24 Lively Facts about Liechtenstein

First published 23rd October 2019 Robin James

Expand your knowledge of this wonderful country by taking a look at these 24 interesting facts about Liechtenstein!

Liechtenstein is a stunning landlocked country in Europe.
It is bordered by Switzerland to the south, west and north and Austria to the north and east.
In fact, Liechtenstein is one of only two ‘doubly landlocked’ countries, meaning it is not only landlocked, but all the bordering countries are landlocked, too.

Flag of Liechtenstein

Boasting mountains and valleys, there’s lots to explore in this beautiful country; to discover its beauty for yourself, head for the coordinates 47.1417° N, 9.5233° E.
The terrain here is mostly mountainous, with much of the country forming part of the Alps mountain range, with the western third of the country lying in the Rhine Valley – a deep picturesque alpine valley!
The total land area of Liechtenstein is 62 square miles (160 square kilometres)…
…that’s around 1.5 times the size of Manchester.
Liechtenstein’s population was 38,557 in 2019…
…that’s less than 1/10th of the population of Manchester!

Residents here are known as Liechtensteiners.
The capital is Vaduz; it covers an area of 6.7 square miles (17.3 square kilometres) and had a population of 5,000 in 2014.
Liechtensteiners enjoy a continental climate with cool and humid summers, followed by cool, snowy winters.
Liechtenstein actually welcomes around 1.5 times its population in tourists each year!

Despite not sharing a border with Germany, the official language of Liechtenstein is German!
In fact, it is the only German speaking country to not share a border with Germany, and it is the smallest German speaking country in the world!
Interestingly, the Swiss Franc is the official currency here, although the Euro is also widely accepted.

Liechtensteiners live for an average of 82 years.
In 2011, Airbnb and Xnet teamed up to offer the opportunity to rent Liechtenstein (yes, the whole country!) for the bargain price of approximately £46,000 per night! The price included accommodation for 150, a symbolic key to the state, a wine tasting session, plus the option to have your own temporary currency and street signs!
There is an army story dating from 1868 where it is said that 80 men were sent to guard an Italian mountain pass but saw no action. During their march home they befriended an Austrian and returned to Liechtenstein as an 81-man strong army!
As a politically neutral country, Liechtenstein no longer has a permanent military.

Liechtenstein grows barley, wheat, potatoes and corn; they also rear livestock and produce dairy products here.
Its industry consists of electronics, tourism, metal manufacturing, ceramics, dental products, food products, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments and optical instruments.
Liechtenstein exports dental products, parts for motor vehicles, speciality machinery, electronic equipment, hardware, foodstuffs and optical products.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Liechtenstein has the third highest GDP per capita behind Qatar and Luxembourg!

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