Liechtenstein

The Liechtensteiners are descended from the Alemanni tribe that came into the region after 500. Founded in 1719, Liechtenstein was a member of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866, when it became an independent principality. It abolished its army in 1868 and has managed to stay neutral and undamaged in all European wars since then. Liechtenstein still claims 1.600 km² of Czech territory (the royal family's ancestral home) confiscated in 1918; the Czech Republic insists that restitution does not go back before February 1948, when the Communists seized power. In a referendum on 1July 1984 male voters granted women the right to vote in national (but not local) elections.

Blacklisted in 2000 as a centre for money laundering, Liechtenstein toughened its laws and made major efforts to clean up its financial practices. In 2002 the country was removed from the OECD's blacklist.

In March 2003 Liechtenstein's people overwhelmingly voted to give its prince more powers, including the right to dismiss governments and approve judicial nominees. Prince Hans Adam II had threatened to leave the country if his demands for more authority were not met. Before the vote, he had already possessed more power than any other European monarch.

In August 2003 he announced that he would give up the day-to-day ruling of the country in one year's time. In August 2004, his son, Prince Alois, became regent of Liechtenstein, while Hans Adam II remained the official head of state.

Liechtenstein entered international politics relatively late. The League of Nations refused Liechtenstein membership because it was thought that because of its size the country could not fulfil the obligations set in the Covenant. Gradually Liechtenstein became member of international organisations, the last being the United Nations in 1990 and the European Economic Area in 1995.

Capital: Vaduz

Government: principality

Area: 157 km²

Population: 33.987 (2006)

Currency: Swiss Franc (100 centimes or Rappen)

Internet TLD: .li

Dialling code: +423

Member of: United Nations and most related organizations

Links

Liechtenstein in Wikipedia.

Flag of Liechtenstein in Flags of the World.

The website of the Philatelic Service.

Country description from the BBC.

Country description from the CIA.

Official website of the government of Liechtenstein.

Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations.

Stamp catalogue

UPU 75th anniversary

date: 23 May 1949

designer: P. Chatillon

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

1 40 post horn, princely crown, world map, text "1874 UPU 1949"

blue

(cat. Michel 277/SG 249/Yvert 242)

World Refugee Year

date: 7 April 1960

designer: unknown; original stamps by Josef Seger

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11½

remark: overprint on stamps for the Expo 58 in Brussels

2 30 + 10 overprint WRY emblem, stripe through original text and value (40) and text "WELTFLÜCHTLINGSJAHR 1960"

multicoloured, overprint in black

(cat. Michel 389/SG 399/Yvert 353)

3 50 + 10 overprint WRY emblem, stripe through original text and value (25) and text "WELTFLÜCHTLINGSJAHR 1960"

multicoloured, overprint in black

(cat. Michel 390/SG 400/Yvert 354)

The World United Against Malaria

date: 2 August 1962

designer: Louis Jäger, Karl Bickel (engraver)

printer: PTT

perforated: 11¾

4 50 campaign emblem, text "KAMPF DER MALARIA"

blue-green

(cat. Michel 419/SG 414/Yvert 365)

Freedom from Hunger Campaign

date: 26 August 1963

designer: Georg Malin

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

5 50 bread, cup, milk jug, campaign emblem

brown, purple, red

(cat. Michel 432/SG 423/Yvert 382)

ITU Centenary

date: 7 December 1965

designer: Georg Malin

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

6 25 symbols of broadcasting, text "UIT / 1865-1965"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 458/SG 452/Yvert 404)

UPU Centenary

date: 6 June 1974

designer: Bruno Kaufmann

printer: Österreichische Staatsdruckerei

perforated: 13¾

7 40 post horn, field with repeating text "WELTPOSTVEREIN / UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE", UPU emblem,

text "UPU / 1874 1974"

gold, green, black

(cat. Michel 607/SG 594/Yvert 550)

8 60 post horn, field with repeating text "WELTPOSTVEREIN / UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE", UPU emblem,

text "UPU / 1874 1974"

gold, red, black

(cat. Michel 608/SG 595/Yvert 551)

International Year of the Child

date: 8 March 1979

designer: Roberto Altmann

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

9 80 child drinking, text "Jahr des Kindes"

yellow, silver, black

(cat. Michel 725/SG 722/Yvert 666)

10 90 child eating, text "Jahr des Kindes"

green, silver, black

(cat. Michel 726/SG 723/Yvert 667)

11 1.10 child reading, text "Jahr des Kindes"

orange, silver, black

(cat. Michel 727/SG 724/Yvert 668)

CCIR 50th anniversary

date: 7 June 1979

designer: Josef Schädler

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

12 50 radio waves, ITU emblem, text "CCIR / 50 Jahre Internationaler / Beratender Ausschuss / für

den Funkdienst."

blue, black

(cat. Michel 728/SG 725/Yvert 669)

International Year of Disabled Persons

date: 9 June 1981

designer: -

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾:11½

13 40 symbol for blindness, triangle, wheelchair access sign, text "1981 JAHR DER BEHINDERTEN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 774/SG 769/Yvert 715)

World Communications Year

date: 6 June 1983

designer: Hans Peter Gassner

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

remark: part of a series of four stamps

14 50 air mail envelope with UPU, ITU and WCY emblems, postmark with national coat of arms, text "Weltjahr

/ der / Kommunikation"

blue, red, black

(cat. Michel 826/SG 818/Yvert 767)

Membership of the United Nations

date: 4 March 1991

designer: Cornelia Eberle

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

15 2 50 peace dove with national flag, UNO emblem, text "MITGLIED DER / VEREINTEN NATIONEN 1990"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 1015/SG 1010/Yvert 956)

UNO 50th anniversary

date: 6 March 1995

designer: Regina Marxer

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

remark: part of a series of three stamps

16 1.80 flowers tied together with national flag, flag with UNO jubilee emblem, text "VEREINTE NATIONEN

1945-1995"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 1106/SG 1097/Yvert 1047)

UPU 125th anniversary

date: 25 May 1999

designer: Rapallo

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 11¾

remark: part of a series of three stamps

17 70 bird with letter, UPU emblem and UPU jubilee emblem, text "WELPOSTVEREIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 1201/SG 1193/Yvert 1142)

International Year of Mountains

date: 4 March 2002

designer: Louis Jäger

printer: Courvoisier

perforated: 14:13½

remark: part of a series of two stamps

18 70 mountain landscape, IYM emblem, text "Internationales Jahr der Berge"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 1289/SG 1265/Yvert 1230)

International Year of Astronomy

date: 2 March 2009

designer: Leta Krähenbühl, Serneus

printer: Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, Austria

perforated: 14:14

remark: stamp printed on hologram foil

19 1 30 supernova (tiny white dot at the centre depicting a White Dwarf), Europa emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 1505/SG /Yvert )

Up - Home

last revised: 15 August 2009