Spin a globe toward the middle of Europe and your finger will probably land on Germany, France, or Italy. Smaller places get skipped, sometimes because they really are small and sometimes because nobody ever mentioned them in school.
One country in the Alps fits that description well. It has a prince, a parliament, a world famous manufacturer, and a population that wouldn’t fill many American stadiums. Here’s a closer look at where it sits and what’s there.
Meet Liechtenstein
The country in question is Liechtenstein. With a total area of 62 square miles, it’s roughly the size of Washington, DC.[1] That makes it Europe’s fourth smallest country.[2]
Its resident population is roughly 41,000, and its capital is Vaduz.[1] Vaduz is more of a town than a city, since one estimate puts it at about 5,000 people.[3] The official language is German.[2]
What Map Surveys Actually Tell Us
I couldn’t find a survey that singles out Liechtenstein for Americans, so it’s worth being careful here. What exists is broader. One survey of over 1,000 people asked Americans to point out European countries on a map, and asked Europeans to do the same for American states.[4]
The result was fairly clear. Europeans were more apt at identifying countries than Americans, no matter where on the map respondents looked.[4] The survey also came with a caveat: not everyone may have taken it seriously, so the density maps only show countries with at least five clicks each.[4] A country this small is exactly the kind that would be hard to click accurately on a blank map.
Squeezed Between Switzerland and Austria
The location is the main reason it gets lost. It borders Switzerland in the south and west and Austria in the east and north.[1] The total length of its borders is 47 miles.[1]
There’s also a geographic oddity. Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world.[1] In plain terms, you’d have to cross at least two borders to reach the sea.
A Valley Floor and an Alpine Wall
Small doesn’t mean flat. The floor of the Rhine Valley covers half of the country.[1] It’s the most populous and arable area, because the rest of the country is rougher alpine terrain.[1]
The highest mountain is the Grauspitz, at 8,527 feet.[1] The country also splits into two regions. The Oberland covers about 125 square kilometers and the Unterland about 35.[5]
A Prince and a Parliament
Liechtenstein is a principality, and the title is not decorative. It’s a monarchy headed by the prince of Liechtenstein,[2] and Hans-Adam II has reigned since 1989.[2] The prince shares power with an elected body, though.
The Landtag is a unicameral parliament of 25 members elected for terms of up to four years.[2] Parliament proposes and approves a government, which the prince formally appoints.[2]
The 2025 Election
The most recent national vote took place on 9 February 2025. The Patriotic Union won 10 seats, while the Progressive Citizens’ Party won seven, the lowest in its history.[6] The Democrats for Liechtenstein won six seats, the highest amount for a third party in the country’s history.[6]
Voter turnout was 76.3%,[6] or just over three quarters of voters. Since April 2025, the prime minister has been Brigitte Haas of the Patriotic Union.[7] The new Landtag has 17 men and 8 women, the most women in the country’s history.[8]
One of Europe’s Last Holdouts on Women’s Voting
The women’s vote came late here. On 1 July 1984, Liechtenstein became the last country in Europe to grant women the right to vote,[2] after earlier referendums in 1968, 1971, and 1973 rejected it.
The 1984 referendum was itself a men only vote. It passed narrowly, with 51.3% in favour,[2] which is just over half.
A Small Country With a Big Economy
The economy punches well above the country’s size. Liechtenstein ranks second in the world for GDP per capita among 191 countries with data.[9] Its industries include electronics, precision instruments, metal manufacturing, power tools, pharmaceuticals, and food products.[2]
You may know the name Hilti even if you don’t know the country. It’s the most recognizable international company and the largest employer, making direct fastening systems and other high end power tools.[2]
Commuters, Currency, and Open Borders
The job market spills over the borders. There are over 43,000 people employed in Liechtenstein for a population of about 41,000, and roughly 31,000 of them are foreigners, most commuting daily from Austria, Switzerland, or Germany.[1]
Everyday arrangements are tied to its neighbors. It takes part in the Schengen Area and uses the Swiss franc.[9] The population keeps inching up as well: it rose by 574 people, or about 1.4 percent, between 2024 and 2025.[10]
Finding It on the Map
To locate Liechtenstein, start with Switzerland and look to its eastern edge, where it meets Austria. The country sits in Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland, with its western half along the Rhine.[3]
Its capital is Vaduz, its language is German, and its area is about 160 square kilometers.
