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{{Infobox Country|native_name =Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg |conventional_long_name = Grand Duchy of Luxembourg|common_name = Luxembourg|image_flag = Flag_of_Luxembourg.svg|image_coat = Coat of arms Grand Duchy of Luxembourg large.png|national_motto = "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn"(Luxembourgish language)"We want to remain what we are"|national_anthem = Ons Hémécht"Our Homeland"] |image_map = Location Luxembourg EU Europe.png|capital = Luxembourg (city)|latd=49 |latm=36 |latNS=N |longd=6 |longm=7 |longEW=E|largest_city = capital|official_languages = French language, German language, Luxembourgish language(de jure since 1984)] grand duchy|leader_title2 = [Prime Minister of Luxembourg|leader_name1 = Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (List of Grand Dukes of Luxembourg)|leader_name2 = Jean-Claude Juncker (List of Prime Ministers of Luxembourg)|sovereignty_type = History|established_event1 = Treaty of Paris (1815)|established_event2 = Treaty of London (1839)|established_event3 = Treaty of London (1867)|established_event4 = End of personal union [1815 [1839 [1867 [1890 [1957-->|area_magnitude = 1 E9|area_rank = 175th|percent_water = negligible|population_estimate = 480,222|population_estimate_year = 2007|population_census = 439,539|population_census_year = 2001|population_estimate_rank = 171st|population_density_km2 = 171|population_density_sq_mi = 469 (Euro sign)|currency_code = EUR|country_code = LUX|time_zone = Central European Time|utc_offset = +1|time_zone_DST = Central European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +2|cctld = .lu of the Netherlands.|footnote2 = Prior to [1999: Luxembourgian franc.] domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.-->

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (, , ), also spelled Luxemburg, is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 square mile).http://www.luxembourg.co.uk/nutshell.html

Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a Grand Duke of Luxembourg. It is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the highest List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita in the world. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman Empire fortress site and Kingdom of the Franks County castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish road when Spain was the principle international power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 14th–17th centuries making the polity an important place.

Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, Benelux, and the Western European Union, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic integration, political, and military integration. The city of Luxembourg (city), the capital and largest city, is the seat of several institutions and agencies of the European Union.

Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance language Europe and Germanic languages Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; French language, German language, and Luxembourgish language are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

For many people in other parts of Europe, Luxembourg is best known for its radio and television stations, Radio Luxembourg and the RTL Group, Europe's largest TV, radio and production company.

History The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc (today Luxembourg Castle) by Siegfried of Luxembourg, Count of Ardennes in 963. The current name of Luxembourg comes from the former name Lucilinburhuc.Kreins (2003), p. 20 Around this Fortifications, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small, but important, state of great strategic value. In 1437, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne, that led to the territory being sold to Philip the Good of Duchy of Burgundy.Kreins (2003), p. 39 In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened by its successive occupants, the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns, and the France, among others. After the Treaty of Paris (1815) of Napoleon in 1815, Luxembourg was disputed between Kingdom of Prussia and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.Kreins (2003), p. 70 The Congress of Vienna formed Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy in personal union with the Netherlands. Luxembourg also became a member of the German Confederation, with a Confederate fortress manned by Prussian troops.Kreins (2003), p. 70

have greatly reduced Luxembourg's territory.The Belgian Revolution of 1830–1839 reduced Luxembourg's territory by more than half, as the predominantly francophone Luxembourg (Belgium) was transferred to Belgium.Kreins (2003), p. 74 Luxembourg's independence was reaffirmed by the 1839 Treaty of London, 1839. In the same year, Luxembourg joined the Zollverein.Kreins (2003), p. 76 Luxembourg's independence and neutrality were again affirmed by the 1867 Treaty of London, 1867, after the Luxembourg Crisis nearly led to war between Prussia and France.Kreins (2003), pp. 80–81 After the latter conflict, the Confederate fortress was dismantled.Kreins (2003), p. 81

The King of the Netherlands remained Head of State as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, maintaining personal union between the two countries until 1890. At the death of William III of the Netherlands, the Dutch throne passed to his daughter Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, while Luxembourg (at that time restricted to male heirs by the Nassau Family Pact) passed to Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.Kreins (2003), p. 84

Luxembourg was German occupation of Luxembourg in World War I during the World War I, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms. It was again invaded and subject to German occupation of Luxembourg in World War II in the World War II in 1940, and was formally annexed into the Third Reich in 1942.

During World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of Neutral country, when it joined the Allies of World War II in fighting Germany. Its government, government in exile to London, set up a small group of volunteers who participated in the Battle of Normandy. It became a founding member of the United Nations in 1946, and of NATO in 1949. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Community (later the European Union), and, in 1999, it joined the euro currency area. In 2005, a Referendum on EU treaty in Luxembourg was held in Luxembourg. Timeline: Luxembourg - A chronology of key events BBC News Online, 9 September 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2006.

Government and politics , the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, situated in Luxembourg City, the country's capital.Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a constitutional monarchy inherited bymale-preference primogeniture. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg or Grand Duchess and the cabinet, which consists of a Prime Minister of Luxembourg and several other ministers. The Grand Duke has the power to dissolve the legislature and reinstate a new one. However, since 1919, sovereignty has resided with the country.

Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg, a unicameral legislature of sixty members, who are directly elected to five-year terms from four Legislative circonscriptions (Luxembourg). A second body, the Council of State of Luxembourg (Conseil d'État), composed of twenty-one ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.

The Grand Duchy has three lower tribunals (justices de paix; in Esch-sur-Alzette, the city of Luxembourg (city), and Diekirch), two district tribunals (Luxembourg and Diekirch) and a Superior Court of Justice (Luxembourg), which includes the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation. There is also an Administrative Tribunal and an Administrative Court, as well as a Constitutional Court, all of which are located in the capital.

Military Luxembourg's contribution to its defence and to NATO consists of a small army(currently consisting of around 800 people). As a landlocked country, it has no navy, and it has no air force, except for the fact that the eighteen NATO Airborne Warning And Control System airplanes were registered as aircraft of Luxembourg for convenience. In a joint agreement with Belgium, both countries have put forth funding for one Airbus A400M military cargo plane, now currently on order. Luxembourg still jointly maintains three US Air Force Boeing 707 model TCAs for cargo and training purposes based in NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen.

Districts, cantons, and communes Luxembourg is divided into 3 Districts of Luxembourg, which are further divided into 12 Cantons of Luxembourg and then 116 communes. Twelve of the communes have List of cities in Luxembourg, of which the city of Luxembourg (city) is the largest.

Geography and climate , Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Differdange.Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked List of countries by area in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world; the country is about 2,586 square kilometres (999 square mile) in size, and measures 82 km (51 miles) long and 57 km (35 miles) wide. To the east, Luxembourg borders the Germany States of Germany of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and, to the south, it borders the France Région in France of Lorraine (region). The Grand Duchy borders the Belgium Wallonia, in particular the latter's Provinces of regions in Belgium of Luxembourg (Belgium) and Liège (province) to the west and to the north respectively.

The northern third of the country is known as the 'Oesling', and forms part of the Ardennes. It is dominated by hills and low mountains, including the Kneiff, which is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 foot (unit of length)). The region is sparsely populated, with only one town (Wiltz) with a population of more than four thousand people.

The southern two-thirds of the country is called the "Gutland (Luxembourg)", and is more densely populated than the Oesling. It is also more diverse, and can be divided into five geographic sub-regions. The Luxembourg plateau, in south-central Luxembourg, is a large, flat, sandstone formation, and the site of the city of Luxembourg. Little Switzerland (Luxembourg), in the east of Luxembourg, has craggy terrain and thick forests. The Moselle valley is the lowest-lying region, running along the south-eastern border. The Red Lands, in the far south and southwest, are Luxembourg's industrial heartland and home to many of Luxembourg's largest towns.

The border between Luxembourg and Germany is formed by three rivers: the Moselle River, the Sauer, and the Our River. Other major rivers are the Alzette, the Attert River, the Clerve, and the Wiltz River. The valleys of the mid-Sauer and Attert form the border between the Gutland and the Oesling.

Luxembourg has a marine west coast climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), marked by high Precipitation (meteorology), particularly in late summer.

Demographics Ethnicity The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers.http://www.eu2005.lu/en/savoir_lux/societe_tradition/lux_type/index.php The native population is ethnically a French people and Germanic peoples blend CIA World Factbook: Luxembourg Retrieved 14 October 2007. . The indigenous population was augmented by immigrants from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal throughout the twentieth century. Since the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, Luxembourg has seen many immigrants from war-torn and politically unstable Balkan states, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. Annually, over 10,000 new immigrants arrive in Luxembourg, mostly from European Union states, as well as Eastern Europe. As of 2000, there were 162,000 immigrants in Luxembourg, accounting for 37% of the total population. There are an estimated 5,000 illegal immigrants in Luxembourg.

Language Three languages are recognised as official in Luxembourg: French language, German language, and Luxembourgish language, a Franconian languages language of the Moselle valley region very similar to the local German language dialect spoken in the neighbouring part of Germany, except that it includes more borrowings from French. Apart from being one of the three official languages, Luxembourgish is also considered the national language of the Grand Duchy; it is the mother tongue or "language of the hearth" for nearly all Luxembourgers.

Each of the three languages is used as the primary language in certain spheres. Luxembourgish is the language that Luxembourgers generally speak to each other, but it is not much written. Most official (written) business is carried out in French. German is usually the first language taught in school and is the language of much of the Mass media and of the church.

Luxembourg's education system is trilingual: the first years of primary school are in Luxembourgish, before changing to German, while secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French. However, as proficiency in all three languages is required for graduation from secondary school, half the students leave school without a certified qualification, with the children of immigrants being particularly disadvantaged.

In addition to the three official languages, English language is taught in the compulsory schooling (mostly from the eighth grade, i.e. at the age between 12 to 14 years) and much of the population of Luxembourg can speak some simple English, at any rate in Luxembourg City. Portuguese language and Italian language, the languages of the two largest immigrant communities, are also spoken by large parts of the population, but by relatively few from outside their respective communities.

Religion Luxembourg is a secular state, but the state recognises certain religions as officially-mandated religions. This gives the state a hand in religious administration and appointment of clergy, in exchange for which the state pays certain running costs and wages. Currently, religions covered by such arrangements are Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek and Russian Orthodoxy and Protestantism.

Since 1979 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices. It is estimated by the CIA Factbook that 87% of Luxembourgers are Roman Catholic Church, the remaining 13% being made up of Protestantism, Eastern Orthodox Church, Judaism, Islam and those of other or irreligion.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer 2005, 44% of Luxembourg citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 28% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 22% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Economy Luxembourg's stable, high-income Economic system features moderate economic growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, which was dominated until the 1960s by steel, has become increasingly more diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products. During the past decades, growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking and other financial exports, account for the majority of economic output. Agriculture is based on small, family-owned farms. Luxembourg has especially close trade and financial ties to Belgium and the Netherlands (see Benelux), and as a member of the European Union it enjoys the advantages of the open European market. Luxembourg possesses the highest List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita in the world (US$87,995 as of 2006), the twelfth highest Human Development Index, and the fourth highest quality of life. As of March 2006, unemployment is 4.8% of the labour force. For the fiscal year of 2005 and 2006, Luxembourg has run a budget deficit for the first time in many years, mostly because of slower international economic growth.

Culture Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours, although, having been for much of its history a profoundly rural country, it retains a number of folk traditions. There are several notable museums, mostly located in the capital; these include the National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg, and the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam). The National Museum of Military History (Luxembourg) in Diekirch is especially known for its representations of the Battle of the Bulge. The city of Luxembourg itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, on account of the historical importance of its fortifications.

The country has produced some internationally known artists, including the painters Joseph Kutter and Michel Majerus, as well as the photographer Edward Steichen. Steichen's The Family of Man exhibition is now permanently housed in Clervaux, and it has been placed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme register.

Luxembourg is the first city to be named European Capital of Culture for the second time. The first time was in 1995. In 2007, the European Capital of Culture will be a cross-border area consisting of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland in Germany, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking part of Belgium, and the Lorraine area in France. The event will promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders in all areas, physical, psychological, artistic and emotional.

See also

References {{articleissues|Citations missing= July 2007|expand = July 2007-->

https://www.cia.gov/gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/lu.html

Footnotes

External links

Governments on the WWW: Luxembourg
History of Luxembourg: Primary Documents
Official Governmental Site
Official Website for Luxembourg
Luxembourg National Tourist Office
Luxembourg Tourist Office - London
Luxembourg City Tourist Guide
Luxembourg Geography
A Luxembourg Attraction
Luxembourg European Capital of Culture 2007
World Factbook: Information on Luxembourg
Over 200 images of important sights in Luxembourg

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