Liechtenstein

Principality of Liechtenstein Fürstentum Liechtenstein  (German)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Für Gott, Fürst und Vaterland "For God, Prince and Fatherland"
Anthem: Oben am jungen Rhein
Capital	Vaduz
Largest city	Schaan
Official languages	German
Demonym(s)	Liechtensteiner
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Prince	Hans-Adam II
• Regent	Alois
• Prime Minister	Brigitte Haas
• Deputy Prime Minister	Sabine Monauni
Legislature	Landtag
Establishment
• Principality created	23 January 1719
• Independence (from the Holy Roman Empire)	12 July 1806
• Full independence (from the German Confederation)	24 August 1866
• Joined the UN	18 September 1990
Area
• Total	160 km2 (62 sq mi) (189th)
• Water (%)	0
Population
• 2025 estimate	40,547
• Density	253/km2 (655.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$7.172 billion
• Per capita	$210,600
GDP (nominal)	2026 estimate
• Total	$9.44 billion
• Per capita	$226,809
Currency	Swiss franc (CHF)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+423
ISO 3166 code	LI
Internet TLD	.li

Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a small country in the middle of Europe. It is a landlocked country, meaning it has no coastline. Liechtenstein is situated between Switzerland and Austria, high up in the Alps. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world, covering about 160 square kilometres (62 square miles). Approximately 40,500 people live there. Its capital city is Vaduz, but its largest town is Schaan. Liechtenstein is one of only two "doubly landlocked" countries in the world, meaning it is surrounded only by other landlocked countries. The only other one is Uzbekistan. Even though it is tiny, Liechtenstein is one of the richest countries in the world, with one of the highest GDP per person, thanks to its banks and factories.

Geography

Liechtenstein lies in the Alps, along the Rhine river, which forms almost all of its western border with Switzerland. The terrain is split into a flat river valley in the west, where most people live, and steep mountains in the east. The highest mountain is Grauspitz, at 2,599 metres (8,527 feet). The weather is mild for a mountain country, thanks to a warm wind called the Föhn. This allows farmers to grow grapes for wine and even corn. Winters are cold and snowy in the mountains, while summers are warm. The country is split into 11 towns, called municipalities, grouped into two regions: the Oberland (Upper Country) and the Unterland (Lower Country).

History

People have lived in the area since the Stone Age, and the Romans later ruled it as part of a province called Raetia. The country gets its name from the House of Liechtenstein, a noble family that bought two small territories, Schellenberg in 1699 and Vaduz in 1712, so they could gain a seat in the Holy Roman Empire's parliament. On 23 January 1719, the Emperor joined the two territories together and named the new country Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire ended. It joined the German Confederation in 1815, and became independent for good when that group broke up in 1866. The country stayed neutral in both World War I and World War II. After World War I, it formed a close partnership with Switzerland, adopting the Swiss franc as its currency. After World War II, Liechtenstein's economy grew quickly, transforming it from a poor farming country into one of the richest in the world. It joined the United Nations in 1990, and the European Economic Area in 1995. In 2003, voters gave the Prince more power in a referendum, and in 2011 the country joined the Schengen Area, allowing passport-free travel with many other European countries.

Government

Liechtenstein is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a Prince who must follow the country's constitution. Its parliament, the Landtag, has 25 members elected every four years. The current Prince is Hans-Adam II, who has ruled since 1989, though his son Alois has handled most day-to-day duties as Regent since 2004. The head of government is the Prime Minister. Since 10 April 2025, this has been Brigitte Haas, the first woman to hold the job in Liechtenstein, with Sabine Monauni as Deputy Prime Minister. Liechtenstein has no army; it disbanded its small military in 1868 because it was too costly.

Economy

Liechtenstein has a strong economy built on banking, manufacturing, and low taxes. It produces dental products, electronics, and small machines and tools. Famous companies from Liechtenstein include Hilti, which makes power tools, and Ivoclar Vivadent, which makes dental products. In 2024, the country's GDP per person was about $210,600, one of the highest in the world. According to the International Monetary Fund, growth remained mostly flat in 2026 due to global trade problems, but the country still has strong finances and almost no government debt. Unemployment is very low, at 1.9% as of June 2026.

People

About 40,547 people live in Liechtenstein. Most speak German, the official language, and many also speak a local dialect called Alemannic. Most people are Roman Catholic, with smaller groups of Protestants and Muslims. About a third of residents come from other countries, mostly Switzerland, Austria, and Germany.

Culture and sport

A traditional food is Käsknöpfle, a type of small egg noodle mixed with mountain cheese and fried onions. Football is the most popular sport, though the national team has never played in a big tournament, and its clubs play in the Swiss league system since Liechtenstein has no league of its own. Skiing is also popular, especially at the resort of Malbun. Liechtenstein has won ten Winter Olympics medals, all in Alpine skiing, four of them by skier Hanni Wenzel.

Related pages

• Liechtenstein at the Olympics
• Liechtenstein national football team
• List of rivers of Liechtenstein
• List of heads of government of Liechtenstein
• Vaduz
• Schaan

References