LIECHTENSTEIN

officially Principality of Liechtenstein, German Frstentum Liechtenstein tiny European principality located between Switzerland and Austria; it has an area of only 62 square miles (160 square km). The national capital is at Vaduz. The eastern two-thirds of the country is composed of the rugged foothills of the Rhtikon Massif, part of the central Alps. The mountains rise to elevations between 5,900 and 8,600 feet (1,800 and 2,623 m). Their lower slopes are covered by evergreen forests and alpine flowers, while their bare peaks are blanketed by snow. The mountains contain three major valleys and are drained by the Samina River. The western section of the country is occupied by the Rhine River floodplain. This, together with the valley of the Ill River, forms a triangular lowland widening northward. The river valley was once marshy, but a drainage channel built in the 1930s has made its rich soils highly suitable for agriculture. The climate is mild and is greatly affected by the warm southerly wind known as the foehn. The annual totals of rainfall and snowfall range, according to location, from 36 to 45 inches (914 to 1,143 mm). In winter the temperature rarely falls below 5 F (-15 C), while in summer the average daily maximum temperature varies from 68 to 82 F (20 to 28 C). These conditions allow for the cultivation of grapes and corn (maize), unusual in a mountainous area. Liechtenstein has a remarkable variety of vegetation. Water milfoil and mare's-tail as well as reeds, bulrush, bird's eye primrose, and orchids can be found. The forests comprise a mixed woodland with copper beeches, common and Norway maple, sycamore, lime, elm, and ash. As to the animal life, Liechtenstein is rich in red deer, roe deer, chamois, hare, marmot, blackcock, pheasant, hazel grouse, partridge, fox, badger, marten, polecat, stoat, weasel, and others. The Rhine plain has always been the focus of settlement. For centuries, the valley was occupied by two independent lordships of the Holy Roman Empire, Vaduz and Schellenberg. The principality of Liechtenstein, consisting of these two lordships, was founded in 1719 and remained part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was included from 1806 to 1815 in the Rhine Confederation, and from 1815 to 1866 in the German Confederation. In 1866 Liechtenstein became independent. The traditional regions of Vaduz and Schellenberg are still recognized as unique regionsthe Upper Country and the Lower Country, respectivelyand they form separate electoral districts. Throughout most of its history, Liechtenstein was a quiet, rural corner of the world that was largely unaffected by its European neighbours. After World War II, however, the country underwent a remarkably rapid period of industrialization. Liechtenstein is a constitutional monarchy in which governmental power derives from both the prince and the populace. Succession to the throne is hereditary through the male line and is determined by the regulations of the princely house. The constitution of 1921 provides for a unicameral Landtag, or parliament, composed of 15 members who are elected for four-year terms. The franchise extends to all male citizens over 20 years of age. In 1984 female citizens over 20 years of age were granted the right to vote on national, but not on local, issues. The government consists of a head and deputy head of government and three councillors who are appointed by the prince, on proposition of the Landtag, for four-year terms. The 11 Gemeinden (communes) are governed autonomouslybut under government supervisionby mayors and city councils, elected every three years. The government maintains a nominal police force, but the standing army was abolished in 1868. Liechtenstein has no natural resources of commercial value, and virtually all raw materials, including wood, have to be imported. Industrialization, therefore, has as yet been free of the pollution problems suffered by other developed areas. All of the principality's forested areas are protected in order to maintain the ecology of the mountain slopes and to guard against erosion. There is no heavy industry, and the small manufacturing concerns are spread throughout the country. Production includes metalworking, pharmaceuticals, optical lenses, electronic equipment, food processing, and the manufacture of consumer goods. In 1921 Liechtenstein adopted Swiss currency, and in 1923 it joined the Swiss customs union. Despite the small and declining percentage of the population engaged in agriculture, farming units have been increasing in size; the largest concerns concentrate on stock breeding and dairying. Corn and potatoes are traditional crops, but the production of cereals and vegetables is increasing. Vineyards are few and are split into small units. The Alpine slopes are used for grazing during the summer. Tourism is sponsored by the government. Most visitors come from the surrounding European countries and centre their activities around Vaduz. The registration of foreign firms in Liechtenstein provides a source of tax income. The country has also become a centre of banking because of its stable political situation and its absolute bank secrecy. There is a network of excellent roads connecting the country with its neighbours. The railway, part of the ParisVienna express route, passes through the northern sections of the country. There is no airport. The Liechtensteiners are descended from the Alemanni tribe that came into the region after AD 500. Although the official language is German, the population still speaks an Alemanni dialect containing local variations in pronunciation and vocabulary. The Walsers, descendants of immigrants from the Swiss canton of Valais, settled in Triesenberg at the end of the 13th century and continue to speak a particularly distinctive form of the language. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic. To the south, the more industrial Upper Country contains the communes of Vaduz, Balzers, Triesen, Triesenberg, Schaan, and Planken. The Lower Country, to the north, is divided into the communes of Eschen, Mauren, Gamprin, Ruggell, and Schellenberg. As a result of postwar industrialization, there has been a movement of people to the larger communes. The most populous communes are Vaduz, the administrative and commercial centre, and Schaan, the principal industrial community. Matters of public health are in the hands of a committee of public health, which is headed by a state medical officer. Liechtenstein's small medical institutions are supplemented by the excellent neighbouring Swiss facilities, to which the principality contributes support. Social security is sustained by a variety of compulsory insurance schemes; the financing of these comprehensive plans is shared by employers, employees, and the government, the last also assuming any deficits. Education is supervised by the National Board of Education. The school system consists of eight-year primary schools, three-year secondary schools, a vocational school, grammar school, commercial high school, music school, and a technical college. All citizens over the age of seven are literate. The world-famous art collections of the princes of Liechtenstein, exhibited in the Englnderhaus in the centre of Vaduz, include outstanding works of many 17th-century Dutch and Flemish painters. There is also a State Art Collection (1969). The Liechtenstein Postal Museum (founded in 1930) exhibits a large stock of stamps, including national issues since 1912. The Liechtenstein National Museum in Vaduz houses primarily early and Roman artifacts. The Liechtenstein National Library was established in 1961 as a public foundation. Pop. (1988 est.) 27,700.