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Luxembourg

Luxembourg is one of the tiniest countries in Europe. Although tiny, it is also very picturesque. There is the country of Luxembourg and the city of Luxembourg. Fate has placed the country at a very strategic location in Europe. It is located where Germany, France and Belgium come together in northwestern Europe. Most people don't know very much about this country and it is not in the news very often. Here is a little background on its government. It is run by a monarchy. The monarch is the Grand Duke or Duchess of the House of Nassau. The monarchy is passed down to the oldest son or daughter of the reigning monarch. The monarch doesn't make the laws however, it is the 64 member parliament that does. It is called the Chamber of Deputies and they are elected to a 5 year term by the people. There is also a prime minister and cabinet.

Map of Luxembourg
Map Source: CIA Worldbook

The capital of the country of Luxembourg is the city of Luxembourg. Not hard to remembert for you students out there. The country is so small that you can not travel more than 55 miles in any direction and remain in it. The population is estimated at about 460,000 people. Being between all these European countries, one has to wonder what language they speak? It turns out that French and German are spoken, no surprise here, and also Letzeburgesch. Bet you never heard of that last language? It is a form of, what is known as, low German. The languages are used in, what I consider, a strange way. The newspapers are printed in German, but the courts and government use French as the official language.

This small country had the good fortune to sit upon one of the largest deposits of iron ore in the world, and the country made a fortune from it. Unfortunately it is pretty much depleted now. High tech industries have moved in to take its place as well as many financial institutions. The country has become a sort of convention center for important European Union meetings. The country is so prosperous that it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world at $55,100 U.S. Dollars per person, per year. Luxembourg is part of the European Union and its currency is the Euro.

Flag of Luxembourg
Flag Source: CIA Worldbook

The country has been around for a long time. It was established in 963 A.D. as an independent state and in 1354 A.D. became the Duchy of Luxembourg by order of Charles IV, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna put the Netherlands in charge of Luxembourg. The country seceded from the Netherlands and named its own monarch. There are many Americans buried in Luxembourg. This came about because part of the World War II battle, known as 'The Battle of the Bulge' was fought there. The country is a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Not only do many European Union meeting take place here but several important European Union agencies are in Luxembourg.

This country was not always called by its present name. It was originally named Lutzelburg, with an accent above the 'u'. The Luxembourgs were a French noble family. This country, which is one of the smallest in Europe, was one of the largest fiefs in the Holy Roman Empire. The country is totally land locked. The ethnic background of the population is Celtic, Portuguese, Italian, Slav and European. Unemployment is low in this small country and stands at about 3.6% even though almost half of the work force of 200,000 are foreign workers totaling 87,000. There is no production of oil or natural gas and the country is totally dependent on imports.

Considering the size of this country it has quite a few miles of paved roads. Paved roads total a little over 3,100 miles. There are even two airports and one heliport. Luxembourg has its own military and it has a standing military of over 115,000. You can volunteer at 17 years of age but you will not be put into combat until you reach 18.

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