Hans Adam II
Prince

(pronounced "HAHNS AH-dam")

"A reigning prince should look at long-range projects and concentrate on guidelines, but leave the day-to-day management to the government."

Located along the Rhine River in the Alps mountain range, the Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is bordered in the east and north by Austria and to the south and west by Switzerland. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world with an area of only 160 sq km (61.8 sq mi). The capital is Vaduz. Liechtenstein's population was estimated at 32,528 in 2001, about a third of whom were actually citizens of other countries. The native population is descended almost entirely from an ancient Germanic tribe, the Alemanni, and comprises 86% of the total. Other major nationalities represented in Liechtenstein are Italian and Turkish. The country's official language is German, though most people speak...