NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a tiny landlocked state in the north-west of the continental Europe, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium.
A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Headline text File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats Finland France Germany Economy of Germany... Luxemburg coat of arms This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Flag ratio: 3:5 or 1:2 The Flag Introduction First used between 1845 and 1848, officially introduced on June 23rd 1972. ... Here is a list of state mottos for countries and their subdivisions around the world. ... Luxembourgish or Luxembourgian (French: Luxembourgeois, German: Luxemburgisch, Luxembourgish: LÃ«tzebuergesch) is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique status in the constitutions of countries, states, and other territories. ... Luxembourgish or Luxembourgian (French: Luxembourgeois, German: Luxemburgisch, Luxembourgish: LÃ«tzebuergesch) is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ... Look up De jure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary De jure (in Classical Latin de iure) is an expression that means based on law, as contrasted with de facto, which means in fact. The terms de jure and de facto are used like in principle and in practice when one... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital â€” although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy whose Head of State is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in the exceptional but twice occurred event of the sovereign being female). ... His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henri Albért Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume (born April 6, 1955) is the hereditary ruler of Luxembourg. ... See also: Politics of Luxembourg, List of Grand Dukes of Luxembourg, Lists of incumbents Categories: Lists of office-holders ... Jean-Claude Juncker Jean-Claude Juncker (born December 9, 1954) is the Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Luxembourg, and until July 1, 2005, was president of the European Council, a position he also previously held in 1997. ... This article explains the meaning of area as a physical quantity. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... (Redirected from 1 E9 m2) To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Population density can be used as a measurement of any tangible item. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, group of people, or oneself. ... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. ... These are two lists of the worlds economies sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP) at market or government official exchange rates. ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year. ... This is a list of countries of the world sorted by their Gross Domestic Product (nominal) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year. ... The euro (â‚¬; ISO 4217 code EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... European Summer Time is the daylight saving time practised in Europe, the period during which clocks are advanced by one hour in relation to the official time observed during the rest of the year. ... Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of UTC+1 time zone, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... Central European Summer Time (CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ... Ons Hemecht Ons Hemecht, or DUelzecht is the name of the Luxembourg national anthem. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of an Internet domain name. ... .lu is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for Luxembourg. ... List of country calling codes - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably for the former French francs. ...

History

Main article: History of Luxembourg // Pre-1800s The recorded history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg begins with the construction of Luxembourg Castle in the middle ages. ...

The recorded history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg begins with the construction of Luxembourg Castle in the year 963. Around this fort a town gradually developed, which became the center of a small but important state of great strategic value. In 1437 the ruling family became extinct. In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened over the years by its successive occupants, among others the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns and French. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, when the Congress of Vienna gave formal autonomy to Luxembourg, the country was disputed between Prussia and the Netherlands. A grand duchy is a form of principality, monarchy which has a Grand Duke or a Grand Duchess as head of state. ... Events Holy Roman Emperor Otto I defeats Mieszko I of Poland, compels him to pay tribute Luxembourg is founded, and the Blegium area becomes part of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. ... Events foundation of All Souls College, University of Oxford. ... This article or section should include material from France: Wars of Religion _ Bourbon Dynasty The House of Bourbon dates from at least the beginning of the 13th century, when the estate of Bourbon was ruled by a Lord, vassal of France. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... Aerial view of the castle, Hohenzollern, Germany. ... The Treaty of Paris of 1815 was signed on November 20, 1815, following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Congress of Vienna was a conference between ambassadors from the major powers in Europe that was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and held in Vienna, Austria, from October 1, 1814, to June 9, 1815. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: PreuÃŸen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of...

Luxembourg's independence was confirmed in 1839, but it was not formally ratified until 1867. The king of the Netherlands remained head of state until 1890, when Luxembourg gained a grand duke of its own. William III left the Dutch throne to his daughter while Luxembourg (at that time restricted to male heirs) passed to a distant cousin. 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy whose Head of State is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in the exceptional but twice occurred event of the sovereign being female). ... King William III (Alexander) (February 17, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1849–1890). ... Wilhelmina Helena Pauline of Orange-Nassau (August 31, 1880 – November 28, 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948 and Queen Mother (with the title of Princess) from 1948 to 1962. ... Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg, Adolph Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich of Nassau-Weilburg (July 24, 1817 - November 17, 1905) was the last Duke of Nassau, and the fourth Grand Duke of Luxembourg. ...

The country was attacked by Germany during World War I and World War II. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ...

After World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its politics of neutrality, when it became a founding member of NATO and the United Nations. 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. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ... Neutral means balanced between two or more opposites. ... NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The euro (â‚¬; ISO 4217 code EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Luxembourg Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a constitutional monarchy by inheritance. ...

Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a constitutional monarchy by inheritance. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke and the cabinet, which consists of a prime minister and several other ministers. The Grand-Duke has the power to dissolve parliament and reinstate a new one. A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies, elected directly to 5-year terms. A second body, the "Conseil d'État" (Council of State), composed of 21 ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.[1]

Justice

The Grand Duchy has three lower tribunals (justices de paix; in Esch-sur-Alzette, in Luxembourg and in 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. Esch-sur-Alzette is the second largest city (so-called despite its small size) in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with a population of about 30,000 people. ...

There is also an administrative tribunal (Luxembourg) and an Administrative Court (Luxembourg),as well as a Constitutional Court (Luxembourg).

Geography

Main article: Geography of Luxembourg map of Luxembourg, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF File links The following pages link to this file: Luxembourg Geography of Luxembourg Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E Map references: Area: total: 2,586 km² land: 2,586 km² water: 0 km² Land boundaries: total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime...

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is ranked 167th in size of all the countries of the world. The country is about 2,586 km² in size. In the west it borders the Belgian province of Luxembourg, which is (at 4,443 km²) nearly twice the size of the country. World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Here is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ...

The north of the country, part of the Ardennes, has hills and low mountains, with the Buurgplaatz as the highest point at 559 m. The rest of the country is also hilly. The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région). ... Buurgplaatz is the highest point in Luxembourg. ...

Luxembourg's eastern border is formed by three rivers, the Moselle, the Sauer/Sûre and the Our. Moselle is a département in the northeast of France named after the Moselle River. ... Sauer (German and Luxembourgish; in French: Sûre) is a river of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. ... Our river near Vianden Our is a river of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. ...

The capital, Luxembourg, is the largest city of the country. Other important cities are Esch-sur-Alzette (or just Esch), to the south-west of the capital, and Echternach, against the German border in the east. Basilica in Echternach Echternach is a town and a commune in the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher, in Luxembourg. ...

Districts

Main article: Districts of Luxembourg Administratively Luxembourg is divided into three districts, which are subdivided into cantons: Diekirch (district) Diekirch Clervaux Redange Vianden Wiltz Grevenmacher (district) Grevenmacher Echternach Remich Luxembourg (district) Luxembourg Capellen Esch-sur-Alzette Mersch The cantons were created in the early 1840s. ...

The District of Diekirch is one of three districts of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ... The District of Grevenmacher is one of three districts of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Luxembourg Luxembourgian â‚¬1 coin The economy of Luxembourg is largely dependant on the banking and steel sectors. ...

The stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, until recently dominated 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, account for a growing proportion of the economy, as in most tax havens. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. Luxembourg has especially close trade and financial ties to Belgium and the Netherlands, and as a member of the EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market. Luxembourg possesses the highest GDP per capita in the world ($77,595 as of 2005). // Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... A tax haven is a place where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all. ... A market is a mechanism which allows people to trade, normally governed by the theory of supply and demand, so allocating resources through a price mechanism and bid and ask matching so that those willing to pay a price for something meet those willing to sell for it. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Luxembourg The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked state in the north-west of the continental European Union, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. ...

The linguistic situation in Luxembourg is characterized by the practice and the recognition of three official languages: French, German and Luxemburgish. Luxembourgish or Luxembourgian (in French, Luxembourgeois; in German, Luxemburgisch; in Luxembourgish Lëtzebuergesch) is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ...

The plurilingualism of Luxembourg results from the coexistence of two ethnic groups, a Romance and a Germanic one. An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... Romance or romantic can refer to several things. ...

In the beginnings of the country, French enjoyed the greatest prestige, and therefore its preferential use as the official and administrative language. German was used in the political field to comment on the laws and the ordinances in order to make them comprehensible to everyone. At primary school, teaching was limited to German, while French was taught in secondary education.

The law of July 26, 1843 reinforced bilingualism by introducing the teaching of French in primary school. July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Luxembourgish ("Lëtzebuergesch"), a Francique dialect similar to German, native of the Moselle region, was introduced in primary school in 1912. Moselle is a département in the northeast of France named after the Moselle River. ... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...

Until 1984, the official use of the languages was based on the grand-ducal decrees of 1830, 1832 and 1834, which allowed the free choice between German and French. French was preferred in the administration. Luxembourgish had no official status at all. 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The constitutional revision of 1948 gave the legislator the possibility of regulating the language by law. On February 24, 1984 a law, passed by the constitutional chamber, made Luxemburgish the national language. Furthermore, this law recognized the three languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, French and German) as official languages. French remains the language of the legislation, due to the application of the Napoleonic civil code in Luxembourg. 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The original Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des francais, or civil code of the French), was the French civil code, established at the behest of Napoléon. ...

Luxemburgish is taught in schools after French and German. Moreover, Luxembourgish is taught only one hour per week at secondary school and only in the first years. In secondary school, besides German, French and Luxembourgish, English and one of Latin, Spanish or Italian is taught. At university level, multilingualism makes it possible to Luxembourgish students to continue their higher education in French-, German- or English-speaking countries. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

At the political level, Luxembourg contributed to the creation of Europe linked with Robert Schuman. Mastery of two major European languages has made it possible for Luxembourg to be easily integrated into the creation of the European Community and to become a unifying and progressive factor. World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Robert Schuman in 1958, receiving Karlspreis in the city of Aachen Robert Schuman (29 June 1886 â€“ 4 September 1963) was a noted French politician of German origin who is regarded as one of the founders of the European Union. ...

German is the primary language of the press. Public service information is in French, German, and sometimes English or Portuguese, since roughly 10% of the population is of Portuguese extraction.

Miscellaneous topics

The Luxembourg film industry is quite small, but this is unsurprising given that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a population of only about 400,000 people. ... This is a list of Communes of Luxembourg. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 314,700 (1999) Telephones - mobile cellular: 215,741 (2000) Telephone system: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable international: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America) Radio broadcast stations... Luxembourg has long been a prominent supporter of European political and economic integration. ... The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg consists of the extended family of the sovereign Grand Duke. ... For a complete list of communes of Luxembourg see: Communes of Luxembourg. ... Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy whose Head of State is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in the exceptional but twice occurred event of the sovereign being female). ... The Luxembourg Army is under civilian control. ... Radio Luxembourg (1933-1992) was an important forerunner of pirate radio and modern commercial radio in Europe. ... Luxembourgish referendum on the European Constitution ... Railways: total: 274 km standard gauge: 274 km 1. ...

External links

Categories: European countries | European Union member states | Luxembourg | Monarchies Official languages Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian Capital Sarajevo Presidency - Collective Head of State Ivo Miro JoviÄ‡ (Croat member, currently Chairman) Sulejman TihiÄ‡ (Bosniak member) Borislav Paravac (Serb member) Chair of the Council of Ministers Adnan TerziÄ‡ High Representative Paddy Ashdown Area â€“ Total â€“ % water Ranked 124th 51,129 kmÂ² Negligible Population â€“ Total... National motto: Truth prevails (Czech: Pravda vÃtÄ›zÃ) Official language Czech Capital Praha (Prague) President VÃ¡clav Klaus Prime Minister JiÅ™Ã Paroubek Area - Total - % water Ranked 114th 78,866 kmÂ² 2% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked 76th 10. ... The Most Serene Republic of San Marino or San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino or San Marino) is one of the smallest nations in the world. ... Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian: Ð¡Ñ€Ð±Ð¸Ñ˜Ð° Ð¸ Ð¦Ñ€Ð½Ð° Ð“Ð¾Ñ€Ð°, Srbija i Crna Gora, often abbreviated as SCG) is the name of the union of Serbia and Montenegro, two former Yugoslav republics united since 2003 in a loose confederation. ... UK redirects here. ... Vatican City â€” formally known as the State of the Vatican City or Vatican City State (Latin: Status Civitatis VaticanÃ¦ and Italian: Stato della CittÃ del Vaticano) â€” is a sovereign landlocked enclave surrounded by Rome, Italy. ... Dependency has a number of meanings: In project management, a dependency is a link amongst a projects terminal elements. ... The flag of the UK is used in both Sovereign Base Areas Map of Akrotiri (Western) SBA Map of Dhekelia (Eastern) SBA Map of Cyprus showing the position of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in red Akrotiri (also known as the Western Sovereign Base Area or WSBA) and Dhekelia (also known as... Official languages Faroese, Danish Capital TÃ³rshavn Monarch Margrethe II Prime Minister JÃ³annes Eidesgaard Area - Total - % water World ranking: 189th 1,399 kmÂ² 0. ... Jan Mayen Orthographic projection centred on Jan Mayen Island Jan Mayen Island, a part of the Kingdom of Norway, is a 373 kmÂ² arctic volcanic island partly covered by glaciers and divided into two parts by a narrow isthmus. ... The Isle of Man or Mann (Ellan Vannin or Mannin in Manx), is a self-governing democracy located in the Irish Sea at the centre of the British Isles. ... A transcontinental nation is a country belonging to more than one continent by not only geographical, but also another definitions - divisions arise for several reasons, be it political, social or geographical. ... World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... A transcontinental nation is a country belonging to more than one continent by not only geographical, but also another definitions - divisions arise for several reasons, be it political, social or geographical. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west...

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