LIECHTENSTEIN, letetemstin. An inde pendent principality, lying between Austria and Switzerland, with the exception of Monaco and San Marino the smallest independent State of Europe. It is bounded by Vorarlberg on the north and east, and the Swiss Cantons of Orisons and Saint-Gal) on the south and west. The area is sixty-five square miles. The surface is ex tremely mountainous except in the western part. The country is traversed north and south by two ramifications of the Rhaetian Alps, and reaches in the Naafkopf an altitude of about 8440 feet. The Rhine forms the western boundary of Liechten stein. The valley of the Samina, a tributary of the Ill, separates the mountain chains in the south. The climate is generally mild and health ful, hut sudden storms are frequent. Agricul ture, gardening, stock-raising, weaving, and the production of wine and of various wooden arti cles are the principal industries. Liechtenstein has belonged since 1866 to the Austrian Customs Union. Its annual share of the customs receipts amounts to about $8000.
The principality is a constitutional. monarchy, with the crown hereditary in the male line. The Constitution, first adopted in 1862 and modified in 1878 and 1895, vests the legislative power in the Prince and in a Landtag of fifteen members, three appointed by the Prince and twelve elected indirectly, for four years. The highest adminis
trative authority is the Court of Chancellery at Vienna, to which the administration at Vaduz, the capital, is subordinate, and which serves also as a court of the second instance. 'file highest judicial authority of the principality is the Supreme Court at Innsbruck. The inhabitants are free from military duty as well as from direct taxes. The revenue and expenditures for ttin0 amounted to $155,912 and $142.987 respect ively. The principality has no public debt and no mint ; the Austrian currency and the Austrian weights and measures and postal system are used. Liechtenstein forms a part of the Catholic Bishopric of Chur, Switzerland. Population, in 1891, 9434. The inhabitants are German. The reigning house of Liechtenstein dates from the twelfth century. In 1719 the two principalities of Vaduz and Schehlenberg were recognized by the Emperor Charles VI. as an independent prin cipality, whose princes acquired a seat in the Reichstag in 1723. Liechtenstein left the Ger manic Confederation in ISOG, and has since been politically independent. though economically allied with Austria. The Prince of Liechtenstein resides for the most part at Vienna.