Luxembourg

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This article is about the country. For the city, see Luxembourg City. For other uses, see Luxembourg (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 49°45′N 6°10′E / 49.750°N 6.167°E / 49.750; 6.167

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
  • Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg  (Luxembourgish)
  • Großherzogtum Luxemburg  (German)
  • Grand-Duché de Luxembourg  (French)
Flag of Luxembourg
Coat of arms of Luxembourg
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn" (Luxembourgish)
"We want to remain what we are"
Anthem: "Ons Heemecht"
"Our Homeland"
Location of  Luxembourg  (dark green)– in Europe  (green & dark grey)– in the European Union  (green)
Location of  Luxembourg  (dark green)

– in Europe  (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (green)
Capital
and largest city		 Luxembourg City
49°36′N 6°7′E / 49.600°N 6.117°E / 49.600; 6.117
Official languages French
German
Luxembourgish
Demonym Luxembourgish, Luxembourger
Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch (list)
 Henri
Xavier Bettel
Etienne Schneider
Legislature Chamber of Deputies
Independence
965 (as County of Luxembourg)
• Elevation to Duchy of Luxembourg
 1355
• from the French Empire and elevation to Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
 1815
• Independence in personal Union with the Netherlands Treaty of London)
 19 April 1839
• Reaffirmation of Independence Treaty of London
 11 May 1867
23 November 1890
• from the German Reich
 1944 / 1945
Area
• Total
 2,586.4 km2 (998.6 sq mi) (168th)
• Water (%)
 0.60%
Population
• April 2015 estimate
 576,249 [1] (170th)
• 2001 census
 439,539
• Density
 222.8/km2 (577.0/sq mi) (60th)
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
• Total
 $58.234 billion[2] (94th)
• Per capita
 $100,991[2] (2nd)
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
• Total
 $60.176 billion[2] (71st)
• Per capita
 $104,359[2] (3rd)
Gini (2014)  28.7[3]
low · 19th
HDI (2014) Increase 0.892[4]
very high · 19th
Currency Euro (€)b (EUR)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)
 CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the right
Calling code +352
ISO 3166 code LU
Internet TLD .luc
  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.
  4. ^ "CIA – The World Factbook – Field Listing – Distribution of family income – Gini index". United States government. Retrieved 3 May 2013. 

Luxembourg Listeni/ˈlʌksəmbɜːrɡ/ (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg; German: Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,[note 1] is a landlocked country in western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is, together with Brussels and Strasbourg, one of the three official capitals of the European Union and the seat of the European Court of Justice, the highest juridical authority in the EU. Its culture, people and languages are highly intertwined with its neighbors, making it essentially a mixture of French and Germanic cultures. The repeated invasions by its neighbor countries, especially in World War II, resulted in the country's strong will for mediation between France and Germany and led to the foundation of the European Union.[5]

It comprises two principal regions: the Oesling in the north as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("Good Land") in the south.[6] With an area of 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi), it is one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe (about the same size as the US state of Rhode Island or the English county of Northamptonshire).[7] Luxembourg had a population of 524,853 in October 2012, ranking it the 8th least-populous country in Europe.[8] As a representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is headed by a Grand Duke, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and is the world's only remaining grand duchy. Luxembourg is a developed country, with an advanced economy and the world's highest GDP (PPP) per capita, according to the United Nations in 2014. Its central location has historically made it of great strategic importance to numerous powers, dating back to its founding as a Roman fortress, its hosting of a vital Frankish castle during the Early Middle Ages, and its role as a bastion for the Spanish Road between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, OECD, United Nations, NATO, and Benelux, reflecting its political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration. The city of Luxembourg, which is the country's capital and largest city, is the seat of several institutions and agencies of the EU. Luxembourg served on the United Nations Security Council for the years 2013 and 2014, which was a first in the country's history.[9] In 2016 Luxembourgish citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 172 countries and territories, ranking the Luxembourgian passport 6th in the world, tied with countries such as Canada and Switzerland.[10]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Luxembourg

  • Charles IV, the 14th century Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg.[11]

  • Historic map (undated) of Luxembourg city's fortifications

  • Photograph of the fortress of Luxembourg prior to demolition in 1867

County[edit]

Main article: County of Luxemburg

The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc[12] (today Luxembourg Castle) situated on the Bock rock by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes, in 963 through an exchange act with St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier.[13] Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a state of great strategic value.

Duchy[edit]

Main article: Duchy of Luxemburg

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 territories being sold by Duchess Elisabeth to Philip the Good of Burgundy.[14]

In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened by its successive occupants, the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns and the French.

Nineteenth century[edit]

See also: History of rail transport in Luxembourg

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 within the German Confederation in personal union with the Netherlands, being at the same time a part of the Netherlands and ruled as one of its provinces, with the Fortress of Luxembourg manned by Prussian troops.[15] This arrangement was revised by the 1839 First Treaty of London, from which date Luxembourg's full independence is reckoned.[16][17][18][19]

Luxembourg City: The Passerelle, also known as the viaduct or old bridge, over the Pétrusse river valley, opened 1861

At the time of the Belgian Revolution of 1830–1839, and by the 1839 Treaty establishing full independence, Luxembourg's territory was reduced by more than half, as the predominantly francophone western part of the country was transferred to Belgium. In 1842 Luxembourg joined the German Customs Union (Zollverein).[20] This resulted in the opening of the German market, the development of Luxembourg's steel industry, and expansion of Luxembourg's railway network from 1855 to 1875, particularly the construction of the Luxembourg-Thionville railway line, with connections from there to the European industrial regions.[21] While Prussian troops still manned the fortress, in 1861, the Passerelle was opened, the first road bridge spanning the Pétrusse river valley, connecting the Ville Haute and the main fortification on the Bock with Luxembourg railway station, opened in 1859, on the then fortified Bourbon plateau to the south.

After the Luxembourg Crisis of 1866 nearly led to war between Prussia and France, the Grand Duchy's independence and neutrality were again affirmed by the 1867 Second Treaty of London, Prussia's troops were withdrawn from the Fortress of Luxembourg and its Bock and surrounding fortifications were dismantled.[22]

The King of the Netherlands remained Head of State as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, maintaining a personal union between the two countries until 1890. At the death of William III, the throne of the Netherlands passed to his daughter Wilhelmina, while Luxembourg (then restricted to male heirs by the Nassau Family Pact) passed to Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg.[23]

At the time of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, despite allegations about French use of the Luxembourg railways for passing soldiers from Metz (then part of France) through the Duchy, and for forwarding provisions to Thionville, Luxembourg's neutrality was respected by Germany, and neither France nor Germany invaded the country.[24][25] But in 1871, as a result of Germany's victory over France, Luxembourg's boundary with Lorraine, containing Metz and Thionville, changed from being a frontier with a part of France to a frontier with territory annexed to the German Empire as Alsace-Lorraine under the Treaty of Frankfurt. This allowed Germany the military advantage of controlling and expanding the railways there.

View to Place de la Constitution and Gëlle Fra monument, from the capital's Metz square at the Adolphe Bridge end of Avenue de la Liberté, connecting with the railway station

Twentieth century[edit]

Frontier with German Empire's Alsace-Lorraine, from 1871 to 1918

In August 1914, Imperial Germany violated Luxembourg's neutrality by invading it in its war against France. This allowed Germany to use the railway lines, while at the same time denying them to France. Nevertheless, despite the German occupation, Luxembourg was allowed to maintain much of its independence and political mechanisms.

Current cross-border railway network, connecting Luxembourg City with Luxembourg's neighbouring countries, north (Belgium) – south (France) and east (Germany) – west (France)[26]

In 1940, after the outbreak of World War II, Luxembourg's neutrality was again violated when the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany entered the country, "entirely without justification".[27] In contrast to the First World War, under the German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II, the country was treated as German territory and informally annexed to the adjacent province of the Third Reich. A government in exile based in London supported the Allies, sending a small group of volunteers who participated in the Normandy invasion. Luxembourg was liberated in September 1944, and became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945. Luxembourg's neutral status under the constitution formally ended in 1948, and in 1949 it became a founding member of NATO.

In 1951, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Coal and Steel Community, which in 1957 would become the European Economic Community and in 1993 the European Union, and in 1999 Luxembourg joined the Euro currency area. In 2005, a referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held.[28]

Politics[edit]

Main articles: Politics of Luxembourg and Law 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.[29] 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.[30]

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.[31]

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[edit]

Main articles: Cantons of Luxembourg and Communes of Luxembourg
Further information: Administrative divisions of Luxembourg

Luxembourg is divided into 12 cantons, which are further divided into 105 communes.[32] Twelve of the communes have city status, of which the city of Luxembourg is the largest.

Foreign relations[edit]

Main article: Foreign relations of Luxembourg

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 a regime of inter-exchangeable currency and a common customs. 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.[citation needed]

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 Brussels and sometimes in Strasbourg.

Military[edit]

Main article: Luxembourg Army
A NATO owned AWACS aircraft.

Luxembourg contributes an army of about 800 soldiers and 100 civil servants to its defense and to NATO. Being a landlocked country, it has no navy.

Luxembourg also lacks an air force, though the 17 NATO AWACS aeroplanes are, for convenience, registered as aircraft of Luxembourg.[33] In accordance with a joint agreement with Belgium, both countries have put forth funding for one A400M military cargo plane.[34]

Geography[edit]

Main article: Geography of Luxembourg
The largest towns are Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Differdange.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 179th 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 Bundesland 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,[35] 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 554 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.

According to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index, Luxembourg is one of the world's best performers in environmental protection, ranking 4th out of 132 assessed countries[36] Luxembourg also ranks 6th among the top ten most livable cities in the world by Mercer's.[37]

Climate[edit]

Luxembourg has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), marked by high precipitation, particularly in late summer. The summers are warm and winters cool.[38]

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Luxembourg
Graphical depiction of Luxembourg's product exports in 28 colour-coded categories.

Luxembourg's stable and high-income market economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and a high level of innovation.[39] Unemployment is traditionally low, although it had risen to 6.1% by May 2012, due largely to the effect of the 2008 global financial crisis.[40] Consequently, Luxembourg's economy was forecast to have negligible growth in 2012.[41] In 2011, according to the IMF, Luxembourg was the second richest country in the world, with a per capita GDP on a purchasing-power parity (PPP) basis of $80,119.[42] Luxembourg is ranked 13th in the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom,[43] 26th in the United Nations Human Development Index, and 4th in the Economist Intelligence Unit's quality of life index.[44]

External debt of Luxembourg is extremely high when external debt per capita or debt-to-GDP ratio is taken into consideration. External debt per capita (2014) is $3,696,467 and as a percentage of GDP it is 3443%, the world's highest by both measurements.[45][better source needed]

The industrial sector, which was dominated by steel until the 1960s, has since 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 production. Services, especially banking and finance, account for the majority of economic output. Luxembourg is the world's second largest investment fund centre (after the United States), the most important private banking centre in the Eurozone and Europe's leading centre for reinsurance companies. Moreover, the Luxembourg government has aimed to attract internet start-ups, with Skype and Amazon being two of the many internet companies that have shifted their regional headquarters to Luxembourg.

In April 2009, concern about Luxembourg's banking secrecy laws, as well as its reputation as a tax haven, led to its being added to a "grey list" of nations with questionable banking arrangements by the G20. In response, the country soon after adopted OECD standards on exchange of information and was subsequently added into the category of "jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed tax standard".[46][47] In March 2010, the Sunday Telegraph reported that most of Kim Jong-Il's $4 billion in secret accounts is in Luxembourg banks.[48] Amazon.co.uk also benefits from Luxembourg tax loopholes by channeling substantial UK revenues as reported by The Guardian in April 2012.[49] Luxembourg ranked third on the Tax Justice Network's 2011 Financial Secrecy Index of the world's major tax havens, scoring only slightly behind the Cayman Islands.[50] In 2013, Luxembourg is ranked as the 2nd safest tax haven in the world, behind Switzerland.

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.

With $171 billion in May 2015, the country ranks eleventh in the world in holdings of U.S. Treasury securities.[51] 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.[52]

Transport[edit]

Luxembourg's international airline Luxair is based at Luxembourg Airport, the country's only international airport.
Main article: Transport in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has efficient road, rail and air transport facilities and services. The road network has been significantly modernised in recent years with 147 km (91 mi) 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 and a new passenger terminal at Luxembourg Airport was opened in 2008. 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 — higher than all but two states, namely the Principality of Monaco and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.[53]

Communications[edit]

The telecommunications industry in Luxembourg is liberalised and the electronic communications networks are significantly developed. Competition between the different operators is guaranteed by the legislative framework Paquet Telecom[54] of the Government of 2011 which transposes the European Telecom Directives into Luxembourgian law. This encourages the investment in networks and services. The regulator ILR – Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation[55] ensures the compliance to these legal rules.

Luxembourg has modern and widely deployed optical fiber and cable networks throughout the country. In 2010, the Luxembourg Government launched its National strategy for very high-speed networks with the aim to become a global leader in terms of very high-speed broadband by achieving full 1 Gbit/s coverage of the country by 2020.[56] In 2011, Luxembourg had an NGA coverage of 75%.[57] In April 2013, Luxembourg featured the 6th highest download speed worldwide and the 2nd highest in Europe: 32,46 Mbit/s.[58] The country's location in Central Europe, stable economy and low taxes favour the telecommunication industry.[59][60][61]

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.[62][63][64][65]

Signs in front of the Centre Drosbach on the Cloche d'or, in the city of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is connected to all major European Internet Exchanges (AMS-IX Amsterdam,[66] DE-CIX Frankfurt,[67] LINX London),[68] datacenters and POPs through redundant optical networks.[69][70][71][72][73] In addition, the country is connected to the virtual meetme room services (vmmr)[74] of the international data hub operator Ancotel.[75] This enables Luxembourg to interconnect with all major telecommunication operators[76] and data carriers worldwide. The interconnection points are in Frankfurt, London, New York and Hong Kong.[77]

Several providers interconnect Luxembourg to the major European data hubs:

  • Teralink[78] (P&TLuxembourg, also called EPT Luxembourg: incumbent operator)[79]
  • LuxConnect[80] (shareholder : Government) LuxConnect tested the 100G coherent transmission of data signals between Luxembourg and Amsterdam in June 2011.[81]
  • Artelis/Cegecom[82] (alternative telecommunications provider in Luxembourg and Saarland)
  • Satellite connectivity – Teleports (SES),[83] Broadcasting Center Europe[84] and P&T Luxembourg Teleport.[85][86][87]

Luxembourg is connected through an optical DWDM network, called Teralink[88] 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.[89][90][91][92]

The Internet IPV6 protocol has been introduced to the country by Restena and P&T Luxembourg.[93]

Luxembourg has one Internet exchange point and one Carrier Ethernet Exchange point.

  • LU-CIX is Luxembourg's neutral and commercial Internet Exchange Point which was founded in 2009 by Cegecom, Datacentre Luxembourg, Global Media Systems, INEXIO, LuxConnect, P&T Luxembourg and Root eSolutions. It offers a short, fast and efficient route to the major European Internet networks.[94][95] In 2012, LIX, the neutral Internet exchange operated by the RESTENA Foundation, merged with LU-CIX.[96] In March 2013, LU-CIX launched the 'Central European Peering Hub' in order to provide the opportunity to its members to connect to other IXs' reseller programs, AMS-IX (Amsterdam), LINX (London), DE-CIX (Frankfurt) and France-IX (Paris), etc.[97]
  • LIX is the Luxembourg Ethernet Exchange located in the Tier IV certified eBRC datacentre.[98]

The online portal De Guichet[99] of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a single one-stop online shop for citizens and companies to undertake various administrative operations (procedures, online forms, downloadable forms and advice) by Internet.[100]

PSA Peugeot Citroën, with P&TLuxembourg as its partner, has introduced an integrated mobile telecommunication solution for the development of its telematic services in Europe.[101][102]

Data centres[edit]

Some 20 data centres[103][104][105] are operating in Luxembourg. Six data centers are Tier IV Design certified: three of ebrc,[106] two of LuxConnect [107][108] and one of European Data Hub.[109] In a survey on nine international data centers carried out in December 2012 and January 2013 and measuring availability (up-time) and performance (delay by which the data from the requested website was received), the top three positions were held by Luxembourg data centers.[110][111]

Demographics[edit]

Main article: Demographics of Luxembourg

Ethnicity[edit]

The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers.[112] The immigrant population increased in the 20th century due to the arrival of immigrants from Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal, with the majority coming from the latter: in 2013 there were about 88,000 inhabitants with Portuguese nationality.[113]

There is also a very small Romani (Gypsy) and Jewish population. Both of the two groups living in Luxembourg were affected by the Holocaust in the past and were expelled from Luxembourg.[114][115]

Since the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, Luxembourg has seen many immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. Annually, over 10,000 new immigrants arrive in Luxembourg, mostly from the EU states, as well as Eastern Europe. In 2000 there were 162,000 immigrants in Luxembourg, accounting for 37% of the total population. There were an estimated 5,000 illegal immigrants in Luxembourg in 1999.[116]

Language[edit]

Coin of the former Luxembourg franc in two of the country's three languages: French (obverse, left) and Luxembourgish (reverse, right).
Main articles: Languages of Luxembourg, Multilingualism in Luxembourg, and Literature of Luxembourg

Three languages are recognised as official in Luxembourg: French, German, and Luxembourgish, a Franconian language of the Moselle region that is also spoken in neighbouring parts of Belgium, France and Germany. Though Luxembourgish is part of the West Central German group of High German languages, more than 5,000 words in the language are of French origin.[117][118] The first printed sentences in Luxembourgish appeared in a weekly journal, the 'Luxemburger Wochenblatt', in the second edition on 14 April 1821.

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 heart" for nearly all Luxembourgers.[119]

Each of the three languages is used as the primary language in certain spheres. Luxembourgish is the language that Luxembourgers generally use to speak to each other, but it is not often used as the written language. Since the 1980s an increasing number of novels have however been written in Luxembourgish. 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.[120]

Luxembourg's education system is trilingual: the first years of primary school are in Luxembourgish, before changing to German; while in secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French.[121] Proficiency in all three languages is required for graduation from secondary school, but half the students leave school without a certified qualification, with the children of immigrants being particularly disadvantaged.[122]

In addition to the three official languages, English is taught in the compulsory schooling and much of the population of Luxembourg can speak English, especially in Luxembourg City. Portuguese, the language of the largest immigrant community, is also spoken by large parts of the population, but by relatively few from outside their community.[123]

French is the preferred language of the government. Official legislation must be conducted in French.

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg City
Circle frame.svg

Religious Affiliation in Luxembourg 2012[124]

  Roman Catholic (67%)
  Protestant (3%)
  Orthodox Christian (1%)
  Other Christian (3%)
  Muslim (3%)
  Buddhist (1%)
  Other religion (1%)
  Non-religious/Agnostic (14%)
  Atheist (6%)
  Unknown (1%)
Notre-Dame Cathedral at night

Religion[edit]

Main article: Religion in Luxembourg

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 Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Russian Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mennonitism and Islam.[125]

Since 1980 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices.[126] An estimation by the CIA Factbook for the year 2000 is that 87% of Luxembourgers are Catholic, including the royal family, the remaining 13% being made up of Muslims, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and those of other or no religion.[127] According to a 2010 Pew Research Center study 70.4% are Christian, 2.3% Muslim, 26.8% unaffiliated and 0.5% other religions.[128]

According to a 2005 Eurobarometer poll,[129] 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".

Education[edit]

The University of Luxembourg is the only university in the country.
See also: List of secondary schools in Luxembourg

The University of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Miami University campus are two universities within Luxembourg.[130]

Health[edit]

Main article: Health in Luxembourg

Luxembourg sells the most alcohol in Europe per capita.[131] However, the large proportion of alcohol purchased by customers from neighboring countries contributes to the statistically high level of alcohol sales per capita; this level of alcohol sales is thus not representative of the actual alcohol consumption of the Luxembourg population.[132]

Culture[edit]

Main articles: Culture of Luxembourg and National symbols of Luxembourg
Edward Steichen, Luxembourgish photographer and painter

Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours. It retains a number of folk traditions, having been for much of its history a profoundly rural country. There are several notable museums, located mostly in the capital. These include the National Museum of History and Art (NMHA), the Luxembourg City History Museum, 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.[133]

The country has produced some internationally known artists, including the painters Théo Kerg, Joseph Kutter and Michel Majerus, and photographer Edward Steichen, whose The Family of Man exhibition has been placed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register, and is now permanently housed in Clervaux. Movie star Loretta Young was of Luxembourgish descent.

Luxembourg was the first city to be named European Capital of Culture twice. The first time was in 1995. In 2007, the European Capital of Culture[134] was to 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 was an attempt to promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders physically, psychologically, artistically and emotionally.

Luxembourg was represented at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010 with its own pavilion.[135][136] The pavilion was based on the transliteration of the word Luxembourg into Chinese, "Lu Sen Bao", which means "Forest and Fortress". It represented Luxembourg as the "Green Heart in Europe".[137]

Sports[edit]

In his cycling career, Charly Gaul won three Grand Tours.
Main article: Sport in Luxembourg

Unlike most countries in Europe, sport in Luxembourg is not concentrated upon a particular national sport, but encompasses a number of sports, both team and individual. Despite the lack of a central sporting focus, over 100,000 people in Luxembourg, out of a total population of only 512,353, are licensed members of one sports federation or another.[138] The largest sports venue in the country is d'Coque, an indoor arena and Olympic swimming pool in Kirchberg, north-eastern Luxembourg City, which has a capacity of 8,300. The arena is used for basketball, handball, gymnastics, and volleyball, including the final of the 2007 Women's European Volleyball Championship. The national stadium (also the country's largest) is the Stade Josy Barthel, in western Luxembourg City; named after the country's only official Olympic gold medallist, the stadium has a capacity of 8,054.

Notable sportspeople include (see also List of Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year):

Cuisine[edit]

Main article: Luxembourg cuisine

Luxembourg cuisine reflects its position on the border between the Latin and Germanic worlds, being heavily influenced by the cuisines of neighboring France and Germany. More recently, it has been enriched by its many Italian and Portuguese immigrants.

Most native Luxembourg dishes, consumed as the traditional daily fare, share roots in the country's folk dishes the same as in neighboring Germany.

Media[edit]

The main languages of media in Luxembourg are French and German. The newspaper with the largest circulation is the German-language daily Luxemburger Wort.[139] In addition there are both English and Portuguese radio and national print publications, but accurate audience figures are difficult to gauge since the national media survey by ILRES [140] is conducted in French.

Luxembourg is known in Europe for its radio and television stations (Radio Luxembourg and RTL Group). It is also the uplink home of SES, carrier of major European satellite services for Germany and Britain.

Due to a 1988 law that established a special tax scheme for audiovisual investment, the film and co-production in Luxembourg has grown steadily.[141] There are some 30 registered production companies in Luxembourg.[142][143]

Luxembourg won an Oscar in 2014 in the Animated Short Films category with Mr Hublot.

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg [ˈgʀəʊsˌhɛχtsoːktuːm ˈlətsəbuχɕ]
    French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg; [ɡʁɑ̃ dyʃe də lyksɑ̃buʁ]
    German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg [ˈgʁoːsˌhɛʁtsoːktuːm ˈlʊksəmˌbʊɐk]

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Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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