Liechtenstein

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Liechtenstein's Information


Capital	Vaduz
Languages	German 94.5% (official) (Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.1%, other 4.3% (2010 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Liechtensteiner 66%, other 34% (2013 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic (official) 75.9%, Protestant Reformed 6.5%, Muslim 5.4%, Lutheran 1.3%, other 2.9%, none 5.4%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Independance	23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire); 24 August 1866 (independence from the German Confederation)
Area	160.00 km²
Land Area	160.00 km²
Population	37,937.00 Most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River
Location	Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Austria 34 km, Switzerland 41 km
GDP(PPP)	$4,978,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$139,100.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, and parts for motor vehicles.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, and machinery.
Climate	Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain	Mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Where is Liechtenstein?

Located in Central Europe, Liechtenstein has a 75.00 km border with Austria (34 km) and Switzerland (41 km).

The capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz, is located in the Central West of Liechtenstein. It has its own flag and coat of arms, with a great history in the principality of Liechtenstein. It is home to local football club FC Vaduz. It lies along the River Rhine but lacks major transport systems like an airport or railway system. One of the notable landmarks in Vaduz is the Vaduz castle, home to Liechtenstein’s prince and his family. It also has other tourist attractions like the art gallery Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Furt Liechtenstein Gemaldegalerie and Peter Kaizer Square.

Geography

Liechtenstein has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a continental climate with cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers. Its terrain is mostly mountainous.

Population

Liechtenstein has a population of 37,937 making it the 212th largest in the world. The majority of the population can be found in the western half of the country.

German is the official language. The majority reported ethnicity is Liechtensteiner. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

?Liechtenstein uses Alemannic as its main language, which is a dialect of German. It borrows heavily from German although the pronunciations differ from one region to the other in the principality. Standard German is the national language, and was made statutory in 1921. Other languages spoken in Liechtenstein include Swiss-German and Walser, the latter which is on the brink of extinction. Its use is mostly scattered in the southeast, used in the Triesenberg, Saminatal and Malbun enclaves. There are other minority languages spoken in the country, including Turkish and Italian.

Government

Liechtenstein is an independent country. The Principality of Liechtenstein was established in 1719. Its constitution was last ratified in 1921.

The government of Liechtenstein is headed by a prince who inherits the seat from his father, or uncle, helped by four councilors. The parliament proposes the four councilors who are then appointed by the president. The parliament on the other hand is elected after every four years, with eligibility restricted to Liechtenstein-born candidates. The parliament of Liechtenstein, known as the Landtag, has its buildings in Vaduz. It was built in 2008 by German-based architect Hans after an initial proposal to build it had been rejected fifteen years earlier for being too expensive.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Liechtenstein's GDP is $4,978,000,000.00 (USD) with $139,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 172nd largest economy and its citizens the richest in the world. The currency of Liechtenstein is the Franc (CHF).

Its major imports include agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, and machinery.

Flag

The current flag of Liechtenstein has been in existence as long as the principality itself, although it has gone through some small chagnes. Initially, the flag had two yellow and red bands running horizontally, before the yellow band was replaced by a blue one. The flag was granted "official status" in 1921. The red band symbolizes the fires lit in the homes of Liechtensteiners every evening while the blue band is a symbol for the sky. The princely crown signifies the unity of the people of Liechtenstein and their prince.