Luxembourg

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Luxembourgian :: Luxembourg :: Luxembourgish

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (sometimes Luxemburg) (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg) is a small landlocked country in the north-west of continental Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of about 2,600 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi).

Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only sovereign Grand Duchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, Benelux, and the Western European Union, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration.

Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Although French is the predominant language in the daily life and streets, Luxembourg remains a trilingual country; French, German, and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although it is a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

History

The recorded history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg begins with the construction of Luxembourg Castle in 963. Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small, but important, state of great strategic value. In 1437, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne. In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened over the years by its successive occupants, the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns, and the French, among others. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, when the Congress of Vienna gave formal independence to Luxembourg, the country was disputed between Prussia and the Netherlands.

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 German Confederation and the Zollverein. 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.

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; see Salic Law) passed to Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg

Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by Germany during the First World War, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms. It was again subject to German occupation in the Second World War, and was formally annexed into the Third Reich in 1942.

During World War II, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of neutrality, when it joined the Allies in fighting Germany. Its government, exiled to London set up a small group of volunteers, who participated in the Normandy invasion. It became a founding member of the United Nations in 1946, and of NATO in 1949. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and, in 1999, it joined the euro currency area. In 2005, a referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held in Luxembourg.

Politics

Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a constitutional monarchy inherited by male-preference primogeniture. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke or Grand Duchess and the cabinet, which consists of a Prime Minister and several other ministers. The Grand Duke has the power to dissolve the legislature and reinstate a new one. However, since 1919, sovereignty has resided with the nation.Constitution of Luxembourg. Government of Luxembourg. URL accessed 19 May 2006.

Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies, a unicameral legislature of 60 members, who are directly elected to 5-year terms from four constituencies. A second body, the Council of State (Conseil d'État), composed of 21 ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.Structure. Conseil d'Etat. URL accessed 19 May 2006.

Luxembourg's contribution to its defence and to NATO consists of a small army. As a landlocked country, it has no navy, and it has no air force, except for the fact that the 18 NATO AWACS airplanes were registered as aircraft of Luxembourg as a matter of political and aviational convenience.Luxembourg - NATO AEW Force. 8 September 2005. Aeroflight.co.uk. URL accessed 9 May 2006. In a joint agreement with Belgium, both nations have put forth funding for one A400M military cargo plane, and have it on order. Luxembourg still maintains three Boeing 707 model TCA for cargo and training purposes based in NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen. Luxembourg - Aircraft Inventory. Aeroflight.co.uk. URL accessed 14 July 2006.

Judiciary

The Grand Duchy has three lower tribunals (justices de paix; in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg City, and Diekirch), two district tribunals (Luxembourg City and Diekirch) and a Superior Court of Justice (Luxembourg City), 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 Luxembourg City.

Geography

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is ranked 168th in size of all the countries of the world. The country is about 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq. mi) in size. In the west, it borders the Belgian province of Luxembourg, which is (at 4,443 km²; 1,715 sq. mi) nearly twice the size of the country. It measures 82 km (51 miles) long and 57 km (35 miles) wide.

The northern third of the country is known as the 'Oesling', and forms part of the Ardennes. It is dominated by hills and low mountains, including the Kneiff, which is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 ft).

The 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: Little Switzerland, the Luxembourg plateau, the Moselle valley, the Red Lands, and the Valley of the Seven Castles.

The border between Luxembourg and Germany is formed by three rivers: the Moselle, the Sauer, and the Our.

Administrative Subdivisions

The country is divided into 3 districts, which are further divided into 12 cantons, and then into 116 communes, the smallest administrative unit in the country.

12 communes have city status, whereof Luxembourg City, the capital city, is the largest.

Economy

Luxembourg's stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, which was 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 and other financial exports, account for the majority of economic output. Agriculture is based on small, family-owned farms. Luxembourg has especially close trade and financial ties to Belgium and the Netherlands (see Benelux), and as a member of the EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market. Luxembourg possesses the highest GDP per capita in the world (^*]72,945" target="_blank" >as of 2005), the fourth-highest HDI, and the fourth-highest quality of life.[http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf World Life Quality Index 2005. 2005. Economist Intelligence Unit. URL accessed 9 May 2006. Unemployment is 4.8% of the labour force as of March 2006."Euro-zone unemployment down to 8.1%". 3 May 2006. European Commissions. URL accessed 9 May 2006. For the fiscal year of 2005 and current year 2006, Luxembourg has run a budget deficit for the first time in numerous years mostly due to slower growth and the slowdown of the international markets.OECD Report. 2006. OECD Economic Survey. URL accessed 16 July 2006.

Language

The linguistic situation in Luxembourg is characterised by the practice and the recognition of three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish, a Franconian language of the Moselle region similar to German and with an ancient Celtic base. Apart from being one of the three official languages, Luxembourgish is also considered the national language of the Grand Duchy.

None of the three languages predominates generally, and each is used as the primary language in certain spheres. Luxembourgish is generally preferred for spoken use, but is superseded by both French and German for written purposes. French is the language in which most government business is carried out. German is the language of most media and of the church.

In addition to the three native languages, English is taught from a young age (mostly 2nd grade, i.e. at the age of 13 to 14 years), and most of the population of Luxembourg is proficient in English. Portuguese and Italian, the languages of the two largest immigrant communities, are also spoken by large parts of the population, but relatively few from outside their respective communities.

Religion

It is estimated that 87 percent of Luxembourgers are Roman Catholics, and the other 13 percent are mostly Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims.World Factbook - Luxembourg. 10 May 2006. CIA. URL accessed 16 May 2006. 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 Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Greek and Russian Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

Culture

Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours, although, being long a deeply rural and folkloric nation, the country retains some folk traditions. There are also several notable museums, located mainly in Luxembourg City; these include the National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg, and the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM). Luxembourg City itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a whole.

The country has produced some internationally-known artists, including the painter Joseph Kutter and the photographer Edward Steichen.

References

External links

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