Whereas Liechtenstein is located between Switzerland and Austria in the Upper Rhine Valley of the European Alps, and is roughly the same geographic size as Washington, DC; Whereas Liechtenstein has approximately 38,000 inhabitants, primarily Roman Catholics of Germanic ethnicity; Whereas following the purchases of the Lordship of Schel­len­berg and the County of Vaduz in 1699 and 1712, respectively, on January 23, 1719, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI united the two jurisdictions, elevating them to the rank of Reichsfürstentum (Imperial Principality), establishing the borders and territory that still exist today; Whereas, in 1806, Napoleon dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, and Liechtenstein became a sovereign country for the first time; Whereas, in 1868, Liechtenstein disbanded its army and ever since has remained a neutral country, having withstood Europe’s challenging periods during the 19th and 20th centuries; Whereas Liechtenstein is a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis, headed by its ruling Prince; Whereas the parliament of Liechtenstein, the Landtag , consists of 25 representatives, elected for 4-year terms by proportional representation in 2 multiseat constituencies, 10 representing the lowland area and 15 representing the highland area; Whereas Liechtenstein maintains a strong system of checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government; Whereas since the signing of a customs treaty in 1923, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have formed a common economic area; Whereas Liechtenstein also uses the Swiss franc as its national currency; Whereas since the end of World War II, despite its small geographic area and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy, with manufacturing as the main contributor to its economy, followed by general services and financial services