World Factbook
Liechtenstein
Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red, with a gold crown on the left side of the blue band history: the colors may derive from the blue-and-red livery used in the principality's household in the 18th century; the prince's crown was added in 1937 to distinguish it from Haiti's flag
Capital
name
Vaduz
etymology
may be a conflation from the Latin vallis (valley) and the Old German dutsch (German) to produce Valdutsch ("German valley"), which was simplified over time to Vaduz
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
47 08 N, 9 31 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Liechtenstein; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen
dual citizenship recognized
no
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
previous 1862; latest adopted 5 October 1921
amendment process
proposed by Parliament, by the reigning prince (in the form of "Government" proposals), by petition of at least 1,500 qualified voters, or by at least four communes; passage requires unanimous approval of Parliament members in one sitting or three-quarters majority vote in two successive sittings; referendum required only if petitioned by at least 1,500 voters or by at least four communes; passage by referendum requires absolute majority of votes cast
Country name
etymology
named after the Liechtenstein family that purchased and united the counties of Schellenburg and Vaduz in 1719; the family name was taken from its Austrian castle of the same name, which in German means "light stone"
local long form
Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
local short form
Liechtenstein
conventional long form
Principality of Liechtenstein
conventional short form
Liechtenstein
Independence
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire); 24 August 1866 (independence from the German Confederation)
Legal system
civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court or Supreme Court or Fürstlicher Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 5 judges and 5 substitutes); Constitutional Court or Staatsgerichtshof (consists of 5 judges, and 5 alternates)
subordinate courts
Court of Appeal (second instance), Regional Court (first instance), Administrative Court, Tribunal Court, district courts
judge selection and term of office
judges of both courts elected by the Landtag and appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for renewable 5-year terms
Executive branch
note
note : the prince's successor is his son, Heir Apparent and Regent of Liechtenstein Prince ALOIS; on 15 August 2004, HANS-ADAM II transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but Prince HANS-ADAM II retains the status of chief of state
cabinet
Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch
chief of state
Prince HANS-ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984)
head of government
Prime Minister Brigitte HAAS (since 10 April 2025)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party in Parliament as the head of government, and also appoints the leader of the largest minority party in Parliament as the deputy head of government if there is a coalition government
National holiday
National Day, 15 August (1940)
note: a National Day was originally established in 1940 to combine celebrations for the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) with those honoring the birthday of former Prince FRANZ JOSEF II (1906-1989) on 16 August; after the prince's death, National Day became the official national holiday in 1990
National color(s)
blue, red
Political parties
Democrats for Liechtenstein (Demokraten pro Liechtenstein) or DpL Fatherland Union (Vaterlaendische Union) or VU Progressive Citizens' Party (Fortschrittliche Buergerpartei) or FBP The Free List (Die Freie Liste) or FL The Independents (Die Unabhaengigen) or DU
Legislative branch
term in office
4 years
number of seats
25 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Diet (Landtag)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
2/9/2025
expected date of next election
February 2029
percentage of women in chamber
32%
parties elected and seats per party
Patriotic Union (VU) (10); Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) (7); Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) (6); Free List (FL) (2)
National anthem(s)
title
"Oben am jungen Rhein" (High Above the Young Rhine)
history
adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of the United Kingdom's anthem, "God Save the King"
lyrics/music
Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT
National symbol(s)
princely hat (crown)
National coat of arms
the six motifs on the coat of arms provide a history of the royal House of Liechtenstein since 1719, when the country was founded; the small shield at the center is the royal family’s gold-and-red coat of arms, the gold-crowned eagle signifies the Silesia family, the diamond wreath represents the Kuenringer family, the red-and-silver shield is the Duchy of Troppau, the black eagle comes from the coat of arms of a family that married into the royal line, and the golden hunting horn represents the Duchy of Jägerndorf
Administrative divisions
11 communes ( Gemeinden , singular - Gemeinde ); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 331-3221
chancery
2900 K Street NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC 20007
telephone
[1] (202) 331-0590
chief of mission
Ambassador Georg SPARBER (since 1 December 2021)
email address and website
washington@llv.li https://www.liechtensteinusa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein
International organization participation
CD, CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO, WTO
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction