Europe

Luxembourg
Last reviewed: 15 Ju ly 2011

Country information

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Area: 2,586 sq km
Population: 500,000
Capital City: Luxembourg (population 90,000)
Languages: Luxembourgish (national language), German and French
Religions: Predominantly Roman Catholic, but some Protestants, Jews and Muslims
Currency: euro
Major political parties: Christian Social People's Party (CSV), Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), Democratic Party (DP), Action Committee for Democracy and Justice (ADR), Green Party, Marxist and Reformed Communist Party (Dei Lenk - the Left).
Government: Luxembourg is a hereditary Grand Duchy with a unicameral parliamentary system. The present Government is a coalition of the Christian Social Party (CSV) and the Socialist Party (LSAP).
Head of State: Grand Duke Henri (succeeded on 7 October 2000)
Prime Minister/Premier: Jean-Claude Juncker
Foreign Minister: Jean Asselborn
Membership of international groupings/organisations: One of the six founding members of the European Community (EC) (now European Union (EU)) and an active member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Western European Union (WEU) and the United Nations (UN).

DID YOU KNOW?

The 1867 Treaty of London proclaimed the neutrality of Luxembourg and stipulated the dismantling of the federal Prussian fortress of Luxembourg the evacuation of the fortress of Luxembourg by Prussian troops.
Grand Duke Jean (who reigned from 1964-2000) was a Colonel in the Irish Guards.
In 1952, Luxembourg was chosen as the first site of the European Coal and Steel community. The ECSC, founded in 1951, marked the start of the institutional development which led to the European Union.
Luxembourg is the site of several European institutions including the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank and parts of the European Commission.
First military operation of WW I was the occupation by the Imperial German Army of the Troisvierges Railway Station in the northern part of Luxembourg on 3rd of August 1914