Physical geography
The Great Duchy of Luxembourg
is a country of Western Europe, its capital is the city of Luxembourg; it is
bordered by France, Germany and Belgium and has no access to the sea. It is
composed of two important regions: in the North, Oehling, a hill region, and
Oesling in the South where most of the population lives. It is one of the
smallest nations in Europe and in the world: about 2,586 Km², 82 km (51 miles)
long and 57 km (35 miles) wide. It borders on the South the French
region of Lorraine.
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An iconic place
The most iconic place to visit
in Luxembourg is the Grand Duke’s Palace. It was built in the sixteenth century
and was first the city hall of Luxembourg (the city). As the official residence of
the Grand Duke, the palace is used by him in the exercise of his official
functions. He and the Grand Duchess, together with their staff, have their
offices at the palace, and the state rooms on the first floor are used for a
variety of meetings and audiences.
An iconic object
This is one of the most famous
objects from Luxembourg; these little birds made of clay by specialists and
they are sold during the Easter period.
Something the country has done
for the world
Luxembourg is well known in
the world for its strong engagement in the NATO operations in Afghanistan and
Kosovo. It is also famous as a very wealthy country.
Famous historical figure
One of the most famous
historical figures of the Grand Duchy is William I (1815–1840)
the First Dutch king to rule as Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Important living person
Jean-Claude Juncker, the President
of the EU Commission, is the best-known Luxembourger. He used to be the Prime Minister
of Luxembourg.
History before 2000
The Duchy of Luxembourg became
fully independent from the French Empire in 1815 following the Congress of Vienna,
but it was split up between the Netherlands, Prussia and the German
Confederation. It’s the treaty of London in 1835 which recognized the
independence of Luxembourg as a neutral country and gave it a government. This
neutrality was baffled by Germany, first in 1914 and again in 1939, when its
army invaded it on its way to battle France.
Luxembourg was one of the founding
members of the European Coal and Steel Community (1951), and of the EEC and
Euratom (1957). It is part of the European Union which was set up in 1992.
History after 2000
The history of Luxembourg
after 2000 is mainly about economics. The country is a major financial centre and
there have been several financial scandals (tax evasion, etc.)…
The people of Luxembourg are
called Luxembourgers. The population in 2014 was 549,680. The population
increased in the 20th century due to the arrival of immigrants from Belgium,
France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal. Annually, over 10,000 new immigrants
arrive in Luxembourg, mostly from the EU states, as well as Eastern Europe.
Language(s) and culture(s)
Three languages are recognised
as official in Luxembourg: French, German, and Luxembourgish, a language
of the Moselle region (French part of
Lorraine) 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.
The first printed sentences in Luxembourgish appeared in a weekly journal, the
'Luxemburger Wochenblatt', in the second edition of 14 April 1821.
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Politics, economy, place in the EU
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. 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.
Luxembourg has a stable and
high-income market economy. Unemployment
is low. Luxembourg was the second richest country in the world in 2011, and is 26th
on the United Nations Human Development Index.
Luxembourg has an efficient
transport infrastructure. The road network has been significantly modernised in
recent years with 147 km of motorway connecting the capital to adjacent
countries. The new high-speed TGV link to Paris has led to renovation of the
capital’s railway station. A new passenger terminal at Luxembourg Airport
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.
Luxembourg hosts the European
Council and has taken the presidency of the Union 12 times since 1958.
Youth
The number of under-20s was
119,173 in 2011, about 16% of the population. Luxembourg is not very attractive
for young people because it is a small country, and there is only one
university. However, youth unemployment is low.
Article by Baptiste PETITJEAN
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