Europe10 facts about Liechtenstein
Many people still know Liechtenstein primarily as a tax haven in Europe. The mini-state has been trying to get rid of this image for several years. But while the welcoming duchy of Luxembourg is very active on the European stage, the principality often remains a mystery.
Many people are likely to already have problems being able to spontaneously locate Liechtenstein on a map. It is located around 20 kilometers south of Lake Constance between Austria and Switzerland. In 2019 the principality celebrated its 300th anniversary.
Liechtenstein: Hereditary monarchy with mini-parliament
It is a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis. Head of State Prince Hans-Adam II transferred the business of government to Hereditary Prince Alois in 2004. The government, a so-called collegial government, consists of five members, the parliament of 25 members. Almost eight out of ten Liechtenstein citizens are Roman Catholics.
So much for the basics: Here are ten more facts about the principality.
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size
Liechtenstein is around 160 square meters. This makes the principality the fourth smallest state in Europe and the sixth smallest state in the world. Liechtenstein measures 24.8 kilometers at the longest point. Its western neighbor, Switzerland, is around 260 times larger.
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Companies
There is one company for every eight Liechtenstein residents. According to its official website, the mini-state is likely to have the highest corporate density in the world. Most recently, 4567 companies were based in Liechtenstein. 4154 of them employed a maximum of nine people. Only 17 companies had more than 250 employees.
@imago images / Peter Widmann
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Infrastructure
“The principality is a real landlocked country,” says the official website. Liechtenstein therefore has no airport, port or its own motorway. The state leadership was initially skeptical about the automobile. She wanted to limit traffic in 1909 with the help of driving bans and through tolls. Before the First World War, two cars and two motorcycles were registered in Liechtenstein.
@imago images / Peter Widmann
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Women’s suffrage
Speaking of legislators: up until 1984, they were determined exclusively by men. The male citizens of Liechtenstein had repeatedly resisted the introduction of women’s suffrage. Neighboring Switzerland decided to do this in 1971, and Portugal followed three years later after the dictatorship was overthrown. Liechtenstein, on the other hand, waited until 1984. The vote was shamefully short: 2,370 votes in favor to 2,251 against.
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currency
Liechtenstein does not have its own currency. The Swiss franc has been the official national currency since 1924. Usually the euro is also accepted. The official language is German. However, an Alemannic dialect is spoken.
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Pizza
Every sixth pizza eaten in Germany comes from Liechtenstein, more precisely from the Ospelt Group. So it says on the official website of the principality. The Ospelt Group supplies supermarket chains with finished products. These include Lidl and Aldi, as the Swiss “Handelszeitung” reported in 2018.
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EU, UN, EEA
Liechtenstein is not a member of the European Union. In 1990 – four years after the introduction of women’s suffrage – the Principality joined the United Nations. In 1992, following a referendum, it took part in the European Economic Area (EEA). It was worth it. “In the first five years of EEA membership, employment growth is accelerating,” says a brochure from the state administration. “In 1999, 20 percent more employees were registered than in 1994. In 2015, 85 percent of the population rated membership as positive. ”Incidentally, the State Office for Statistics was only established in 2009.
@imago images / Peter Widmann
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population
Liechtenstein’s population last amounted to around 38,100 people. According to the statistics office, every third person is a foreign national. Above all, Swiss, Austrians and Germans make up this proportion of foreigners. In 2017, the number of employees in Liechtenstein (38,600) exceeded the number of residents for the first time. In 1950 there were only 65 employees in the principality. Their number increased tenfold by 1970 due to the boom in the financial services industry.
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emigration
For a long time, Liechtenstein was a country of emigration due to the poor economic conditions. “The economic crisis after the First World War led to the third major wave of emigration from 1920 to 1929 with around 160 people,” says the official brochure for the country’s 300th anniversary.
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Economic performance
In 2016, Liechtenstein’s gross domestic product was 6.1 billion Swiss francs. The monthly gross average wage (median) was 6603 Swiss francs.
