History of Lichtenstein - Research Paper Example

History of Lichtenstein Introduction History and geography have largely contributed towards Liechtenstein current position as a country. This is because its strategic locations and size making it different from other countries. The country has been affected largely by changes in its political systems like the growth or changes from the Roman outpost to constitutional monarchy. In spite of Liechtenstein being dependent on Switzerland for a majority of its basic needs, the country has largely been shaped and differentiated from other countries by its monarchy principles. Liechtenstein, unlike other countries, has a prince as the head of state and not a president or Prime Minister asis the norm (International Business Publications, USA. 2012). This essay examines Liechtenstein as a country by looking into different aspects or factors constituting to its sovereignty. Facts about Country There are different facts about Lichtenstein which may not be known by citizens who are not from the country. The first fact is that the capital of the country is Vaduz and it is located along the river Rhine. Likewise, the population of the capital city is estimated to be about 5,342 most of which are considered to be from the Roman Catholic faith. The city of the country also serves as the administrative center and the seat of the national parliament. The second fact is that the largest city within the country is known as Schaan located in the north of the capital city. It covers an area of 10.3 square miles and it is located in an area covered by mountains and forest. Its population is estimated to be 5, 806.The third fact is that the country covers an estimated area of about sixty two square miles, and is the sixth smallest independent country in the world. The total population of the country, according to the census of 2010 is 36,010.The fourth fact is that the ethnic group of the constituting the country is majorly Alemannic Germans, but there are also other small ethnic groups like the Turks and Italians. The fifth fact is that the administrative division of the country is divided into eleven communes who are composed of single villages or towns. The sixth fact about the country is that energy production in the country is 145 million kWh whereas its electricity consumption is 1.36 billion kWh. The last fact about the country is that its national day is celebrated on August 15 as a commemoration of its independence from Germany (Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division., 2014). History of Lichtenstein The country Lichtenstein has a had an extensive past as their sovergnty has been changed a number of times. The country’s history is traced back to the year 1866. Different scholars have discovered forms of human existence in the country during the Neolithic age. Forms of colonization started in the areas asv early as 800BC by the a group known as the Rhaetians. Later during the 15BC, the country was colonized by the Romans and set up the castle known as Schaan catsle to protect their territory in the region from the the a tribe known as the Germanic people (Newsnet. "History of Liechtenstein.", 1996). The castle of Schaan which was situated between the two states , roman ‘empire and the germianic tribes was a n important areas for the Romans in colonizing the region. Further on in 1699 prince Johann Adam adreas of Liechtenstein country bouth the lordship of an area known as Schellenberg and in 1712 he also purchased the county of Vaduz and by 1719, he made a declaration procloaming that Vaduz and Schellen which were towns he had bought were to reffered to as a principality known as Liechenstaein. However, during this time, the new principality created was still under the Romans who were being led by the Kaiser’s rule. Recent history of the country also shows that country has never had such things like an army in spite of the fact that it is being considered as an independent state. The country has been dependent on her neighbor which have been Australia and Switzerland. Therefore, the name and history of the country is traced back to ancient times and from the prince Johann Adam (Newsnet. "History of Liechtenstein.", 1996). Reasons For Success Liechtenstein country’s success has largely been associated to their freedom and leadership given to them from their chosen leaders. For a long time now, the country has categosrised as one of the most free and prosperous country in the world. The country’s monarchy unlike other monarchies acroos the world retains extensive powers and its involved in the day to day activitiesb or management of the country. Moreover, when the country was given persomission to vote in the type of government they wanted, they decided to vote for the monarchy which has been power for decades for ab second time hence further giving the monacrchy more power. Secondly, the country unlike other countries experiences no conflicts which is caused due to political upheavals of their country. The country has been able to avoid conflicts of all forms , anhd channeled their efforts towards the conhstruction of their country. Lastly , the monarchy in charge of the country is being led with an educated an intelligent prince who has been able to rule in accordance to citizens wish therefore ensuring that different sectors of theb country’s economy is properly managed (International Business Publications, USA., 2012). Tourism Liechtenstein is a country situated between Switzerland, and Austria and boasts of a lot in terms of tourism. Tourism has promoted the country’s economy in that, national issues like unemployment and extreme poverty is unheard of in any of the regions. A quick look was that in 2002 the unemployment rate was 1.3% of the 10,000 domestic workers within the country. Likewise,the average income of citizens is estimated to be $ 25,000 while the annual growth rate to be at 11%. The country is basically covered with forest and meadows which largely contribute to the success of tourism in the region since forests give a good environmental image for tourism. The country is also blessed with numerous tourist attraction sites like mountains, hiking trails, ski, water activities, museums and castles which are very rare in other parts of the world especially in Europe. A good example is that the Liechtenstein castle in Wilfers dorf has articfacts and histories dating back to 1436 (Liechtenstein Castle Wilfersdorf. (n.d.) 2015).The capital city of Liechtenstein is the center of every tourist activity in the region as it serves as a tourist information center with tourist sites like the parliamentary buildings which are located along the banks of the river Rhine (Konrad, 1980). The historic town hall provides a beautiful site for tourists to marvel about as it was built in the 1873, thus its history is amazing and attractive to visitors. In displaying its arts, Liechtenstein has centered its state of the art gallery in Kunst museum, which presents to tourist a set of both modern and ancient artworks. These artworks are greatly loved by tourists who purchase them as souvenirs. Moreover, the museum collections include pieces of the 19th century which are very rare to find in today’s society as they have been lost or broken. Also, a tourist attraction site is a visit to the Gutenberg castle, which is located in the village of Balzers in the south of the country. The castle history dates back from the Middle Ages and tourists find it very attractive. Tourists get a good view of the castle which is positioned on top of a hill making it even mysterious as not many people are physically fit enough to get to the top. The country’s national museum also has a lot to showcase for tourists visiting the region as it offers tourists with exhibits which largely contributed to the country’s history like weapons and religious items used by inhabitants of the country in pre-historic times. In addition, a tourist attraction site in the country is the towns of Nendeln and Exchen. This is because their foundation is based on the foundation of the former Roman villa showcasing some of the oldest pottery found in few places across the world (The Schädler Pottery in Nendeln. (n.d.) 2015). Likewise, the towns provide individuals with hiking opportunities and stone crockery experience used by the early Romans. Moreover, in terms of tourism, Liechtenstein boasts of its ancient festival. One for tourists to note while visiting the region is the Schaan and the Liechtenstein festivals which are famous for exhibiting the local history and arts. In addition are hiking areas which are marked for easy climbing for hike lovers (Encyclopedia Britannica, inc., 2012). Highest Producer of Dentures (Teeth) For individuals experiencing problems with their teeth, Liechtenstein country offers solutions for this as it is the highest producer of false teeth or dentures. The dentures are produced in Schaan which is considered as the biggest city within the country, and is located between Vaduz. The city has a lot of businesses which deals in different commodities, but the common businesses within the city are the false teeth.These are later transported to different parts and cities around the world for those experiencing teeth problems and those who need extra teeth to use as body ornaments (Rachelharding.co.uk. (n.d.) 2015). Manufacturing of Different Kinds of Good Liechtenstein as a country produces different kinds of products. However, only thirty five percent of the working class citizens are employed by industries across the country with manufacturing companies (Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. 2012). The manufacturing sector in the country is based on imports as the country does not produce adequate raw materials for the majority of its industries. However, manufacturing of different kinds of materials is highly specialized and high technology is used which gives a majority of its products an edge over other products produced by different countries globally. The success of the manufacturing industry is based on machine building, precision engineering, and metal work industries. Moreover, the country has traditional industries which are highly motivated by tourism and centered on making different pharmaceuticals like textile, ceramics and food processing (Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. 2012). The production of dental medicines and electronics also are based on the traditional industries as they are the ones with the skills needed in making such products. These sectors are doing quite well and with changes in technology and governance experienced in the region; both the manufacturing and traditional industries are expected to expand further while achieving value in all major sectors (Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. 2012). Geography (Location Is The Advantage for Lichtenstein) Lichtenstein’s geography offers it a competitive advantage over other countries because because in spite of being small in size, the country is far much better economically compared to other which are far much greater in size. The country is situated in the Alps and on the Rhine majorly contributing to the spatial organization of different resources like places, environment and the soil found within the borders of the country. However, the diminutive size of Lichtenstein has placed the country in a position where it is known by a majority of the people globally, but a positive aspect in the geography of the country is that it is used in explaining both past, present and future history of the country. It’s total area is believed to cover 62 square miles with the Rhine valley covering almost one third of the country’s size. The country is considered to be the fourth smallest state in the world (International Court of Justice., 2009). Government- Constitutional Principality and Parliament Lichtenstein is a constitutional monarchy which is characterized by a unitary parliamentary sittings. The country is being headed by a prince by the name of Hans-Adam II. The country has allowed the citizens to practice democracy because its constitutional reforms of 2003 gave them power to abolish the monarchy system when they felt it was not advocating for their rights of its citizens (International Business Publications, USA. 2012). The country is ruled on the philosophy that citizens are like customers, and therefore should get the best out of its government (International Business Publications, USA. 2012). However, the country's democracy has prevented them from joining organizations such as the European Union and NATO. This makes the constitutional principality and parliament a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic parliamentary basis for the powers of the country are shared among the prince and the people. As much as the heredity position still exists within the country, the people have the power to decide on when to vote out the system if they are not pleased with their leaders. The country’s principality was founded in the country’s constitution in 1921. The 1921 constitution promoted the creation of different political parties and the breakaway from Austria and new rapprochement with Switzerland. The judicial wing of the country was also made free from the powers of the monarchy, giving them powers to file legal cases on various officials in a court setting. Initially, the prince had the powers to dissolve the parliament without issuing out varied reasons, but this changed when he agreed and consented for the 2003 referendum in which, in spite of him having powers to still dissolve the parliament, the citizens were given the authority to issue out a vote of no confidence to remove him from office in instances where they felt his decisions were full of bias. Moreover, parliamentary function is still under the control of the prince or monarchy because he takes it as his own responsibility to veto those selected for different posts or positions within the country thereby challenging the democracy to which he swore to uphold (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011). One of the Best Living Standards (Economy) In spite of being a small country, Lichtenstein provides its citizens with some of the best living standards making it one of the richest countries in the world. From the 1940s, the country has witnessed tremendous growth in different sectors with industries and good production being raised to 37%, general services 28%, agriculture and households 8% and financial services occupying 27% (Economy. (n.d.) 2015).The factories located within the country are some of the best in the world because they produce different ranges of products and services which are based on high technology use and precision equipments. This has ensured that most of its citizens are employed resulting in an increase in the GDP value for both the citizens and the government. Moreover, the country enjoys certain economic advantages like the issuance of free postage stamps and free currency exchange. This makes the country highly prosperous in different sectors such as institutions like banks are provided with government incentives to help them in running their daily activities and in the process making life easy for most citizens living in the country. Taxes in the country are also free or not hectic on products and services resulting to reduced prices in both products and services. Likewise, the country has provided locations for establishing nominal fees for companies set in the region contributing to the revenue collected by the country. Moreover, the fact that the country does not have its own central bank enables it to escape from currency inflations but makes dependent on other countries, hence ensuring that the security of their money is guaranteed. Additionally, the high rate of tourism experienced in the country ensures that it has a stable source of revenue, which is used by the government for various budget purposes (Easterling, 2014). Highest GDP (Economy) The country has the highest GDP of real growth rate because it has an estimated net income of roughly one billion dollars a year. This refers to the value of all products and services which the country produces within a specified year and computed on the basis of purchasing power equivalence. The citizens of the country also enjoy a gross capital of $25,000 contributing to the high growth rate of the country estimated at 11%. Moreover, the citizens who are considered to be the labor force of the country are almost all employed with 1.3% of the total labor force finding employment in the agricultural sector, industries accounting for 47.4% of the working force while service sector occupying 51.3% of the working force. The workforce in the country is highly skilled, but the workforce within the country is not sufficient enough to meet the labor force, hence a good fraction of the workforce comes from other neighboring states. 35% of people employed in the country are foregners who commute from Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the country has attained highest GDP because of the domestic and foreign trade it conducts within and outside of its borders. Goods to and from the country are allowed to pass freely within the borders, encouraging high trade amongst the citizens of the country with businesses and citizens abroad. (Fund, 2008). Infrastructure, Power and Communication The transportation system of the country is composed of large Kilometers of roads which are electrified, owned and operated by the Austrian federal railways. There are 323 kilometers of paved highways with no ports or harbor for the country. Likewise, there are no airports in the country because of its mountainous geography. The electricity production in the country is not sufficient enough to support major activities in various sectors within the country, hence a large fraction of electricity used within the country is imported from the neighboring countries Switzerland and Austria. However, the country enjoys modern communication network within its borders, but are all linked and operated by Swiss telecom networks. Communication is availed in the country in the form of microwaves and radio relays (Mazar, 2009). Conclusion In conclusion, in spite of Lichtenstein country being ranked as one of the smallest countries in the world, the country, however, offers visitors and citizens a site of what may appear to be a perfect or a fantasy world. This is because its country’s profile is described as sureal for both the old and new world. In addition, the country is a monarchy, but has a constitution which is a trait not common in most countries. Moreover, the country is dependent, but able to co-exist with others by relying heavily on some of the resources owned by her neighbors like military and raw materials. Their history is also a blend of many cultures from different nations like the Romans, Germans, Austrians and Moravians. Moreover, the country has some of the best leaders in the world because the prince, unlike other presidents in other nations, believes in treating his citizens like mates therefore encouraging freedom in practically all aspects. Tourism in the country has given the country more appeal and charm because visitors who visit the country are marveled at the peaceful tranquil villages preserved by the monarchy. References Claitor's Law Books and Publishing Division. (2014). The World Factbook 2013-14. Claitors Pub Div. Fund, I. M. (2008). Liechtenstein. Washington: International Monetary Fund. Easterling, K. (2014). Extrastatecraft: The power of infrastructure space. Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. (2012). Britannica book of the year 2012. Chicago, Ill: Encyclopedia Britannica. International Business Publications, USA. (2012). Liechtenstein Country Study Guide: Strategic Information and Developments. Intl Business Pubns USA. International Court of Justice. (2009). Case concerning certain property (Liechtenstein v. Germany). The Hague: International Court of Justice. Konrad, B. (1980). Tourism in the principality of Liechtenstein. Place of publication, not identified: publisher, not identified. Mazar, H. (2009). An analysis of regulatory frameworks for wireless communications, societal concerns and risk: The case of radio frequency (RF) allocation and licensing. Boca Raton, Fla: Dissertation.Com. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2011). Liechtenstein 2011: Phase 1. Paris: OECD. Preiml, F., & Staub, P. (2009). A new perspective on Liechtenstein: Six viewpoints of a country. Vaduz: s.n.. Liechtenstein Castle Wilfersdorf. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.liechtenstein-schloss-wilfersdorf.at/eng/eng_01.html The Schädler Pottery in Nendeln. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.tourismus.li/en/groups-conferences/conferences-and- seminars/Programmes/Schaedler-Pottery.html Rachelharding.co.uk. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.rachelharding.co.uk/WORDS Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.liechtensteinusa.org/index.php?page=economy Newsnet. "History of Liechtenstein." 1996. http://www.newsnet.li/tourist/fl/eng/fleng4.htm (8 Feb. 1998). Read More