquire lands that would be classed as (not sellable) or held without any intermediate feudal tenure, directly from the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
. During the early 17th century
Karl I of Liechtenstein was made a (prince) by the Holy Roman Emperor
Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew.
People
Notable people named Matthias include the following:
In religion:
* Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscariot
* ...
after siding with him in a political battle.
Hans-Adam I was allowed to purchase the minuscule
('Lordship') of Schellenberg and the
county of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz had exactly the political status required: no feudal lord other than their
comital sovereign and the
suzerain
Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is calle ...
Emperor.
Principality
On 23 January 1719,
after the lands had been purchased,
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
, house = Habsburg
, spouse =
, issue =
, issue-link = #Children
, issue-pipe =
, father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
, mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg
, birth_date ...
, decreed that Vaduz and Schellenberg were united and elevated the newly formed territory to the dignity of ('
principality
A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
') with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "
istrue servant,
Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". On this date, Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the
Holy Roman Empire. It is a testimony to the mere political expediency of the purchase that the Princes of Liechtenstein did not visit their new principality for almost 100 years.
By the early 19th century, as a result of the
Napoleonic Wars in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire came under the effective control of France, following the crushing defeat at
Austerlitz by
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
in 1805. In 1806 Emperor
Francis II abdicated and
dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, ending more than 960 years of feudal government. Napoleon reorganized much of the Empire into the
Confederation of the Rhine. This political restructuring had broad consequences for Liechtenstein: the historical imperial, legal, and political institutions had been dissolved. The state ceased to owe an obligation to any feudal lord beyond its borders.
Modern publications generally attribute Liechtenstein's sovereignty to these events. Its prince ceased to owe an obligation to any
suzerain
Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is calle ...
. From 25 July 1806, when the
Confederation of the Rhine was founded, the Prince of Liechtenstein was a member, in fact, a vassal, of its
hegemon, styled ''protector'', the French Emperor Napoleon I, until the dissolution of the confederation on 19 October 1813.
Soon afterward, Liechtenstein joined the
German Confederation (20 June 181523 August 1866), which was presided over by the
Emperor of Austria.
In 1818,
Prince Johann I granted the territory a limited constitution. In that same year
Prince Aloys became the first member of the House of Liechtenstein to set foot in the principality that bore their name. The next visit would not occur until 1842.
Developments during the 19th century included:
* 1836: the first factory for making ceramics was opened.
* 1861: the Savings and Loans Bank was founded along with the first cotton-weaving mill.
* 1866: the German Confederation was dissolved.
* 1868: the Liechtenstein Army was disbanded for financial reasons.
* 1872: a railway line between Switzerland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was constructed through Liechtenstein.
* 1886: two bridges over the Rhine to Switzerland were built.
20th century
Until the end of
World War I, Liechtenstein was closely tied first to the
Austrian Empire and later to
Austria-Hungary; the ruling princes continued to derive much of their wealth from estates in the Habsburg territories, and spent much of their time at their two palaces in Vienna.
Johann II Johann II may refer to:
* Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein
* Johann II, Duke of Opava-Ratibor
* Johann II, Lord of Mecklenburg
* Johann II (Habsburg-Laufenburg)
See also
*John II (disambiguation) John II may refer to:
People
* John Cicero, El ...
appointed
Carl von In der Maur, an Austrian aristocrat, to serve as the
Governor of Liechtenstein. The economic devastation caused by the
First World War forced the country to conclude a
customs and monetary union
A customs and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a customs union and a currency union. The participant countries have both common external trade policy and share a single currency.
Customs and monetary union is establish ...
with its other neighbour,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
In 1929, 75-year-old
Prince Franz I succeeded to the throne. He had just married
Elisabeth von Gutmann, a wealthy woman from Vienna whose father was a Jewish businessman from Moravia. Although Liechtenstein had no official Nazi party, a Nazi sympathy movement arose within its National Union party. Local Liechtenstein Nazis identified Elisabeth as their Jewish "problem".
In March 1938, just after the
annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, Franz named as regent his 31-year-old grandnephew and heir-presumptive,
Prince Franz Joseph
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
. Franz died in July that year, and Franz Joseph succeeded to the throne. Franz Joseph II first moved to Liechtenstein in 1938, a few days after Austria's annexation.
During
World War II, Liechtenstein remained officially neutral, looking to neighbouring Switzerland for assistance and guidance, while family treasures from dynastic lands and possessions in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
,
Moravia, and
Silesia were taken to Liechtenstein for safekeeping. At the close of the conflict,
Czechoslovakia and
Poland, acting to seize what they considered German possessions, expropriated all of the Liechtenstein dynasty's properties in those three regions. The expropriations (subject to
modern legal dispute at the
International Court of Justice) included over of agricultural and forest land (most notably the UNESCO listed
Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape
The Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape (also Lednice–Valtice Area or Lednice–Valtice Complex, cs, Lednicko-valtický areál) is a cultural-natural landscape complex of in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It comprises the ...
), and several family castles and palaces.
In 2005 it was revealed that Jewish slave labourers from the
Strasshof concentration camp, provided by the ''
SS'', had worked on estates in Austria owned by Liechtenstein's Princely House.
Citizens of Liechtenstein were forbidden to enter Czechoslovakia during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. More recently the diplomatic conflict revolving around the controversial postwar
Beneš decrees
The Beneš decrees, sk, Dekréty prezidenta republiky) and the Constitutional Decrees of the President of the Republic ( cz, Ústavní dekrety presidenta republiky, sk, Ústavné dekréty prezidenta republiky) were a series of laws drafted by t ...
resulted in Liechtenstein not having international relations with the
Czech Republic or
Slovakia. Diplomatic relations were established between Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic on 13 July 2009, and with Slovakia on 9 December 2009.
Financial centre
Liechtenstein was in dire financial straits following the end of World War II. The Liechtenstein dynasty often resorted to selling family artistic treasures, including the portrait ''
Ginevra de' Benci'' by
Leonardo da Vinci, which was purchased by the
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
of the United States in 1967 for 5 million ($ million in dollars), then a record price for a painting.
By the late 1970s, Liechtenstein used its low
corporate tax
A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level, and a similar tax may be imposed at ...
rates to draw many companies and became one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Liechtenstein is one of the few countries in Europe (along with
Monaco and
San Marino)
not to have a tax treaty with the United States, and efforts toward one seem to have stalled.
the
Prince of Liechtenstein is the world's sixth
wealthiest monarch, with an estimated wealth of 3.5 billion.
[These Are The World’s Richest Royals]
", 2019 ''CEO World''. 18 September 2019. The country's population enjoys one of the
world's highest standards of living.
Government
Liechtenstein has a
monarch as
head of state, and an elected
parliament that enacts the law. It is also a
direct democracy
Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the Election#Electorate, electorate decides on policy initiatives without legislator, elected representatives as proxies. This differs from the majority of currently establishe ...
, where voters can propose and enact constitutional amendments and
legislation independently of the legislature.
The
Constitution of Liechtenstein was
adopted in March 2003, replacing the 1921 constitution. The 1921 constitution had established Liechtenstein as a constitutional monarchy headed by the reigning prince of the Princely House of Liechtenstein; a parliamentary system had been established, although the reigning Prince retained substantial political authority.
The reigning Prince is the Head of State and represents Liechtenstein in its international relations (although Switzerland has taken responsibility for much of Liechtenstein's diplomatic relations). The Prince may veto laws adopted by parliament. The Prince may call referendums, propose new legislation, and dissolve parliament, although dissolution of parliament may be subject to a referendum.
Executive authority is vested in a collegiate
government comprising the head of government (
prime minister) and four government councillors (ministers). The head of government and the other ministers are appointed by the Prince upon the proposal of parliament and with its concurrence, and reflect the balance of parties in parliament. The constitution stipulates that at least two government members be chosen from each of the two regions. The members of the government are collectively and individually responsible to parliament; parliament may ask the Prince to remove an individual minister or the entire government.
Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral
Landtag, made up of 25 members elected for maximum four-year terms according to a proportional representation formula. Fifteen members are elected from the
Oberland (Upper Country or region) and ten from the
Unterland (Lower Country or region). Parties must receive at least 8% of the national vote to win seats in parliament, i.e., enough for two seats in the 25-seat legislature. Parliament proposes and approves a government, which the Prince formally appoints. Parliament may also pass votes of no confidence in the entire government or individual members.
Parliament elects from among its members a "Landesausschuss" (National Committee) made up of the president of the parliament and four additional members. The National Committee is charged with performing functions of parliamentary supervision. Parliament can call for
referendums on proposed legislation. Parliament shares the authority to propose new legislation with the Prince and with the number of
citizens
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
required for to initiate a referendum.
Judicial authority
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...
is vested in the Regional Court at Vaduz, the Princely High Court of Appeal at Vaduz, the Princely Supreme Court, the Administrative Court, and the State Court. The State Court rules on the conformity of laws with the constitution and has five members elected by parliament.
On 1 July 1984, Liechtenstein became the last country in
Europe to grant women the right to vote. The
referendum on women's suffrage, in which only men were allowed to participate, passed with 51.3% in favour.
Current constitution
In a
national referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
in March 2003, nearly two-thirds of the electorate voted in support of Hans-Adam II's proposed new constitution. The proposed constitution was criticised by many, including the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
, as expanding the powers of the monarchy (continuing the power to veto any law, and allowing the Prince to dismiss the government or any minister). The Prince threatened that if the constitution failed, he would, among other things, convert some royal property for commercial use and move to Austria. The princely family and the Prince enjoy tremendous public support inside the nation, and the resolution passed with about 64% in favour. A proposal to revoke the Prince's veto powers was rejected by 76% of voters in a
2012 referendum.
Municipalities
Municipalities of Liechtenstein are entitled to secede from the union by majority vote.
The municipalities of Liechtenstein are divided between the two electoral districts of Unterland and Oberland. The country's political division is historical; the Unterland depends on Schellenberg, the Oberland on the county of Vaduz.
The northern communities of Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Ruggell and Schellenberg belong to Unterland; the municipalities of Balzers, Planken, Schaan, Triesen, Triesenberg and Vaduz belong to the much larger Oberland. The autonomy of the Liechtenstein communities is in the upper range compared to the other Central European states along with Switzerland. Despite their small size, the municipalities have complex forms in terms of their territorial extent: in addition to a main part, seven municipalities also include one or more
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
s. Citizens' cooperatives, which exist in about half of Liechtenstein's municipalities, own forests and pastures for
collective use, as well as parceled areas that are left for private use.
International awards
In 2013, Liechtenstein won for the first time a SolarSuperState Prize in the Solar category recognizing the achieved level of the usage of photovoltaics per population within the state territory. The SolarSuperState Association justified this prize with the cumulative installed photovoltaic power of some 290 Watt per capita at the end of 2012. This placed Liechtenstein second in the world after Germany. Also in 2014, the SolarSuperState Association awarded the second place SolarSuperState Prize in the Solar category to Liechtenstein. In the years 2015 and 2016, Liechtenstein was honoured with the first place SolarSuperState Prize in the Solar category because it had the world's biggest cumulative installed photovoltaic power output per capita.
Foreign relations
In the absence of political or military power, Liechtenstein has sought to preserve its
sovereignty over the past 200 years through membership in legal communities.
International cooperation and European integration are therefore constants of Liechtenstein's foreign policy, aimed at continuing to safeguard the country's sovereignty as recognized under international law. Decisive for the domestic legitimacy and sustainability of this foreign policy were and are strong direct-democratic and citizen-oriented decision-making mechanisms, which are anchored in Liechtenstein in the
Constitution of 1921.
Important historical stages in Liechtenstein's integration and cooperation policy were its accession to the
Confederation of the Rhine in 1806, to the German Confederation in 1815, the conclusion of bilateral customs and currency agreements with the
Danube Monarchy in 1852, and finally the Customs Treaty with Switzerland in 1923, which was followed by a whole series of other important bilateral treaties.
Post-war economic reconstruction was followed by accession to the Statute of the
International Court of Justice in 1950, Liechtenstein signed the CSCE Helsinki Final Act (today's OSCE) together with 34 other states in 1975, Liechtenstein joined the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
in 1978, and Liechtenstein was admitted to the United Nations (UN) on September 18, 1990. In 1991, Liechtenstein joined the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as a full member, and since 1995 Liechtenstein has been a member of the
European Economic Area (EEA) and the
World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2008, Liechtenstein joined the Schengen/Dublin Agreement together with Switzerland. From an economic and integration policy perspective, relations within the framework of the EEA and the EU occupy a special position in Liechtenstein's foreign policy. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein also participates in the annual meetings of the heads of state of the
German-speaking countries
The following is a list of the countries and territories where German is an official language (also known as the Germanosphere). It includes countries that have German as (one of) their nationwide official language(s), as well as dependent terr ...
(consisting of EU and non-EU members).
Relations with Switzerland are particularly extensive because of the close cooperation in many areas; Switzerland performs tasks in some places that would be difficult for the
Principality
A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
to handle on its own because of its small size. Since 2000, Switzerland has appointed an ambassador to Liechtenstein, but he resides in Bern. Liechtenstein's consular representation has been mostly handled by Switzerland since the
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
Treaty with Switzerland of 1923.
Liechtenstein maintains direct diplomatic missions in
Vienna, Bern, Berlin, Brussels, Strasbourg, and
Washington, D.C., as well as Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva to the
United Nations. Currently, diplomatic missions from 78 countries are accredited to Liechtenstein, but mostly reside in Bern. The
Embassy in Brussels coordinates contacts with the European Union, Belgium, and also the
Holy See.
For a long time, diplomatic relations with Germany were maintained through a non-resident ambassador; that is, a contact person who was not permanently resident in Germany. Since 2002, however, Liechtenstein has had a permanent
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
in Berlin, while the German embassy in Switzerland is also responsible for the Principality. Liechtenstein's Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the contacts to be extremely fruitful and important for the country's development, especially on the economic level.
Conflicts over the handling of
banking and tax data have repeatedly strained relations with Germany. On September 2, 2009, Liechtenstein and Germany signed an agreement on cooperation and the exchange of information in tax matters. The text of the agreement followed the OECD model agreement and provides for an exchange of information on tax matters upon request as of the 2010 tax year. In addition, Liechtenstein regards the Germany as an important partner in safeguarding its interests in European integration. At the cultural level, project sponsorship plays a particularly important role. For example, the Hilti Foundation financed the exhibition "Egypt's Sunken Treasures" in Berlin, and the state donated 20,000 euros following the fire at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in
Weimar.
Geography
Liechtenstein is situated in the Upper
Rhine valley of the European
Alps and is bordered to the east by the Austrian state of
Vorarlberg, to the south by the
canton of Grisons (Switzerland) and to the west by the
canton of St. Gallen (Switzerland). The Rhine forms the entire western border of Liechtenstein. Measured south to north the country is about long. Its highest point, the
Grauspitz, is . Despite its Alpine location, prevailing southerly winds make the climate comparatively mild. In winter, the mountain slopes are well suited to winter sports.
New
surveys using more accurate measurements of the country's borders in 2006 have set its area at , with borders of . Liechtenstein's borders are longer than previously thought.
Liechtenstein is one of the world's two
doubly landlocked countries – countries wholly surrounded by other landlocked countries (the other is
Uzbekistan). Liechtenstein is the
sixth-smallest independent nation in the world by area.
The principality of Liechtenstein is
divided into 11 communes called ''Gemeinden'' (singular ''Gemeinde''). The ''Gemeinden'' mostly consist of only a single town or village. Five of them (
Eschen,
Gamprin,
Mauren,
Ruggell, and
Schellenberg) fall within the electoral district ''Unterland'' (the lower county), and the remainder (
Balzers,
Planken,
Schaan,
Triesen,
Triesenberg, and
Vaduz) within ''Oberland'' (the upper county).
Climate
Despite its
alpine location, the prevailing southerly winds temper Liechtenstein's climate. Its climate is continental, with cloudy and cold winters, with frequent rain and snowfall. Summers are cool to slightly warm, cloudy, and humid.
The country's climate is relatively mild despite its mountainous location. It is strongly influenced by the action of
foehn (warm and dry fall wind), so the vegetation period is prolonged in spring and autumn and temperatures around 15 °C due to the strong foehn are not uncommon even in winter. The mountain ranges of
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and the Vorarlberg upstream protect from the cold polar and Atlantic air, creating a typical alpine inland protective layer. The principality has orchards with leafy meadows and a long tradition of
viticulture. Liechtenstein's small land area hardly plays a role in climatic differences, but the vertical division into different altitudes is of great importance, so that significant climatic differences arise.
In
winter the temperature rarely drops below minus 15 degrees Celsius, while in summer the average temperatures range between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. Annual precipitation measurements amount to an average of about 900 to 1200 millimeters, in the direct alpine region, however,
precipitation is often up to 1900 millimeters. The average duration of sunshine is about 1600 hours per year.
Rivers and lakes
The
Rhine is the longest and largest
body of water in Liechtenstein. With a length of approximately 27 kilometers, it represents the
natural border with
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and is of great importance for Liechtenstein's water supply. Furthermore, the Rhine is an important recreational area for the population. At 10 kilometers, the Samina is the second longest river in the
Principality
A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
. The troubled river begins at Triesenberg and flows into the Ill in Austria (near Feldkirch).
The only naturally formed lake in Liechtenstein is the Gampriner Seelein, which was not formed until 1927 by a
flooding of the Rhine with enormous erosion. In addition, there are other artificially created
lakes
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
, which are mainly used to generate
electricity. One of them is the Steg Reservoir, the largest lake in Liechtenstein.
Mountains
About half of Liechtenstein's territory is mountainous.
Liechtenstein lies entirely in the
Rhaetikon and is thus – depending on the classification of the Alps – assigned either to the
Eastern Alps (two-part division of the Alps) or to the Central Alps (three-part division of the Alps).
The highest point of Liechtenstein is the Vordere Grauspitz (Vordergrauspitz) with an altitude of 2599 m above sea level, while the lowest point is the
Ruggeller Riet with an altitude of 430 m above sea level.
In total, there are 32 mountains in Liechtenstein with an altitude of at least 2000 meters. The Falknishorn, at 2452 meters above sea level, is the fifth highest mountain in Liechtenstein and represents the southernmost point of the country. The Liechtenstein-Graubünden-Vorarlberg border triangle is the
Naafkopf (2570 m above sea level).
In addition to the peaks of the Alpine chain, which belong to the Limestone Alps, two
inselbergs, Fläscherberg (1135
meters above sea level) in the south and
Eschnerberg (698 m) in the north, rise from the Rhine Valley and belong to the Helvetic cover or
flysch zone of the Alps. Eschnerberg represents an important settlement area in the Liechtenstein Unterland.
Economy
Despite its limited natural resources, Liechtenstein is one of the few countries in the world with more registered companies than citizens; it has developed a prosperous, highly industrialized free-enterprise economy and boasts a financial service sector as well as a living standard that compares favourably with those of the urban areas of Liechtenstein's much larger European neighbours.
Liechtenstein participates in a
customs union with Switzerland and employs the
Swiss franc
The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the f ...
as the national currency. The country imports about 85% of its energy. Liechtenstein has been a member of the
European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between the
European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerlan ...
(EFTA) and the
European Union) since May 1995.
The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. In 2008, the unemployment rate stood at 1.5%. Liechtenstein has only one hospital, the Liechtensteinisches Landesspital in Vaduz. As of 2014 the
CIA World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
estimated the gross domestic product (GDP) on a
purchasing power parity
Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries' currency, currencies. PPP is effectively the ratio of the price of ...
basis to be $4.978 billion. As of 2009 the estimate per capita was $139,100, the highest listed for the world.
Industries include electronics, textiles, precision instruments, metal manufacturing, power tools, anchor bolts, calculators, pharmaceuticals and food products. Its most recognizable international company and largest employer is
Hilti, a manufacturer of
direct fastening systems and other high-end power tools. Many cultivated fields and small farms are found both in the Oberland and Unterland. Liechtenstein produces wheat, barley, corn, potatoes, dairy products, livestock and
wine.
Taxation
The government of Liechtenstein taxes personal income, business income and principal (wealth). The basic rate of
personal income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
is 1.2%. When combined with the additional income tax imposed by the communes, the combined income tax rate is 17.82%. An additional income tax of 4.3% is levied on all employees under the country's
social security programme. This rate is higher for the self-employed, up to a maximum of 11%, making the maximum income tax rate about 29% in total. The basic
tax rate on wealth is 0.06% per annum, and the combined total rate is 0.89%. The tax rate on corporate profits is 12.5%.
Liechtenstein's
gift
A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation ...
and
estate taxes
An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and property) of a person who has died.
International tax law distinguishes between an es ...
vary depending on the relationship the recipient has to the giver and the amount of the inheritance. The tax ranges between 0.5% and 0.75% for spouses and children and 18% to 27% for non-related recipients. The estate tax is progressive.
Liechtenstein has previously received significant revenues from ''Stiftungen'' ("foundations"), financial entities created to hide the true owner of nonresident foreigners' financial holdings. The foundation is registered in the name of a Liechtensteiner, often a lawyer. This set of laws used to make Liechtenstein a popular
tax haven for extremely wealthy individuals and businesses attempting to avoid or evade taxes in their home countries. In recent years, Liechtenstein has displayed stronger determination to prosecute international money launderers and worked to promote an image as a legitimate finance centre. In February 2008, the country's
LGT Bank
LGT Group is the largest family-owned private banking and asset management group in the world. LGT, originally known as The Liechtenstein Global Trust, is owned by the princely House of Liechtenstein through the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundat ...
was implicated in a
tax-fraud scandal in Germany, which strained the ruling family's relationship with the German government. Crown Prince Alois has accused the German government of trafficking in stolen goods, referring to its $7.3 million purchase of private banking information offered by a former employee of LGT Group. The
United States Senate's subcommittee on tax haven banks said that the LGT bank, owned by the princely family, and on whose board they serve, "is a willing partner, and an aider and abettor to clients trying to evade taxes, dodge creditors or defy court orders".
The
2008 Liechtenstein tax affair is a series of tax investigations in numerous countries whose governments suspect that some of their citizens have evaded tax obligations by using banks and trusts in Liechtenstein; the affair broke open with the biggest complex of investigations ever initiated for tax evasion in Germany. It was also seen as an attempt to put pressure on Liechtenstein, then one of the remaining
uncooperative tax havens—along with
Andorra and
Monaco—as identified by the Paris-based
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries ...
in 2007.
On 27 May 2009 the OECD removed Liechtenstein from the blacklist of uncooperative countries.
In August 2009, the British government department
HM Revenue & Customs agreed with Liechtenstein to start exchanging information. It is believed that up to 5,000 British investors have roughly £3 billion deposited in accounts and trusts in the country.
In October 2015, the European Union and Liechtenstein signed a tax agreement to ensure the automatic exchange of financial information in case of tax disputes. The collection of data started in 2016. It is another step to bring the principality in line with other European countries regarding its taxation of private individuals and corporate assets.
Tourism
Tourism accounts for a large portion of Liechtenstein's economy.
Airbnb once offered to rent space for 450-900 guests in Liechtenstein for about US$70,000 per night.
Demographics
With a population of 39,315 as of 31 December 2021, Liechtenstein is
Europe's fourth-smallest country;
Vatican City,
San Marino, and
Monaco have fewer residents. Its population is primarily
Alemannic-speaking, although one third is foreign-born, primarily German speakers from Germany,
Austria, and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, along with other Swiss, Italians, and
Turks. Foreign-born people make up two-thirds of the country's workforce.
Liechtensteiners have an average life expectancy at birth of 82.0 years, subdividing as male: 79.8 years, female: 84.8 years (2018 est.). The infant mortality rate is 4.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to 2018 estimates.
Languages
The official language is German, spoken by 92% of the population as their main language in 2020. 73% of Liechtenstein's population speak an
Alemannic dialect of German at home that is highly divergent from
Standard German
Standard High German (SHG), less precisely Standard German or High German (not to be confused with High German dialects, more precisely Upper German dialects) (german: Standardhochdeutsch, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the standardized variety ...
but closely related to dialects spoken in neighbouring regions such as Switzerland and
Vorarlberg, Austria. In
Triesenberg, a
Walser German dialect promoted by the municipality is spoken.
Swiss Standard German
Swiss Standard German (german: Schweizer Standarddeutsch), or Swiss High German (german: Schweizer Hochdeutsch or ''Schweizerhochdeutsch''), referred to by the Swiss as ''Schriftdeutsch'', or ''Hochdeutsch'', is the written form of one of four o ...
is also understood and spoken by most Liechtensteiners.
Religion
According to the
Constitution of Liechtenstein,
Catholicism is its official
state religion
A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...
:
Liechtenstein offers protection to adherents of all religions, and considers the "religious interests of the people" a priority of the government.
In Liechtenstein's schools, although exceptions are allowed, religious education in Catholicism or
Protestantism (either
Lutheran or
Calvinist, or both) is legally required.
Tax exemption is granted by the government to religious organizations.
According to the
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American think tank (referring to itself as a "fact tank") based in Washington, D.C.
It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the w ...
, social conflict caused by religious hostilities is low in Liechtenstein, and so is government restriction on the practice of religion.
According to the 2010 census, 85.8% of the total population is Christian, of whom 75.9% adhere to the
Catholic faith, constituted in the
Catholic Archdiocese of Vaduz, while 9.6% are either
Protestant, mainly organized in the
Evangelical Church in Liechtenstein (a
United church, Lutheran & Reformed) and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liechtenstein, or
Orthodox, mainly organized in the Christian-Orthodox Church. The largest minority religion is
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
(5.4% of the total population).
Education
The literacy rate of Liechtenstein is 100%.
In 2006
Programme for International Student Assessment report, coordinated by the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries ...
, ranked Liechtenstein's education as the 10th-best in the world. In 2012, Liechtenstein had the highest PISA scores of any European country.
Within Liechtenstein, there are four main centres for higher education:
*
University of Liechtenstein
*
Private University in the Principality of Liechtenstein
*
Liechtenstein Institute
*
International Academy of Philosophy, Liechtenstein
There are nine public high schools in the country. These include:
*
Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium in Vaduz.
*
Realschule Vaduz and
Oberschule Vaduz, in the
Schulzentrum Mühleholz II in Vaduz
[Weiterführende Schulen Schaan]
." Commune of Schaan. Retrieved 12 May 2016. "Realschule Schaan Duxgass 55 9494 Schaan" and "Sportschule Liechtenstein Duxgass 55 9494 Schaan" and "Realschule Vaduz Schulzentrum Mühleholz II 9490 Vaduz" and "Oberschule Vaduz Schulzentrum Mühleholz II 9490 Vaduz"
*Realschule Schaan and Sportschule Liechtenstein in
Schaan
Transport
There are about of paved roadway within Liechtenstein, with of marked bicycle paths.
A railway connects Austria and Switzerland through Liechtenstein. The
country's railways are administered by the
Austrian Federal Railways as part of the route between
Feldkirch Feldkirch may refer to:
Places
* Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, a medieval city and capital of an administrative district in Austria
** Feldkirch (district), an administrative division of Vorarlberg, Austria
* Feldkirch (Hartheim), a village in the municip ...
,
Austria, and
Buchs, Switzerland. Liechtenstein is nominally within the Austrian Verkehrsverbund Vorarlberg tariff region.
There are four railway stations in Liechtenstein, namely
Schaan-Vaduz,
Forst Hilti,
Nendeln and
Schaanwald, served by an irregularly stopping train service between Feldkirch and Buchs provided by
Austrian Federal Railways. While
EuroCity
EuroCity, abbreviated as EC, is a cross-border train category within the European inter-city rail network. In contrast to trains allocated to the lower-level "IC" (InterCity) category, EC trains are international services that meet 20 criteri ...
and other long-distance international trains also travel along the route, they do not normally stop at the stations within the borders of Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein Bus is a subsidiary of the
Swiss Postbus system, but separately run, and connects to the Swiss bus network at
Buchs and at
Sargans. Buses also run to the Austrian town of Feldkirch.
Liechtenstein is one of only a few
countries without an airport. The nearest large airport is
Zurich Airport near
Zürich,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
( by road). The nearest small airport is
St. Gallen Airport ().
Friedrichshafen Airport also provides access to Liechtenstein, as it is away.
Balzers Heliport is available for chartered helicopter flights.
Culture
As a result of its small size, Liechtenstein has been strongly affected by external cultural influences, most notably those originating in the southern regions of German-speaking Europe, including Austria, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Switzerland, and specifically
Tirol and Vorarlberg. The Historical Society of the Principality of Liechtenstein plays a role in preserving the culture and history of the country.
The largest museum is the
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, an international museum of modern and contemporary art with an important international art collection. The building by the Swiss architects Morger, Degelo, and Kerez is a landmark in Vaduz. It was completed in November 2000 and forms a "black box" of tinted concrete and black basalt stone. The museum collection is also the national art collection of Liechtenstein.
The other important museum is the
Liechtenstein National Museum (''Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum'') showing permanent exhibitions on the cultural and natural history of Liechtenstein as well as special exhibitions. There is also a stamp museum, ski museum, and a 500-year-old Rural Lifestyle Museum.
The
Liechtenstein State Library is the library that has
legal deposit for all books published in the country.
The most famous historical sites are
Vaduz Castle,
Gutenberg Castle, the Red House, and the ruins of Schellenberg.
The Private Art Collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein, one of the world's leading private art collections, is shown at the
Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.
On the country's national holiday, all subjects are invited to the castle of the head of state. A significant portion of the population attends the national celebration at the castle where speeches are made and complimentary beer is served.
Music and theatre are important parts of the culture. There are numerous music organizations such as the Liechtenstein Musical Company, the annual Guitar Days, and the International
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger Society, which play in two main theatres.
Media
The primary
internet service provider and
mobile network operator
A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier, is a provider of wireless communications services that owns or controls all the elements necessary to sell ...
of Liechtenstein is Telecom Liechtenstein, located in Schaan.
There are two conventional television channels in the country. The private channel
1FLTV
1 FL TV is Liechtenstein's first television broadcaster. It began operation on 15 August 2008 and broadcasts in German. Through cable networks, the channel is accessible to about 50,000 homes in Liechtenstein and a small portion of its neighboring ...
was created in 2008 with a goal of joining the
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; french: Union européenne de radio-télévision, links=no, UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations whose countries are within the European Broadcasting Area or who ar ...
, which it has not accomplished yet. The ''Landeskanal'' () is operated by the government's Unit for Information and Communication and carries government proceedings,
public affairs programming, and cultural events. Both are seen on local cable providers, along with channels from the other German-speaking countries. The only free television is
ORF
ORF or Orf may refer to:
* Norfolk International Airport, IATA airport code ORF
* Observer Research Foundation, an Indian research institute
* One Race Films, a film production company founded by Vin Diesel
* Open reading frame, a portion of t ...
from Austria, available via terrestrial overspill of its signal from
Vorarlberg.
Radio Liechtenstein (), which was established in 2004 along with the public-service broadcaster ''
Liechtensteinischer Rundfunk'' (LRF) that operates it, is the country's only domestic radio station based in Triesen. Radio Liechtenstein and several programs of the Swiss
SRF SRF may refer to:
Organisations:
* Sudan Revolutionary Front, alliance of armed groups formed in 2011
* Syria Revolutionaries Front, formed in December 2013
* Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, German-language broadcaster in Switzerland
* SRF Limite ...
are broadcast from the Sender Erbi () overlooking Vaduz. Liechtenstein also has two major newspapers: ''
Liechtensteiner Volksblatt
The ''Liechtensteiner Volksblatt'' is the older of the two daily newspapers in Liechtenstein. It is published by the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt AG, and as of 2015, had a circulation of 9,000 copies. The Thursday edition is distributed as a large ...
'' and ''
Liechtensteiner Vaterland''.
Amateur radio
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...
is a hobby of some nationals and visitors. However, unlike virtually every other sovereign nation, Liechtenstein does not have its own
ITU prefix. Conventionally, amateurs are issued call signs with the Swiss prefix "HB", followed by "0" or "L".
Sports
Liechtenstein
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
teams play in the Swiss football leagues. The
Liechtenstein Football Cup allows access for one Liechtenstein team each year to the
UEFA Europa Conference League;
FC Vaduz, a team playing in the
Swiss Challenge League
The Challenge League is the second-highest tier of the Swiss football league system and lower of two professional leagues in the country. Ten teams play in the Challenge League; the winners of the league are promoted to the Super League, while the ...
, the second division in Swiss football, is the most successful team in the Cup, and scored their greatest success in the
European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 when they drew with and defeated the Latvian team
FC Universitate Riga by 1–1 and 4–2, to go on to a lucrative fixture against
Paris Saint-Germain F.C., which they lost 0–3 and 0–4.
The
Liechtenstein national football team is regarded as an easy target for any team drawn against them; this was the basis for a book about Liechtenstein's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the
2002 World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
by British author
Charlie Connelly
Charlie Connelly (born 22 August 1970, London, England) is an author of popular non-fiction books. In addition to being a writer, Connelly also appears as a presenter on radio and television shows.
Overview
Connelly's writing exhibits a self-d ...
. In one surprising week during autumn 2004, however, the team managed a 2–2 draw with
Portugal, who only a few months earlier had been the losing finalists in the
European Championships
The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...
. Four days later, the Liechtenstein team traveled to Luxembourg, where they defeated
the home team
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
4–0 in a
2006 World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
qualifying match. In the qualification stage of the European Championship 2008, Liechtenstein beat Latvia 1–0, which prompted the Latvian coach's resignation. They went on to beat Iceland 3–0 on 17 October 2007, which is considered one of the most dramatic losses of the Icelandic national football team. On 7 September 2010, they came within seconds of a 1–1 draw against
Scotland in Glasgow, having led 1–0 earlier in the second half, but Liechtenstein lost 2–1 thanks to a goal by
Stephen McManus
Stephen David McManus (born 10 September 1982) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who is a first team coach at Scottish Premiership club Celtic.
McManus, who played as a centre-back, was a product of Celtic's youth acad ...
in the 97th minute. On 3 June 2011, Liechtenstein defeated
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
2–0. On 15 November 2014, Liechtenstein defeated
Moldova 0–1 with
Franz Burgmeier
Franz Burgmeier (born 7 April 1982) is a Liechtenstein former professional footballer, who played as a midfielder. Born in Triesen, Burgmeier was a burgeoning footballer and keen skier, until he gave up the latter sport at 16 following a se ...
's late free kick goal in
Chișinău
Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
.
As an
alpine country, the main sporting opportunity for Liechtensteiners to excel is in winter sports such as
downhill skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping), w ...
: the country's single ski area is
Malbun.
Hanni Wenzel won two gold medals and one silver medal in the 1980
Winter Olympics (she won bronze in 1976), her brother
Andreas won one silver medal in 1980 and one bronze medal in 1984 in the
giant slalom
Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G.
Giant slalom and slalom make up t ...
event, and her daughter
Tina Weirather won a bronze medal in 2018 in the
Super-G. With ten medals overall (all in alpine skiing), Liechtenstein has won more Olympic medals per capita than any other nation. It is the smallest nation to win a medal in any Olympics, Winter or Summer, and currently the only nation to win a medal in the Winter Games but not in the Summer Games. Other notable skiers from Liechtenstein are
Marco Büchel,
Willi Frommelt,
Paul Frommelt and
Ursula Konzett.
Another discipline unusually popular with Liechtensteiners is
motorsport
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
– American-born German-Colombian
Rikky von Opel raced under the flag of Liechtenstein in
Formula One in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
and
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
, and
Manfred Schurti competed in 9 editions of the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
as a
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
factory driver with a best finish of 4th overall in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. The nation is currently represented internationally by
Fabienne Wohlwend
Fabienne Wohlwend (born 7 November 1997 in Vaduz) is a female racing driver from Liechtenstein who competes in the W Series.
Biography Formula 4
Wohlwend entered car racing in 2016, having been successful in junior karting in Liechtenstein and ...
in
Ferrari Challenge and
Formula 3
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One driv ...
, as well as Matthias Kaiser who competes in prototype
endurance racing.
Other sports Liechtenstein athletes have had success in include
tennis, with
Stephanie Vogt and
Kathinka von Deichmann both having varying degrees of success on the women's tour, as well as
swimming – both
Julia Hassler
Julia Hassler (born 27 February 1993) is an Olympic and national-record holding swimmer from Liechtenstein. She swam for and was Liechtenstein closing-ceremony flagbearer at the 2012 Olympics. She has also swam for Liechtenstein at several other ...
and
Christoph Meier represented the country at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
with the former the nations' flag bearer.
Youth
Liechtenstein competes in the Switzerland U16 Cup Tournament, which offers young players an opportunity to play against top football clubs.
Security and defence
The
Liechtenstein National Police
The National Police of the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: Landespolizei des Fürstentums Liechtenstein), is the national police force of Liechtenstein. It is composed of 125 employees, with 91 officers and 34 staff (excluding the Securi ...
is responsible for keeping order within the country. It consists of 87 field officers and 38 civilian staff, totaling 125 employees. All officers are equipped with
small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
. The country has one of the world's lowest
crime rates. Liechtenstein's prison holds few, if any, inmates, and those with sentences over two years are transferred to
Austrian jurisdiction. The Liechtenstein National Police maintains a trilateral treaty with Austria and Switzerland that enables close cross-border cooperation among the police forces of the three countries.
Liechtenstein follows a policy of
neutrality
Neutral or neutrality may refer to:
Mathematics and natural science Biology
* Neutral organisms, in ecology, those that obey the unified neutral theory of biodiversity
Chemistry and physics
* Neutralization (chemistry), a chemical reaction ...
and is one of the few
countries in the world that maintain no military although its police force maintains a paramilitary force, the Princely Liechtenstein Security Corps within the organisation that would act as its de facto army if an invasion of Liechtenstein ever occurred. The Princely Liechtenstein Security Corps provides heavy backup for the National Police as well as Honor Guards at the Royal Palace and official functions. However, Liechtenstein can reinstate its military if deemed necessary, although this is very unlikely.
[christopher-eger.suite101.com]
The army was abolished for financial reasons soon after the
Austro-Prussian War of 1866, in which Liechtenstein fielded an army of 80 men, although they were not involved in any fighting. No casualties were incurred; in fact, the unit numbered 81 upon return due to an Austrian military liaison who accompanied the army back home. The demise of the
German Confederation in that war freed Liechtenstein from its international obligation to maintain an army, and parliament seized this opportunity and refused to provide funding for one. The Prince objected, as such a move would leave the country defenceless, but relented on 12 February 1868 and disbanded the force. The last soldier to serve under the colours of Liechtenstein died in 1939 at age 95.
* In 1985 the Swiss Army fired off shells during an exercise and mistakenly burned a patch of forest inside Liechtenstein. The incident was said to have been resolved "over a case of white wine".
* In March 2007, a 170-man Swiss infantry unit got lost during a training exercise and inadvertently crossed into Liechtenstein. The accidental invasion ended when the unit realized their mistake and turned back. The Swiss Army later informed Liechtenstein of the incursion and offered official apologies, to which an internal ministry spokesperson responded, "No problem, these things happen."
* On 20 September 2017, Liechtenstein signed the United Nations
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
See also
*
Outline of Liechtenstein
References
External links
* (in German and English)
Princely House of LiechtensteinParliament of LiechtensteinGovernment of LiechtensteinOfficial tourism of LiechtensteinStatistics Office of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein ''
The World Factbook''.
Central Intelligence Agency.
Liechtensteinfrom ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*
Liechtenstein profilefrom
BBC News
*
*
*
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