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Executive branch:

chief of state: Prince HANS ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers 26 August 1984); Heir Apparent Prince ALOIS, son of the monarch (born 11 June 1968); note - on 15 August 2004, HANS ADAM transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but HANS ADAM retains status of chief of state

head of government: Head of Government Otmar HASLER (since 5 April 2001); Deputy Head of Government Klaus TSCHUETSCHER (since 21 April 2005)

cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch

elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the head of government by the monarch and the leader of the largest minority party in the Landtag is usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch if there is a coalition government

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Landtag (25 seats; members are elected by popular vote under proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 11 and 13 March 2005 (next to be held by 2009)

election results: percent of vote by party - FBP 48.7%, VU 38.2%, FL 13%; seats by party - FBP 12, VU 10, FL 3

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Court of Appeal or Obergericht

Political parties and leaders:

Patriotic Union or VU [Adolf HEEB] (was Fatherland Union); Progressive Citizens' Party or FBP [Marcus VOGT]; The Free List or FL [Claudia HEEB-FLECK and Egon MATT]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCL, WIPO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Claudia FRITSCHE

chancery: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006

telephone: [1] (202) 331-0590

FAX: [1] (202) 331-3221

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band

Economy Liechtenstein

Economy - overview:

Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy with a vital financial service sector and living standards on a par with its large European neighbors. The Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a large number of small businesses. Low business taxes - the maximum tax rate is 20% - and easy incorporation rules have induced many holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein, providing 30% of state revenues. The country participates in a customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its national currency. It 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 EU) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.786 billion (2001 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$36.33 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

11% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$25,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 6%

industry: 39%

services: 55% (2001)

Labor force:

29,500 of whom 13,900 commute from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany to work each day (31 December 2001)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 2%

industry: 47%

services: 51% (31 December 2001)

Unemployment rate:

1.3% (September 2002)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1% (2001)

Budget:

revenues: $424.2 million

expenditures: $414.1 million (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Industries:

electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Exports:

$2.47 billion (1996)

Exports - commodities:

small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware, prepared foodstuffs, electronic equipment, optical products

Exports - partners:

EU 62.6% (Germany 24.3%, Austria 9.5%, France 8.9%, Italy 6.6%, UK 4.6%), US 18.9%, Switzerland 15.7% (2006)

Imports:

$917.3 million (1996)

Imports - commodities:

agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Imports - partners:

EU, Switzerland (2006)

Debt - external:

$0 (2001)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

Swiss franc (CHF)

Currency code:

CHF

Exchange rates:

Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.1973 (2007), 1.2539 (2006), 1.2452 (2005), 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Liechtenstein

Telephones - main lines in use:

20,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

27,500 (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: automatic telephone system

domestic: NA

international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave radio relay

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:

21,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

NA (linked to Swiss networks) (1997)

Televisions:

12,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.li

Internet hosts:

4,753 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

44 (Liechtenstein and Switzerland) (2000)

Internet users:

22,000 (2006)

Transportation Liechtenstein

Pipelines:

gas 20 km (2007)

Railways:

9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)

note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2006)

Roadways:

total: 380 km

paved: 380 km (2007)

Waterways:

28 km (2006)

Military Liechtenstein

Military branches:

no regular military forces (constitutionally prohibited); Principality of Liechtenstein National Police (Landespolizei, LP) (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 8,102 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 6,584 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 202 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

Liechtenstein has no military forces, but is interested in European security policy and is an active member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Transnational Issues Liechtenstein

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

has strengthened money laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein's sophisticated offshore financial services sector

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Lithuania

Introduction Lithuania

Background:

Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795, when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. 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.

Geography Lithuania

Location:

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates:

56 00 N, 24 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 65,300 sq km

land: NA sq km

water: NA sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:

total: 1,644 km

border countries: Belarus 679 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 104 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 273 km

Coastline:

90 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Terrain:

lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m

highest point: Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m

Natural resources:

peat, arable land, amber

Land use:

arable land: 44.81%

permanent crops: 0.9%

other: 54.29% (2005)

Irrigated land:

70 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

24.5 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 3.33 cu km/yr (78%/15%/7%)

per capita: 971 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits

People Lithuania

Population:

3,565,205 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 14.5% (male 264,668/female 250,997)

15-64 years: 69.5% (male 1,214,236/female 1,263,198)

65 years and over: 16% (male 197,498/female 374,608) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39 years

male: 36.4 years

female: 41.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.284% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.12 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female

total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.57 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 7.86 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.67 years

male: 69.72 years

female: 79.89 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.22 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,300 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Lithuanian(s)

adjective: Lithuanian

Ethnic groups:

Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)

Languages:

Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.6%

female: 99.6% (2001 census)

Government Lithuania

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania

conventional short form: Lithuania

local long form: Lietuvos Respublika

local short form: Lietuva

former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Vilnius

geographic coordinates: 54 41 N, 25 19 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus

Independence:

11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:

adopted 25 October 1992

Legal system:

based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)

head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July 2006)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2009); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament

election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13 with five abstentions

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members are elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; serve four-year terms)