Europe

Luxembourg
Last reviewed: 29 March 2005

Country information

See entire profile

Area: 2,586 sq km
Population: 451,000
Capital City: Luxembourg (population 81,800)
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 an 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
Luxembourg Government
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 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.
Luxembourg will hold the EU Presidency from January to June 2005. The UK will hold the Presidency from July to December in the same year.