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Geography |
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Capital |
Luxembourg City (pop. 76,600). |
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Area |
2,586 sq. km. (999 sq. mi.; about half the size of Rhode Island). |
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Terrain |
Continuation of Belgian Ardennes in the north, heavily
forested and slightly mountainous; extension of French
Lorraine plateau in the south, with open, rolling
countryside. |
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Climate |
Modified continental, rainy, with mild summers and moderate snowfall
in winter. |
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People |
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Nationality |
Luxembourger(s). Adjective--Luxembourgian |
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Population |
(2006): 459,500 |
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Groups |
Celtic base with French and German blend; large communities of
ethnic Portuguese, Italians, French, Belgians, and Germans. |
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Religions |
Historically and predominantly Roman Catholic. However,
Luxembourgian law forbids the collection of data on religious
practices. |
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Languages |
Luxembourgish, French, and German; English is widely
spoken. |
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Government &
History |
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Official Name |
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
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Government |
Constitutional monarchy. |
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Independence |
1839. |
After 400 years of domination by various European nations,
Luxembourg was granted the status of Grand Duchy by the Congress of
Vienna on June 9, 1815. Although Luxembourg considers 1835 (Treaty
of London) to be its year of independence, it was not granted
political autonomy until 1839 under King William I of the
Netherlands, who also was the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. In 1867,
Luxembourg was recognized as independent and guaranteed perpetual
neutrality. After being occupied by Germany in both World Wars,
Luxembourg abandoned neutrality and became a charter member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949. It is also one of
the six original members of the European Union, formed in 1951 as
the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
The present sovereign, Grand Duke Henri, succeeded his father, Grand
Duke Jean, on October 7, 2000. Grand Duke Jean announced his
decision to abdicate in December 1999, after a 35-year reign.
The national language of Luxembourg is Luxembourgish, a blend of
Dutch, old German, and Frankish elements. The official language of
the civil service, law, and parliament is French, although criminal
and legal debates are conducted partly in Luxembourgish and police
case files are recorded in German. German is the primary language of
the press. French and German are taught in the schools, with German
spoken mainly at the primary level and French at the secondary
level. In addition, English is taught in the local high schools.
Most Luxembourgers, as a result, speak English with some level of
fluency.
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