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Geography |
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Capital |
Capital--Vaduz. |
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Area |
61.7 sq. miles. (160 sq km.); about the size of Washington, DC. |
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Terrain |
66% mountains, the remainder hills and plateau situated
next to the Rhine. |
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Climate |
Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool
to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers. |
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People |
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Nationality |
Noun--Liechtensteiner(s), adjective--Liechtenstein. |
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Population |
(2006): 33,987, of which 34.3% foreigners, mainly Swiss, Austrians
and Germans. |
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Groups |
Liechtensteiners, Swiss, Austrians, and Germans. |
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Religions |
Roman Catholic 80.4%, Protestant 7.1%, others 12.5%. |
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Languages |
German (official), Alemannic dialect. |
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Government &
History |
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Official Name |
Principality of Liechtenstein |
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Government |
Hereditary constitutional monarchy. |
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Independence |
January 23, 1719 Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein established;
July 12, 1806 established independence from the Holy Roman Empire. |
The Liechtenstein Family of Austria acquired the fiefs of Vaduz and
Schellenberg in 1699 and 1713 respectively, and gained the status of
an independent principality of the Holy Roman Empire in 1719 under
the name Liechtenstein. The French, under Napoleon, occupied the
country for a few years, but Liechtenstein regained its independence
in 1815 within the new German Confederation. In 1868, after the
Confederation dissolved, Liechtenstein disbanded its army of 80 men
and declared its permanent neutrality, which was respected during
both world wars.
In 1919, Liechtenstein entrusted its external relations to neutral
Switzerland. After World War II, Liechtenstein became increasingly
important as a financial center, and the country became more
prosperous. In 1989, Prince Hans Adam II succeeded his father to the
throne and in 1996 settled a long-running dispute with Russia over
the Liechtenstein family's archives, which had been confiscated
during the Soviet occupation of Vienna in 1945 and later moved to
Moscow. In 1978, Liechtenstein became a member of the Council of
Europe and then joined the UN in 1990, the European Free Trade
Association (EFTA) in 1991, and both the European Economic Area
(EEA) and World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995. |
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