onclude a customs and monetary union with
Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained
neutral) the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic
growth. However, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have
resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for
money laundering.

Liechtenstein Geography

Location: Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Geographic coordinates: 47 10 N, 9 32 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 160 sq km

land: 160 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 76 km

border countries: Austria 35 km, Switzerland 41 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m

highest point: Grauspitz 2,599 m

Natural resources: hydroelectric potential, arable land

Land use: arable land: 24%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 16%

forests and woodland: 35%

other: 25% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: NA

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly
landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic
variations based on elevation

Liechtenstein People

Population: 32,528 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.41% (male 2,992; female 2,996)

15-64 years: 70.6% (male 11,455; female 11,511)

65 years and over: 10.99% (male 1,439; female 2,135) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.98% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 11.53 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

under 15