d
neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic
growth. Shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in
concerns about the use of financial institutions for money
laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money-laundering
legislation over the past several years and a Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaty with the US went into effect in 2003.

Lithuania
Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was
annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US.
On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics
to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this
proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in
Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania
subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western
European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring
of 2004.

Luxembourg
Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815
and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than
half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger
measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun
by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when
it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO
the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six
founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the
European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Macau
Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the
first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement
signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the
Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 20 December
1999. China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems"
formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in
Macau, and that Macau will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all
matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Macedonia
Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from
Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of
what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international
recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of
"the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted
a 20