Liechtenstein
The
Principality of Liechtenstein (
German:
Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a small,
doubly landlocked country in
Western Europe, bordered by
Switzerland to its west and by
Austria to its east. Mountainous, it is a
winter sports resort, though it is perhaps best-known as a
tax haven. Despite this it is not heavily urbanized (like the Principality of
Monaco or
Gibraltar) but many cultivated fields and little farms characterize its landscape both in the north (Unterland) and in the south (Oberland)
The territory of Liechtenstein formed at one time (albeit a diminutive) part of the ancient
Roman province of
Raetia. For centuries this territory, geographically removed from European strategic interests, had little impact on the tide of European history. Prior to the reign of its current
dynasty, the region was
enfiefed to a line of the counts of
Hohenems.
The Liechtenstein dynasty, from which the Principality takes its name (rather than vice-versa), comes from
Castle Liechtenstein in faraway
Lower Austria, which the family possessed from at least
1140 to the 13th century, and from
1807 onwards. Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast swathes of land, predominantly in
Moravia,
Lower Austria,
Silesia and
Styria, though in all cases, these territories were held in fief under other more senior feudal lords, particularly under various lines of the
Habsburg family, to whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisors. Thus, and without any territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial diet, the
Reichstag.
The family yearned greatly for the added power which a seat in the Imperial government would garner, and therefore searched for lands to acquire which would be
unmittelbar or held without any feudal personage other than the
Holy Roman Emperor himself having rights on the land. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule
Herrschaft ("Lordship") of
Schellenberg and countship of
Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz possessed exactly the political status required, no feudal lord other than their
comital sovereign and the
suzerain Emperor.
Thereby, on
January 23,
1719, after purchase had been duly made,
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor decreed Vaduz and Schellenberg were united, and raised to the dignity of
Fürstentum (
principality) with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant,
Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". It is on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the
Holy Roman Empire. Ironically, but as testament to the pure political expediency of the purchases, the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for several decades.
In
1806, most of the
Holy Roman Empire was invaded by
Napoleon I of the
First French Empire. This event had broad consequences for Liechtenstein: imperial legal and political mechanisms broke down, while
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor abdicated the imperial throne: the Empire itself dissolved. As a result, Liechtenstein ceased to have any obligations to any feudal lord beyond its borders. Modern publications generally (although incorrectly) attribute Liechtenstein's
sovereignty to these events. In reality, its prince merely became
suzerain as well as remaining sovereign lord. Since on
25 July 1806 the
Confederation of the Rhine was founded, the prince of Liechtenstein was a member, in fact a vassal of its hegemon styled
protector, French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte, until its dissolution on
19 October 1813.
Soon after, it joined the
German Confederation (
20 June 1815 -
24 August 1866, presided by the
Emperor of Austria).
Until the end of
World War I, Liechtenstein was closely tied first to the
Austrian Empire and then to
Austria-Hungary. However, the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced the country to conclude a customs and monetary union with its other neighbour,
Switzerland; since the Army was disbanded in 1868, Defense is also the responsibility of the
Military of Switzerland. At the time of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was argued that Liechteinstein as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire (supposedly still incarnated in Liechtensteiner eyes at an abstract level in the person of the then-destitutued Austro-Hungarian Emperor, despite its formal dissolution in 1806) was no longer bound to Austria, then emerging as an independent state which did not consider itself as the legal successor to the Empire. Liechtenstein is thus the last independent state in Europe which can claim an element of continuity from the Holy Roman Empire.
During
World War II, Liechtenstein remained neutral, while family treasures within the war zone were brought to Liechtenstein (and
London) for safekeeping. At the close of the conflict,
Czechoslovakia and
Poland, acting to seize what they considered to be German possessions, expropriated the entirety of the Liechtenstein dynasty's hereditary lands and possessions in
Bohemia,
Moravia and
Silesia â€" the Princes of Liechtenstein lived in
Vienna until the
Anschluss of
1938. The expropriations (subject to modern legal dispute at the
World Court) included over 1,600 square kilometres (600
sq. mi) of agricultural and forest land, including also several family castles and palaces. It is thus little wonder that during the decades of the
Cold War, citizens of Liechtenstein were forbidden by Czechoslovakia from even entering that country.
In dire financial straits following the war, the Liechtenstein dynasty often resorted to selling family artistic treasures, including for instance the priceless portrait "
Ginevra de' Benci" by
Leonardo da Vinci, which was purchased by the
National Gallery of Art of the
United States in
1967. However, the economic condition of Liechtenstein improved rapidly. During the decades following, Liechtenstein prospered, its economy modernizing with the advantage of low corporate tax rates which drew many companies to the country.
The
Prince of Liechtenstein is the world's 5th wealthiest head-of-state, with an estimated wealth of 4 billion dollars. The country's population enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living.
Liechtenstein is a
constitutional monarchy headed by its ruling prince or
Fürst. The current prince is
Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, who succeeded upon his father's death in
1989. The parliament of Liechtenstein, the
Landtag, consists of 25 representatives chosen by the people. A
cabinet of five members is responsible for daily political matters.
In a referendum on
July 1, 1984, male voters granted women the right to vote in national (though not local) elections, a victory for Prince Hans-Adam who had supported the legislation. Unlike many other
constitutional monarchies, the constitution of Liechtenstein gives many important powers to the Prince, some of which have caused controversy in recent years.
In March
2003, a popular
referendum bolstered the Liechtenstein dynasty's constitutional position. Prior to the referendum, Prince Hans-Adam had announced that he and his family would relocate to
Vienna, Austria if the House's constitutional prerogatives were curbed. The referendum confirmed the broad popularity of the Liechtenstein dynasty.
The parliamentary elections of
March 11 and 13th, 2005 resulted in the government of
Otmar Hasler losing its general majority in the Landtag. By April he had formed a coalition government with the main opposition party.
Liechtenstein was admitted to the
United Nations in 1990. It has since been an active member of the UN.
Liechtenstein is divided into eleven communities (
Gemeinden, sing.
Gemeinde), most consisting of only a single town. These are:
*
Balzers*
Eschen*
Gamprin*
Mauren*
Planken*
Ruggell*
Schaan*
Schellenberg*
Triesen*
Triesenberg*
VaduzThe eleven communities each have an elected council (
Gemeinderat) and mayor (
Vorsteher), who together have authority over the delivery of most local services.
On 11 May
1988, Liechtenstein became the first member state of the
Council of Europe to sign and ratify the new
European Charter of Local Self-Government. In
2005, the
Congress of the Council of Europe sent a mission led by
Christopher Newbury to report on the situation of local democracy in Liechtenstein. The report of the mission found that the conditions for local democracy in the country were "enviable" and that there were no areas of non-compliance with the
European Charter.
|
Satellite image of Liechtenstein |
Liechtenstein is situated in the Upper
Rhine valley of the European
Alps. The entire western border of Liechtenstein is formed by the river. In its east, Liechtenstein rises to higher altitudes, its highest point, the
Grauspitz, reaches 2,599 metres (8,527
ft). Despite its alpine location, prevailing southerly winds make the climate of Liechtenstein rather mild. In winter, the mountain slopes are well suited to winter sports.
Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world; i.e., a landlocked country surrounded by other landlocked countries. The other is
Uzbekistan. It is the only country with a predominantly German-speaking population that does not share a border with the
Federal Republic of Germany.
|
Looking northward at Vaduz city-centre |
Despite its small geographic area and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy, and boasts a financial service sector and also living standard which compare favourably to those of the urban areas of Liechtenstein's large European neighbours. Advantageously low business taxes – the maximum tax rate is 18% – as well as easy
Rules of Incorporation have induced about 73,700 holding (or so-called 'letter box') companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein. Such processes provide about 30% of Liechtenstein's state revenue.
Recently, Liechtenstein has shown strong determination to dispel the country's unhelpful image as a center for international money-laundering.
Liechtenstein participates in a
customs union with
Switzerland and employs the
Swiss franc as national currency. The country imports more than 90% of its energy requirements. Liechtenstein has been a member of the
European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between the
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the
European Union) since May
1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. Since 2002, Liechtenstein's rate of unemployment has doubled, although it stood at only 2.2% in the third quarter of 2004.
Liechtenstein is the fourth smallest country of Europe, after
Vatican City,
Monaco, and
San Marino. Its population is primarily ethnic Alemannic, though its resident population is approximately one third foreign-born, primarily
Germans from the
Federal Republic of Germany,
Austria, and the
Swiss Confederation, other (
Latin)
Swiss,
Italians and
Turks. Foreigners make up 2/3 of the country's workforce.
The official language is
German; most speak an
Alemannic (a highly divergent)
dialect of German, see
Middle High German. About 76% of the population adhere to the
Roman Catholic faith, while about 7% are
Protestant.
On
November 27 2005, Liechtenstein voters rejected an initiative that would prohibit
abortion,
birth control, and
living wills in the principality. Instead, a government-sponsored counterproposal was ratified. The anti-abortion initiative was supported by
Roman Catholic Archbishop
Wolfgang Haas. Hereditary
Prince Alois was initially sympathetic to the anti-abortion proposal, but became neutral during the run-up to the vote. [
1]
There are about 250 kilometres (155
mi) of paved roadway within Liechtenstein, and 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) of railway. The country's rails are administered by the
Austrian Federal Railways as part of the route between
Feldkirch,
Austria, and
Buchs SG,
Switzerland. Four stations in Liechtenstein, including Schaan-Vaduz, Forst Hilti, Nendeln, and Schaanwald, are served by an irregular stopping-train service running between Feldkirch and Buchs. While
EuroCity and other long distance international trains also make use of the route, these do not call at Liechtenstein stations.
Liechtenstein Bus is a subsidiary of the Swiss Postbus system, and connects to the Swiss bus network at Buchs SG and at
Sargans.
Due to Liechtenstein's small size, the country has been strongly affected by external cultural influences, most notably those originating in the southern German-speaking areas of Europe, including
Austria,
Bavaria,
Switzerland, and the
Tyrol. The Historical Society of the Principality of Liechtenstein plays a role in preserving the culture and history of the country.
Liechtenstein
football teams play in the Swiss football leagues. The Liechtenstein Cup allows access to one Liechtenstein team each year in the
UEFA Cup --
FC Vaduz, a team playing in the Swiss Challenge League (i.e. the second level of 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 defeated the
Latvian team
FC Universitate Riga by 1-1 and 4-2, to go on to a lucrative fixture against
Paris St Germain, which they lost 0-4 and 0-3.
The
Liechtenstein national football team has traditionally been regarded as an easy target for any team drawn against them, a fact that served as the basis for a book about Liechtenstein's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the
2002 World Cup by British author
Charlie Connelly. In autumn
2004, however, in an astonishing week the team managed a 2:2 draw with
Portugal, who only a few months earlier had been the losing finalists in the
European Championships, and went on four days later to defeat
Luxembourg by 4 goals to 0 in Luxembourg, in qualification matches for the
2006 World Cup.
As an alpine country, the main opportunity for Liechtensteiners to excel is in winter sports such as
downhill skiing:
Hanni Wenzel won two gold medals in the
1980 Winter Olympics. With nine medals overall (all in alpine skiing), Liechtenstein has won more Olympic medals
per capita than any other nation.
*
List of Liechtensteiners*
Grand Fenwick, a fictional country with similarities to Liechtenstein
*
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins*
Principality of Liechtenstein - Official site
*
History of Liechtenstein: Primary documents*"Arukikata" Liechtenstein [
2] - Travellers guide written in Japanese/English
*Sarah Lyall,
"For Rent: One Principality. Prince Not Included." New York Times,
25 March 2003.
*
"Liechtenstein Rejects Anti-Abortion Measure" from CBS News,
November 27 2005, retrieved
November 28 2005nds-nl:Liechtensteinfiu-vro:Liechtenstein
