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n my heart of hearts, I think I belong in Europe. Permanently. Like, seriously. Every time I come to Europe, I just get so happy and excited.
See? Look how happy and excited I am standing next to my dad! This is a happiness that is only on display when traveling throughout Europe and seeing all of the mountains and idyllic landscapes that I don’t see in Kansas.
Prior to this trip, I knew virutally nothing about Liechtenstein. The only thing I knew about this country was that it was one of the smallest countries in the world, that it was located in the middle of Europe, and that it is less than half the size of my home county of Wyandotte County. We started the day in Lucerne, Switzerland, drove through Zurich, and made our way to Liechtenstein. I was so excited to cross this bridge that took us over the river that separated Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Liechtenstein is a country in the Alpine region of Europe. It is one of two double landlocked countries in the world (the other is Uzbekistan). I only spent about an hour that en route to Austria, but that wasn’t nearly enough time for me to soak everything in. After spending time there, I firmly believe that this should be a place on everyone’s must-visit lists!
Being the Enneagram type 5 person that I am, I naturally found the way that I could connect with this beautiful country was by learning every random thing I could about it. Here are some of the most interesting things I learned about Liechtenstein!
- 1. There is no border control. Most nations will require you to stop at a checkpoint to verify that you can pass through legally. This isn’t so for Liechtenstein. There is no border control and there are no airports through which someone can enter the country. The closest airports are Altenrhein (ACH) and Zurich (ZHR) Airports, both in Switzerland. The only way to directly access Liechtenstein is by bus or car. If you want a stamp for your passport to commemorate your time in Liechtenstein, you can head on over to the local tourism office and get it for 3 CHF (which is roughly about 3€)
- 2. Liechtenstein has one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. Though a small nation, Liechtenstein boasts one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. It ranks behind only Monaco with a per capita GDP of over $169,000.
- 3. Small population. Liechtenstein has a total population of around 40,000, as of 2022. Its two largest cities are Schaan (population of around 6,000) and the capital city, Vaduz (population of over 5,400).
- 4. One of the least visited nations in Europe. Liechtenstein is the second least visited nation in Europe (second only to San Marino) and the 27th least visited country in the world. On average, Liechtenstein averages about 85,000 visitors per year. That is pretty significant, considering that is over twice the size of their residential population.
- 5. One of the smallest countries in the world. Only five nations in the world are smaller than Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is comparable in size to Washington D.C. It’s around 62 square miles/160 square kilometers. It’s 15.6 miles/25 kilometers long and close to 4 miles/6 kilometers wide. The length of all of its borders equals 47 miles.
- 6. Liechtenstein has no army. After the German Confederation disbanded in 1868, Liechtenstein dissolved its military and announced that it would be permanently neutral from that point forth. It has been over 150 years and that neutrality still stands. However, according to their constitution,
“Every man fit to bear arms shall be liable, up to the completion of his 60th year, to serve in the defence of his country in the event of emergency.”
- 7. Official language. The official language of Liechtenstein is German. A lot of Liechtenstein citizens speak a German dialect that is common in eastern Switzerland, which is the part of Switzerland that Liechtenstein borders. English is the second most popular language in the country.
- 8. False teeth. Liechtenstein is the world’s leading producer of false teeth. Around 1/5 of the world’s false teeth come from Liechtenstein. They also supply false teeth to the Bollywood movie industry!
- 9. Alaska as part of Liechtenstein? Before the Russian Czar, Alexander II, sold the territory Alaska to America in 1867 thus making it the United States’ 49th state, he had offered it to Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein declined the territory because of, what was at the time, a lack of resources there, and concerns about governing a land so distant from their capital city.
I’m so happy that I got to visit and learn more about this country. The history, the natural beauty-to say that I really want to visit again would be an understatement. Now I need to find an excuse to go back. But do I really need an excuse, though?
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