Form of governement

The principality of Liechtenstein was founded in 1719 and today is a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic and parliamentary basis. Liechtenstein is an independent state.

Liechtenstein is located embedded between Switzerland and Austria, in the middle of the Alps. Vaduz is the main town of the 11 municipal authorities. The head of the state, S.D. Prince Hans-Adam II. von und zu Liechtenstein, resides in Vaduz with his family. The government consists of five members. There are 25 MPs in the parliament.

Jurisdiction in civil and criminal proceedings is in the first instance exercised by the Landgericht [Regional Court], in the second instance by the Obergericht [Higher Court] and in the third and last instance by the Oberste Gerichtshof [Supreme Court]. The Verwaltungsgerichtshof [Supreme Administrative Court] and the Staatsgerichtshof [State Constitutional Court] form the courts of public law. The courts are based respectively in Vaduz.

Liechtenstein has approx. 35,000 residents, of which a good third are foreigners (mainly Swiss, Austrian, Italians and Germans). The country provides approx. 25,000 jobs, which are among others occupied by 10,000 foreign workers above all from Austria and Switzerland. The third sector (trade and services) offers more than approx. 52 % of these jobs. That Liechtenstein is also a highly-developed business location, is proven by the fact that approx. 46% of the jobs can be found in industry and trade. The industry exports products each year with a value of more than CHF 4 billion (with a state budget of approx. CHF 800 million) in the fields of mounting and vacuum technology, commercial vehicles, metal, machines and apparatuses, heating boilers, artificial teeth, varnishes, paints, ceramic, chemicals, foodstuffs, bedding, lead crystal.