!!!Liechtenstein - Österreich

Liechtenstein - Austria: In 1699 Hans Adam von Liechtenstein acquired 
the Schellenberg estate and in 1712 Vaduz county; raised to the status 
of principality in 1719; Liechtenstein was a member of the Rheinbund 
(Confederation of the Rhine) between 1806-1814 and member of Deutscher 
Bund (German Confederation) between 1815-1866. 1852 customs union with 
Austria, which remained valid until 1919. Since 1912 Liechtenstein has 
sold its own postage stamps. After the collapse of the Habsburg 
monarchy the principality´s dependence on Austria ended (only 
the railway crossing the country is run by the Austrian Federal 
Railways), In 1921 Liechtenstein joined the Swiss postal union, in 
1923 the customs union, it is represented abroad by Switzerland. Since 
1960 member of EFTA ( European Free Trade Association) and since 1994 
member of EEA ( European Economic Area). Head of church is the 
archbishop of Vaduz since 1998, before then the bishop of Chur 
(Switzerland). Liechtenstein is a constitutional hereditary monarchy, 
the Landtag has 25 members, women´s suffrage since 1984. Area: 
160 km%%sup 2/%, pop. 32,000, gainfully employed people: 23,800, 
among them about 4,800 frontier commuters from Vorarlberg.

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Strong relations between the House of  Liechtenstein and Austria 
(palace in Vienna, estates in Styria, in Vienna and Lower Austria), 
also close contacts to the neighbouring regions in Vorarlberg. Due to 
the special economic situation of Liechtenstein, numerous commercial 
and industrial links with Austria. Liechtenstein is home to 20 large 
firms: Hilti (drills), Balzers (vacuum technology), Ivoclar (dental 
medicine), Presta (joints/hinges), Hilcona (foodstuffs) and Hoval 
(boilers), and numerous small and medium-sized companies (approx. 
2,200) as well as thousands of "letter-box firms". In 1999 the banks 
managed assets of more than 90 billion Swiss francs; taxes 
are very low (income tax for employees 3.6-17.8 %, tax on capital 
0.2 % and profits tax 7.5-20 %).

!Literature
P. Raton, Liechtenstein, Staat und Geschichte, 1961.


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