Luxembourg Army Lëtzebuerger Arméi, Armée luxembourgeoise, Luxemburger Armee
Cap Badge of the Luxembourg Army
Founded	16 February 1881
Current form	29 June 1967
Headquarters	Military Centre, Diekirch
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Grand Duke Henri
Minister for Defence	Jean-Marie Halsdorf
Chief of Defence	Gaston Reinig
Manpower
Military age	18-24
Available for military service	110,867 males, age 17-49 (2005 est.), 108,758 females, age 17-49 (2005 est.)
Fit for military service	90,279 males, age 17-49 (2005 est.), 88,638 females, age 17-49 (2005 est.)
Reaching military age annually	2,775 males (2005 est.), 2,703 females (2005 est.)
Active personnel	-4.500 (2011)
Expenditures
Budget	249 million $ (2009)[1]
Percent of GDP	0.5% (2009)
Related articles
History	Military history of Luxembourg
Ranks	see Grades and insignia
Roundel of the NATO Air Component

The Luxembourg Army is the national military of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has no navy, as the country is landlocked, or air force, although it does have aircraft. The Luxembourg Army was integrated into the Force Publique (Public Force) which included the Gendarmerie and the Police. The Gendarmerie was merged into the Grand Ducal Police in 2000. The army has been an all-volunteer force since 1967.^[2] It has a current strength of approximately 450 professional soldiers, 340 enlisted recruits and 100 civilians, and a total budget of $369 million, or 0.9% of GDP.

The army is under civilian control. The Commander-in-Chief is the Grand Duke. The professional head of the army is the Chief of Defence, currently Gaston Reinig. He answers to the civil Minister for Defence in the civilian government, currently Jean-Marie Halsdorf, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. The Grand Duke and the Chief of Defence are the only generals, with colonels as Deputy Chief of Defence and head of the Military Training Centre.

Luxembourg has participated in the Eurocorps since 1994, has contributed troops to the UNPROFOR and IFOR missions in former Yugoslavia, and participates with a small contingent in the current NATO SFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Luxembourg army is integrated into the Multinational Beluga Force under Belgian command. Luxembourg troops have also deployed to Afghanistan to support ISAF. Luxembourg has financially supported international peacekeeping missions during the 1991 Gulf War, in Rwanda and, more recently, Albania. The army also has participated in humanitarian relief missions such as setting up refugee camps for Kurds and providing emergency supplies to Albania.

History[link]

Militia (1817-1881)[link]

On 8 January 1817, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, William I published a constitutional law governing the organization of a Militia, the main provisions of which were to remain in force until the Militia was abolished in 1881. Up until 1840, Luxembourg’s militiamen served in units of the Royal Netherlands Army. In 1839 William I became a party to the Treaty of London. Under the terms of the Treaty, Luxembourg and the newly formed Duchy of Limburg, both members of the Germanic Confederation, were together required to provide a Federal Contingent distributed among a Light Infantry Battalion garrisoned in Echternach, a Cavalry Squadron in Diekirch, and an Artillery detachment in Ettelbruck. In 1846 the Cavalry and Artillery units where disbanded and the Luxembourg Contingent was separated from the Limburg Contingent. The establishment was now two Light Infantry Battalions, the first Battalion in Echternach and the second in Diekirch, two reserve Companies and a depot Company. In 1866, the Austro-Prussian war resulted in the dissolution of the Germanic Confederation and Luxembourg was declared neutral in perpetuity. A new military organization was established in 1867 with two Battalions known as the Corps des Chasseurs Luxembourgeois. In 1868 the contingent became one Light Infantry Battalion of 4 Companies. On 16 February 1881, the Light Infantry Battalion was disbanded with the abolition of the militia-based system.

Corps des Gendarmes et Volontaires[link]

On 16 February 1881 the Corps des Gendarmes et Volontaires (Gendarmes and Volunteers Corps) was established. The Corps comprised two Companies, a Company of Gendarmes and a Company of Volunteers. In 1939 a corps of Auxiliary Volunteers was established and attached to the Company of Volunteers. Following the occupation of Luxembourg by Germany on the 10 May 1940, recruitment for the Company of Volunteers continued until the 4 December 1940 when they were moved to Weimar in Germany to be trained as German police.

Luxembourg Battery[link]

The Luxembourg Government in exile in London made agreements for a group of seventy Luxembourg volunteers to be assigned to in 1944 the 'Artillery Group' of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade (also known as the Piron Brigade). A number of these Luxemburgish troops had fought in North Africa in the French Foreign Legion. The Luxembourg unit landed in Normandy on 6 August 1944. The 'Luxembourg Battery' was an Artillery Troop equipped with four Ordnance QF 25 pounder howitzers. The Luxembourg guns were named after Princesses Elisabeth, Princess Marie Adelaide, Princess Marie Gabriele and Princess Alix.

Post-Liberation Luxembourg Army[link]

In 1944 obligatory military service was introduced. In 1945, the Corps de la Garde Grand Ducale (Grand Ducal Guard Corps), garrisoned in the Saint-Esprit barracks in Luxembourg City and the 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions were established, one in Walferdange and the other in Dudelange. The Luxembourg Army took charge of part of the French zone of occupation in Germany, the 2nd Battalion occupying part of the Bitburg district and a detachment from the 1st Battalion part of the Saarburg district. The 2nd Battalion remained in Bitburg until 1955. Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Brussels in March 1948, then the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949. In 1951 the Grand Ducal Guard was relocated to Walferdange and integrated with the Commandement des Troupes. The Grand Ducal Guard had special units for reconnaissance, anti-air warfare and radiac reconnaissance. From 1955 the Guard was organised into a Headquarters Company, a Garrison Platoon, a Reconnaissance Company and two Training Companies. In 1959 the Commandement des Troupes was disbanded and the Grand Ducal Guard was integrated into the Commandement du Territoire (Territorial Command). The establishment was reduced to a single Company, a Corporals' Training School and a Weapons Platoon. In 1960 the Grand Ducal Guard was again reorganised into four Platoons temporarily grouped into intervention and reinforcement detachments. In 1964 the Grand Ducal Guard was organized into a HQ, three Platoons, a reinforcement Platoon and the NCO school. On the 28 February 1966 the Grand Ducal Guard was officially disbanded.

Korean War[link]

In 1950 sixteen countries, including Luxembourg, decided to send armed forces to assist the Republic of Korea. The Luxembourg contingent was incorporated into the 'Belgian United Nations Command' or the 'Korean Volunteer Corps'. The Belgo-Luxemburgish battalion arrived in Korea in 1951 and was attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division. Two Luxemburger soldiers were killed and 17 were wounded in the war. The Belgo-Luxemburgish battalion was disbanded in 1955. The Korean War represents the only armed conflict following the Second World War where Luxembourg Forces took part.

Groupement Tactique Régimentaire and Home Command[link]

In 1954 the Groupement Tactique Régimentaire (GTR), (Regimental Tactical Group) was established as Luxembourg’s contribution to NATO and consisted of three Infantry Battalions, an Artillery Battalion, a Services Company, a Medical Company, a Transport Company, a Signals Company, a Company of Engineers, a Heavy Mortar Company, a Reconnaissance Company and a Headquarters Company.

In addition to the GTR, the Army also included the Home Command comprising a Headquarters Company, a Company of Military Police, a Movements and Transportation Company, a Static Guard Battalion, and a Mobile Battalion. The GTR was disbanded in 1959.

1st Artillery Battalion[link]

In 1961, the 1st Artillery Battalion was placed at NATO’s disposal. The battalion was organisation with, three Gun Batteries each with six 105 mm field howitzers (British 25 pounder guns converted to 105 mm caliber) from the former GTR Artillery Battalion, a HQ Battery and a Service Battery. In 1963, the Battalion was attached to the US 8th Infantry Division. In 1966 the Grand Ducal Guard was disbanded and its taskings transferred to and performed by the Artillery Battalion. The 1st Artillery Battalion was disbanded in 1967.

1st Infantry Battalion[link]

Compulsory military service was abolished in 1967 and the 1st Infantry Battalion was established comprising a Headquarters and Services unit, two Motorized Infantry Companies and a Reconnaissance Company with two Recce Platoons and an Anti-Tank Platoon. From 1968 onwards it formed a part of NATO’s ACE Mobile Force (Land) (AMF(L)). In 1985 the Battalion was replaced by a reinforced company of, an AMF Company with two Recce Platoons and an Anti-Tank Platoon, a Forward Air Control team, a National Support Element for logistics and a Medical Support element. In 2002 the AMF(L) was dissolved.

Luxembourg Army Organization[link]

Luxembourgish soldiers during national day.

Companies
A - D (Diekirch)

Luxembourg Army - unit locations

The army of Luxembourg has four main combat formations which come under the control of the Centre Militaire (Military center), located in the barracks "Caserne Grand-Duc Jean" in the town of Diekirch.

Compagnie A[link]

Compagnie A is the first of two rifle companies and it forms the Luxembourg contingent of the Eurocorps and will normally be integrated into the Belgian contribution during operations. As such it participates in Eurocorps' contribution to the NATO Response Force (entire company) and the EU Battlegroups (one platoon). The company consists of a command element and three reconnaissance platoons of four sections each plus a command section. Each section is equipped with two armored M1114 HMMWV armed with a .50 M2 Browning machine gun. The command section has in addition to its pair of HMMWVs an MAN X40 truck.

Compagnie B[link]

Compagnie B is the educational unit of the army, providing various educational courses for personnel to take in preparation for advancement. In order to attend L'Ecole de l'Armee, a soldier must have at least 18 months of service. The School is divided into two sections:

• Level B - this is open for all soldiers at the end of their first 18 months of service. Soldiers follow two six-month periods of tuition in both general and military based subjects prior to taking examinations. Upon gaining 75% pass marks, they can proceed to the next level.
• Level A - Level A is open to soldiers who have achieved the required passes at Level B, or who have gained the equivalent in civilian life prior to their enlistment. Soldiers do a single six-month period of tuition in the same subjects as Level B, but for longer each week.

Compagnie Commandement et Instruction[link]

The Compagnie Commandement et Instruction is the main military training unit of the Luxembourg Army, with instruction given in:

• Basic soldiering
• Driving
• Physical training

The Company is also responsible for the army's Elite Sports Section - this is for sportsmen who choose to join the army. Following their basic training, they join the Section de Sports d'Elite de l'Armée (SSEA).

Compagnie D[link]

Compagnie D is the second rifle company - it provided Luxembourg's contribution to NATO's ACE Mobile Force (Land) (disbanded in 2002) as the Luxembourg Reconnaissance Company. Luxembourg's participation in various UN, EU and NATO missions is drawn from Compagnie D. As a rifle company, it mirrors Compagnie A in organisation, with a command element and three reconnaissance platoons.

Special Forces of Luxembourg[link]

Luxembourg has two reconnaissance platoons, declared to NATO's Allied Mobile Force. They are elite rather than special forces.

The Grand Ducal Police has the Unité Spéciale de la Police.

Grades and insignia[link]

Guard in front of Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg in 2009

Flag Officers[link]

• General (there are two, the Grand-Duke wearing a sabre and a crown and the Chef d'Etat Major, wearing a sabre and a star)

Officers[link]

• Colonel (a crown and three stars)
• Lieutenant-Colonel (a crown and two stars)
• Major (a crown and a star)
• Captain (three stars)
• First lieutenant (two stars)
• Lieutenant (one star)

Warrant Officer[link]

• Warrant Officer (a red-yellow-red stripe)

Non-commissioned officers[link]

• Adjudant-Major (three yellow chevrons, two yellow stripes and a little yellow circle in the center)
• Adjudant-Chief (three yellow chevrons and two yellow stripes)
• Adjudant (three yellow chevrons and one yellow stripe)
• Chief-Sergeant (three yellow chevrons)
• First sergeant (two yellow chevrons)
• Sergeant (one yellow chevron)

Career corporals[link]

• First chief corporal (one yellow chevron, three red chevrons and one red stripe)
• Chief corporal (one yellow and three red chevrons)
• First corporal (one yellow and two red chevrons)
• Corporal (one yellow and one red chevron)

Volunteer soldiers[link]

• First chief soldier (three red chevrons)
• Chief soldier (two red chevrons)
• First soldier (one red chevron)
• Soldier (no insignia)

Careers[link]

Officer: Those who have completed high school will enter a special 13-week-basic training in the army as warrant officer, thus visiting the military officer school after for 5 years (normally in Brussels, Belgium), before becoming a lieutenant in the Luxembourg army.

NCO: Those who have completed five years of high school and have served a 4 months as voluntary soldier, will do a 9-month-stage at the Infantry Training Department of the Belgian Army in Arlon, before becoming a sergeant in the Luxembourg army.

Career corporals: Those who haven't completed five years of high school may, after 3 years of service, become career corporals in the Luxembourg Army, if they pass physical and mental tests.

Equipment[link]

Weapons[link]

Steyr AUG A1.

Luxembourgish HMMWV on national day.

A NATO E-3 with the roundel of Luxembourg painted on its tail.

Four Luxembourg 25 pounder guns rebarrelled to 105 mm and fitted with new sights for gun salutes.

• Glock 17 9x19mm Parabellum pistol (Service pistol): Replaced Browning Hi-Power pistol
• Steyr AUG 5.56x45mm NATO rifle (Service rifle): Can be fitted with UA/1116 or KITE night sight, replaced FN FAL rifle
• Steyr AUG HBAR 5.56x45mm NATO automatic rifle
• FN MAG 7.62x51mm NATO machine gun: Can be fitted with KITE night sight
• M2 Browning machine gun .50 BMG
• 105 mm howitzer: (Re-barreled 25 pdr. guns) for ceremonial purposes
• M72 Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW)
• BGM-71 TOW missiles: Replaced the M40 recoilless rifle

Vehicles[link]

• Humvee vehicles, armoured and unarmoured (including 42 armoured M1114 HMMWV)^[3]
• Jeep Wrangler Rubicon: 15^[4]
• MB 300D 4x4 (1st generation)
• MAN X40 trucks 4x4 and 6x6^[5]
• Dingo 2 PRV (protected reconnaissance vehicle): 45^[6][7] armed with a .50 M2 Browning machine gun in a Protector remote weapon system, and fitted with Thales observation system
• Scania G480 8x8: 31 partially with ballistic protection system^[8][9]

Aircraft[link]

Luxembourg owned[link]

The government of Luxembourg has ordered 1 Airbus A400M transport aircraft in cooperation with the Belgian Air Component and will be delivered in 2019.

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Versions	Ordered	In service	Notes
Airbus A400M	European Union	Transport	A400M	1	0	On order due to be delivered in 2019.

NATO owned[link]

NATO acquired 18 E-3As and support equipment for a NATO air defense force. Since all aircraft must be registered with a certain country, the decision was made to register the 18 NATO AWACS planes with Luxembourg, because until that point Luxembourg did not have an air force. The first NATO E-3 was delivered in January 1982. Presently 17 NATO E-3As are in the inventory, since one NATO E-3 was lost in a crash. The 20 aircraft of the NATO AEW Force are all registered to Luxembourg, flown by NATO pilots, and based at the NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen:

• 2 NATO Trainer Cargo Aircraft (TCA), modified Boeing 707-320Cs^[10]
• 17 Boeing E-3A AWACS^[10]

Communications equipment[link]

• VHF/PR4G: TRC-9100, TRC-9200V, TRC-9300B and TRC-9500

Former Equipment[link]

• Rifles
  • Karabiner 98k 7.92x57mm IS
  • Ross rifle .303 British
  • Pattern 1914 Enfield .303 British
  • Lee-Enfield .303 British
  • FN Model 1949 .30-06 Springfield
  • FN FAL 7.62x51mm NATO

• Pistols and Revolvers
  • Webley Revolver .38-200
  • Browning Hi-Power 9x19mm Parabellum
  • M1911 pistol .45 ACP

• Submachine guns
  • Sten 9x19mm Parabellum
  • Thompson submachine gun .45 ACP
  • Sola submachine gun 9x19mm Parabellum
  • Uzi 9x19mm Parabellum

• Machine guns
  • Bren light machine gun .303 British
  • FN BAR .30-06 Springfield
  • Vickers machine gun .303 British
  • M1919 Browning machine gun .30-06 Springfield
  • M60 machine gun 7.62x51mm NATO

• Anti Tank
  • Boys anti-tank rifle .55 Boys
  • PIAT
  • Bazooka
  • M18 recoilless rifle
  • M20 recoilless rifle
  • M40 recoilless rifle
  • 2-inch mortar
  • Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar
  • M19 mortar
  • M1 mortar
  • M2 4.2 inch mortar
  • L16 81mm Mortar

Notable soldiers[link]

• Émile Hamilius
• Bodry Gretsch
• Tessy Antony, born 1985, is among the more prominent former members of Luxembourg's military. From March to July 2004 she took part in a mission in Mitrovica, Former Yugoslavia as part of KFOR, the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo. In 2006 she married Prince Louis of Luxembourg, with whom she has two sons, Princes Noah and Gabriel. She is styled "Son Altesse Royale Princesse Tessy de Luxembourg", having attained an NCO rank before leaving the military.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Luxembourgian Army official website
• History of Luxembourg's Army

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Military of Luxembourg

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg (Luxembourgish) Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (French) Großherzogtum Luxemburg (German)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn"  (Luxembourgish) "We want to remain what we are"
Anthem: Ons Heemecht "Our Homeland" [1] Royal anthem: De Wilhelmus 1
Location of  Luxembourg  (dark green) – in Europe  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Luxembourg 49°36′N 6°7′E / 49.6°N 6.117°E / 49.6; 6.117
Official language(s)		Luxembourgish French German
Demonym		Luxembourgers
Government		Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
-	Grand Duke	Henri (List)
-	Prime Minister	Jean-Claude Juncker (List)
Legislature		Chamber of Deputies
Independence
-	From French empire (Treaty of Paris)	9 June 1815
-	1st Treaty of London	19 April 1839
-	2nd Treaty of London	11 May 1867
-	End of personal union	23 November 1890
Area
-	Total	2,586.4 km2 (179th) 998.6 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.60%
Population
-	2012 estimate	509,074[1] (173rd)
-	2001 census	439,539
-	Density	194.1/km2 (67th) 501.3/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$41.221 billion[2] (94th)
-	Per capita	$80,119[2] (2nd)
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$58.412 billion[2] (69th)
-	Per capita	$113,533[2] (1st)
HDI (2011)		0.867[3] (very high) (25th)
Currency		Euro (€)2 (EUR)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the		right
ISO 3166 code		LU
Internet TLD		.lu3
Calling code		352
1	Not the same as the Het Wilhelmus of the Netherlands.
2	Before 1999: Luxembourgish franc.
3	The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Luxembourg (ⁱ/ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ/ LUKS-əm-burg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg, Dutch: Groothertogdom Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south.^[4] Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi).^[5] A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is now the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.

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

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

History[link]

Charles IV, the 14th century Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg.^[6]

The three Partitions of Luxembourg have greatly reduced Luxembourg's territory.

The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc ^[7] (today Luxembourg Castle) situated on the Bock rock by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes in 963 through an exchange act with the abbey of St Maximin in Trier.^[8] Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small state of great strategic value. In the 14th and early 15th centuries three members of the House of Luxembourg reigned as Holy Roman Emperors. In 1437, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne, which led to the territory being sold by Duchess Elisabeth to Philip the Good of Burgundy.^[9]

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. 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.^[10]

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. Luxembourg's independence was reaffirmed by the 1839 First Treaty of London. In the same year, Luxembourg joined the Zollverein.^[11] 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.^[12] After the latter conflict, the Confederate fortress was dismantled.^[13]

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.^[14]

During World War I Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by Germany, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms.

During World War II, Luxembourg was unable to maintain its policy of neutrality when in 1940 Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the country, due to its strategic location on the invasion route into France. In contrast to the First World War experience, Luxembourg was treated as a Germanic territory and informally annexed to an adjacent province of the Third Reich in 1940. A government in exile based in London fought alongside the Allies, sending a small group of volunteers who participated in the Normandy invasion. Luxembourg was liberated in September 1944. 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 era. In 2005, a referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held in Luxembourg.^[15]

Politics[link]

Districts of Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy headed by a constitutional monarch. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke and the cabinet, which consists of several other ministers.^[16] The Grand Duke has the power to dissolve the legislature, in which case new elections must be held within three months. However, since 1919, sovereignty has resided with the Nation, exercised by the Grand Duke in accordance with the Constitution and the law.^[17]

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.^[18]

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.

Administrative divisions[link]

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.

The districts are Diekirch, Grevenmacher, and Luxembourg.

Foreign relations[link]

Signing of the Rome Treaty on 25 March 1957. Luxembourg is a founding member of the EEC and the European Union in 1993.

Luxembourg has long been a prominent supporter of European political and economic integration. In efforts foreshadowing European integration, Luxembourg and Belgium in 1921 formed the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) to create an inter-exchangeable currency and a common customs regime. Luxembourg is a member of the Benelux Economic Union and was one of the founding members of the European Economic Community (now the European Union). It also participates in the Schengen Group (named after the Luxembourg village of Schengen where the agreements were signed), whose goal is the free movement of citizens among member states. At the same time, the majority of Luxembourgers have consistently believed that European unity makes sense only in the context of a dynamic transatlantic relationship, and thus have traditionally pursued a pro-NATO, pro-US foreign policy.

Luxembourg is the site of the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, the Statistical Office of the European Communities ("Eurostat") and other vital EU organs. The Secretariat of the European Parliament is located in Luxembourg, but the Parliament usually meets in nearby Strasbourg.

Military[link]

A NATO owned AWACS aircraft.

The contribution Luxembourg makes to its defense and to NATO consists of a small army (currently consisting of around 800 people). As a landlocked country, it has no navy.

Luxembourg also lacks an air force, though the seventeen NATO AWACS aeroplanes are for convenience registered as aircraft of Luxembourg.^[19] In accordance with a joint agreement with Belgium, both countries have put forth funding for one A400M military cargo plane, currently on order.

Geography[link]

The largest towns are Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Differdange.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 170th in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world; the country is about 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi) in size, and measures 82 km (51 mi) long and 57 km (35 mi) wide. It lies between latitudes 49° and 51° N, and longitudes 5° and 7° E.

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, part of which comprises the German-speaking Community of Belgium, 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 near Wilwerdange,^[20] which is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 ft). Other mountains are the 'Buurgplaaz' at 559 metres near Huldange and the 'Napoléonsgaard' at 548 metres near Rambrouch. The region is sparsely populated, with only one town (Wiltz) with a population of more than four thousand people.

Countryside of Alscheid.

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 southeastern 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.

Climate[link]

Luxembourg has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), marked by high precipitation, particularly in late summer.^[21]

Economy[link]

Graphical depiction of Luxembourg's product exports in 28 color coded categories.

Luxembourg has been part of the eurozone since 1999.

Luxembourg's stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. It is ranked second richest country in the world with a per capita GDP on a purchasing-power parity (PPP) basis of $81,466 (in a new list compiled by US-based Forbes magazine).^{[citation needed]}

The industrial sector, which was dominated until the 1960s by steel, has 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. Luxembourg is the world's second largest investment fund center (after the United States), the most important private banking center in the Eurozone and Europe's leading center for reinsurance companies. Moreover, the Luxembourgish government has tried to attract internet start-ups. Skype and Amazon are two of the many internet companies that have shifted their regional headquarters to Luxembourg.

Concern about Luxembourg's banking secrecy laws, and its reputation as a tax haven, led in April 2009 to it being added to a "grey list" of nations with questionable banking arrangements by the G20. Luxembourg adapted some months later the OECD standards on exchange of information and moved into the category of 'Jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed tax standard.'^[22][23] In March 2010, the Sunday Telegraph reported that most of Kim Jong-Il's $4bn in secret accounts is in Luxembourg banks.^[24]

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 second highest GDP per capita in the world (US$80,119 as of 2011),^[25] the 24th highest Human Development Index, and the 4th highest rated in the quality of life index.^[26]

As of March 2006, unemployment is 4.8% of the labor force.^[27]

In the fiscal year of 2005 and 2006, Luxembourg ran a budget deficit for the first time in many years, mostly because of slower international economic growth.^[28]

With $138 billion (February 2012), the country ranks tenth in the world in holdings of U.S. Treasury securities.^[29] The ranking is however imperfect as some foreign owners entrust the safekeeping of their securities to institutions that are neither in the United States nor in the owner's country of residence.^[30]

The Economist forecasts negligible GDP growth for 2012.^[31]

Transport[link]

Luxembourg has efficient road, rail and air transport facilities and services. The road network has been significantly modernized in recent years with 147 km of motorways connecting the capital to adjacent countries. The advent of the high-speed TGV link to Paris has led to renovation of the city's railway station while a new passenger terminal at Luxembourg Airport has opened some years ago. There are plans to introduce trams in the capital and light-rail lines in adjacent areas within the next few years.

The number of cars per 1000 persons amount to 680.1 in Luxembourg — only British overseas territory Gibraltar and the Principality of Monaco scoring higher.^[32]

Communications[link]

The telecommunications industry in Luxembourg is liberalized and the electronic communications networks are significantly developed. Competition between the different operators is guaranteed by the legislative framework Paquet Telecom^[33] of the Government of 2005 which transposes the European Telecom Directives into Luxembourgean law. This encourages the investment in networks and services. The regulator ILR – Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation^[34] ensures the compliance to these legal rules

Luxembourg has modern and widely deployed optical fibre and cable networks throughout the country. With its central position in Europe, stable economy and low taxes, Luxembourg is an ideal gateway to the European telecommunication markets.^[35][36][37]

It ranks 2nd in the world in the development of the Information and Communication Technologies in the ITU ICT Development Index and 8th in the Global Broadband Quality Study 2009 by the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo.^{[38][39][40][41]}

Luxembourg is connected to all major European Internet Exchanges (AMS-IX Amsterdam, DE-CIX Frankfurt, LINX London), datacenters and POPs through redundant optical networks.^{[42][43][44][45][46]} In addition, the country is connected to the virtual meetme room services (vmmr)^[47] of the international data hub operator Ancotel.^[48] This enables Luxembourg to interconnect with all major telecommunication operators^[49] and data carriers worldwide. The interconnection points are in Frankfurt, London, New York and Hong Kong.^[50]

Several providers interconnect Luxembourg to the major European data hubs

• Teralink^[51] (P&TLuxembourg, also called EPT Luxembourg: incumbent operator)^[52]
• LuxConnect^[53] (shareholder : Government) LuxConnect tested the 100G coherent transmission of data signals between Luxembourg and Amsterdam in June 2011.^[54]
• Artelis/Cegecom^[55] (alternative telecommunications provider in Luxembourg and Saarland)
• Satellite connectivity – Teleports (SES),^[56] Broadcasting Center Europe^[57] and P&T Luxembourg Teleport.^{[58] [59] [60]}

Luxembourg is connected through an optical DWDM network, called Teralink^[61] to several Tier 1 upstream providers like Level3 and Global Crossing. Teralink offers connectivities up to 100 Gbit/s. P&TLuxembourg established a coherent 100Gbit/s IP connection between Frankfurt and Luxembourg with live traffic in 2011 .^{[62][63][64][65]}

The Internet IPV6 protocol has been introduced to the country by Restena and P&T Luxembourg.^[66]

Luxembourg has two Internet exchange points and one Carrier Ethernet Exchange points.

• LIX is a neutral Internet exchange operated by the RESTENA Foundation. Its aim is to easily interconnect the different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) within Luxembourg.^[67]
• LUX-CIX is Luxembourg's neutral and commercial Internet Exchange Point which was founded in 2009 by Cegecom, Datacenter Luxembourg, Global Media Systems, INEXIO, LuxConnect, P&T Luxemboug and Root eSolutions. It offers a short, fast and efficient route to the major European Internet networks.^[68][69]
• LEX is the Luxembourg Ethernet Exchange located in the Tier IV certified ebrc datacenter ^[70]

The online portal De Guichet^[71] of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a single one-stop online shop for citizens and companies to realize different sorts of administrative steps (procedures, online forms, downloadable forms and advices) by Internet.^[72]

PSA Peugeot Citroën, with P&T Luxembourg as its partner, has introduced an integrated mobile telecommunication solution for the development of its telematic services in Europe.^[73][74]

Datacenters[link]

More than 17 data centers^[75][76][77] are operating in Luxembourg. The number is constantly growing. Two of the ebrc data centers are Tier IV classified & certificated.^[78]