The 'Grand Duchy of Luxembourg' (, , ), historically 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
sq mi).
[1]
Luxembourg is a
parliamentary representative democracy with a
constitutional monarchy, ruled by a
Grand Duke. It is the world's only sovereign
Grand Duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the highest
Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world. 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, political, and military integration. The city of
Luxembourg, 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 Europe and
Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a
trilingual country;
French,
German, and
Luxembourgish 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
RTL.
History
Main articles: History of Luxembourg
The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc (today
Luxembourg Castle) by
Siegfried, Count of Ardennes in
963. The current name of Luxembourg comes from the former name Lucilinburhuc.
[2] Around this
fort, 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
Burgundy.
[3] In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened by its successive occupants, the
Bourbons,
Habsburgs,
Hohenzollerns, and the
French, among others. After the
defeat of
Napoleon in
1815, Luxembourg was disputed between
Prussia and the
Netherlands.
[4] 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.
[4]
The
Belgian Revolution of
1830–
1839 reduced Luxembourg's territory by more than half, as the predominantly
francophone western part of the country was transferred to
Belgium.
[6] Luxembourg's independence was reaffirmed by the
1839 First Treaty of London. In the same year, Luxembourg joined the
Zollverein.
[7] Luxembourg's independence and neutrality were again affirmed by the
1867 Second Treaty of London, after the
Luxembourg Crisis nearly led to war between Prussia and France.
[8] After the latter conflict, the Confederate fortress was dismantled.
[9]
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, the Dutch throne passed to his daughter
Wilhelmina, while Luxembourg (at that time restricted to male heirs by the
Nassau Family Pact) passed to
Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg.
[10]
Luxembourg was
invaded and occupied by Germany during the
First World War, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms. It was again invaded and subject to
German occupation in the
Second World War in 1940, and was formally annexed into the
Third Reich in
1942.
During
World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of
neutrality, when it joined the
Allies in fighting Germany. Its government,
exiled to
London, set up a small group of volunteers who participated in the
Normandy invasion. 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 Economic Community (later the
European Union), and, in
1999, it joined the
euro currency area. In 2005, a
referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held in Luxembourg.
[11]
Government and politics
Main articles: Politics of Luxembourg
Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a
constitutional monarchy inherited by
male-preference primogeniture. Under the constitution of
1868, executive power is exercised by the
Grand Duke or Grand Duchess and the
cabinet, which consists of a
Prime Minister 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.
[12]
Legislative power is vested in the
Chamber of Deputies, a
unicameral legislature of sixty members, who are directly elected to five-year terms from four
constituencies. A second body, the
Council of State (''Conseil d'État''), composed of twenty-one ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.
[13]
The Grand Duchy has three lower tribunals (''justices de paix''; in
Esch-sur-Alzette, the city of
Luxembourg, 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
Main articles: Military of Luxembourg
Luxembourg's contribution to its defence and to NATO consists of a small
army. As a landlocked country, it has no
navy, and it has no
air force, except for the fact that the eighteen NATO
AWACS airplanes were registered as aircraft of Luxembourg for convenience.
[14] In a joint agreement with
Belgium, both countries have put forth funding for one
A400M military cargo plane, now currently on order. Luxembourg still jointly maintains three
US airforce Boeing 707 model TCAs for cargo and training purposes based in
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen.
Districts, cantons, and communes
Main articles: Districts of Luxembourg,
Cantons of Luxembourg,
Communes of Luxembourg
Luxembourg is divided into 3
districts, which are further divided into 12
cantons and then 116
communes. Twelve of the communes have
city status, of which the city of
Luxembourg is the largest.
Geography and climate
Luxembourg's climate is characterised by mild temperatures and high precipitation.
Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in
Europe, and ranked
175th in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world; the country is about 2,586 square kilometres (999
sq mi) in size, and measures 82 km (51 miles) long and 57 km (35 miles) wide. To the east, Luxembourg borders the German ''
Bundesländer'' of
Rhineland-Palatinate and
Saarland, and, to the south, it borders the French ''
région'' of
Lorraine. The Grand Duchy borders the Belgian
Walloon Region, in particular the latter's
provinces of
Luxembourg and
Liège 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
ft). The region is sparsely populated, with only one town (
Wiltz) with a population of more than two thousand people.
The southern two-thirds of the country is called the "
Gutland", 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, 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, the
Sauer, and the
Our. Other major rivers are the
Alzette, the
Attert, the
Clerve, and the
Wiltz. 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: Cfb), marked by high
precipitation, particularly in late
summer.
[15]
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Luxembourg
Ethnicity
The people of Luxembourg are called
Luxembourgers.
[16] The native population is ethnically a
French and
Germanic blend. 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
EU 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.
[17]
Language
Main articles: Languages of Luxembourg
Three languages are recognised as official in Luxembourg:
French,
German, and
Luxembourgish, a
Franconian language of the
Moselle region very similar to the local
German 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
media and of the
church.
[18]
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.
[19] 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.
[20]
In addition to the three official languages,
English 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 and
Italian, 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
Main articles: Religion in Luxembourg
Since
1979, it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices.
[21] It is estimated that 87% of Luxembourgers are
Roman Catholics, and the other 13% are mostly
Protestants,
Orthodox Christians,
Jews, and
Muslims.
[22] 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.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg's stable, high-income
economy features moderate
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
EU it enjoys the advantages of the open European
market. Luxembourg possesses the highest
GDP per capita in the world (
US$68,800 as of
2006),
the twelfth highest
Human Development Index, and the fourth highest
quality of life.
[23] As of March 2006, unemployment is 4.8% of the labour force.
[24] 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.
[25]
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Luxembourg
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 (MNHM) 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 register.
Luxembourg is the first European city to be named "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
★
Foreign relations of Luxembourg
★
Radio Luxembourg
★
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
★
Communications in Luxembourg
★
Military of Luxembourg
★
Transportation in Luxembourg
★
Luxembourg Boy Scouts Association
Footnotes
1. http://www.luxembourg.co.uk/nutshell.html
2. Kreins (2003), p. 20
3. Kreins (2003), p. 39
4. Kreins (2003), p. 70
5. Kreins (2003), p. 70
6. Kreins (2003), p. 74
7. Kreins (2003), p. 76
8. Kreins (2003), pp. 80–81
9. Kreins (2003), p. 81
10. Kreins (2003), p. 84
11. Timeline: Luxembourg - A chronology of key events BBC News Online, 9 September 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2006.
12. Constitution of Luxembourg
13. Structure of the Conseil d'Etat
14. Luxembourg
15. Luxembourg
16. http://www.eu2005.lu/en/savoir_lux/societe_tradition/lux_type/index.php
17. The Regularisation of Unauthorised Migrants: Literature Survey and Country Case Studies - Regularisation programmes in Luxembourg Amanda Levinson
18. À propos des langues
19. The Trilingual Education system in Luxembourg
20. Immigration in Luxembourg: New Challenges for an Old Country
21. Mémorial A, 1979, No. 29
22. World Factbook - Luxembourg
23. World Life Quality Index 2005
24. Euro-zone unemployment down to 8.1%
25. Economic Survey of Luxembourg 2006
References
★
Histoire du Luxembourg, , Jean-Marie, Kreins, Presses Universitaires de France, 2003, ISBN 978-21-3053-852-3
★
Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848, , Guy, Thewes, Service Information et Presse, 2003, ISBN 2-87999-118-8
★ https://www.cia.gov/gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/lu.html
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
★
Luxembourg European Capital of Culture 2007
★
World Factbook: Information on Luxembourg
★
Over 200 images of important sights in Luxembourg
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