Luxembourg

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg (Luxembourgish) Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (French) Großherzogtum Luxemburg (German)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn"  (Luxembourgish) "We want to remain what we are"
Anthem: Ons Heemecht "Our Homeland" [1] Royal anthem: De Wilhelmus 1
Location of  Luxembourg  (dark green) – in Europe  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Luxembourg 49°36′N 6°7′E / 49.6°N 6.117°E / 49.6; 6.117
Official language(s)		Luxembourgish (de jure since 1984) French German
Demonym		Luxembourgers
Government		Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
-	Grand Duke	Henri (List)
-	Prime Minister	Jean-Claude Juncker (List)
Independence
-	From French empire (Treaty of Paris)	9 June 1815
-	1st Treaty of London	19 April 1839
-	2nd Treaty of London	11 May 1867
-	End of personal union	23 November 1890
Area
-	Total	2,586.4 km2 (175th) 998.6 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.60%
Population
-	2011 estimate	511,840[1] (170th)
-	2001 census	439,539
-	Density	194.1/km2 (67th) 501.3/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$42.796 billion[2] (94th)
-	Per capita	$83,438[2] (2nd)
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$61.580 billion[2] (69th)
-	Per capita	$120,560[2] (1st)
HDI (2011)		0.867[3] (very high) (25th)
Currency		Euro (€)2 (EUR)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the		right
ISO 3166 code		LU
Internet TLD		.lu3
Calling code		352
1	Not the same as the Het Wilhelmus of the Netherlands.
2	Before 1999: Luxembourgish franc.
3	The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Luxembourg (ⁱ/ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ/ LUKS-əm-burg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg, Dutch: Groothertogdom Luxemburg), is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland ("good country") in the south.^[4] Luxembourg has a population of over half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi).^[5] A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is ruled by a grand duke. It is now the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita according to the IMF. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish Road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.

Luxembourg is a member of the European Union, NATO, OECD, the United Nations, and Benelux, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration. The city of Luxembourg, the largest and capital city, is the seat of several institutions and agencies of the EU.

Luxembourg culture is a mix of Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; German, French and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

History

Charles IV, the 14th century Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg.^[6]

The three Partitions of Luxembourg have greatly reduced Luxembourg's territory.

The recorded history of Luxembourg begins with the acquisition of Lucilinburhuc ^[7] (today Luxembourg Castle) situated on the Bock rock by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes in 963 through an exchange act with the abbey of St Maximin in Trier.^[8] Around this fort, a town gradually developed, which became the centre of a small state of great strategic value. In the 14th and early 15th centuries three members of the House of Luxembourg reigned as Holy Roman Emperors. In 1437, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis, precipitated by the lack of a male heir to assume the throne, which led to the territory being sold by Duchess Elisabeth to Philip the Good of Burgundy.^[9]

In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened by its successive occupants, the Bourbons, Habsburgs, Hohenzollerns, and the French, among others. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Luxembourg was disputed between Prussia and the Netherlands. The Congress of Vienna formed Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy in personal union with the Netherlands. Luxembourg also became a member of the German Confederation, with a Confederate fortress manned by Prussian troops.^[10]

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 Zollverein.^[11] 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.^[12] After the latter conflict, the Confederate fortress was dismantled.^[13]

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 by the Nassau Family Pact) passed to Adolph of Nassau-Weilburg.^[14]

During World War I Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by Germany, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms.

During World War II, Luxembourg was unable to maintain its policy of neutrality when in 1940 Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the country, due to its strategic location on the invasion route into France. In contrast to the First World War experience, Luxembourg was treated as a Germanic territory and informally annexed to an adjacent province of the Third Reich in 1940. A government in exile based in London fought alongside the Allies, sending a small group of volunteers who participated in the Normandy invasion. Luxembourg was liberated in September 1944. 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 era. In 2005, a referendum on the EU treaty establishing a constitution for Europe was held in Luxembourg.^[15]

Politics

Districts of Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy headed by a constitutional monarch. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke and the cabinet, which consists of several other ministers.^[16] The Governor has the power to dissolve the legislature and reinstate a new one, as long as the Grand Duke has judicial approval. However, since 1919, sovereignty has resided with the Supreme Court.^[17]

Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies, a unicameral legislature of sixty members, who are directly elected to five-year terms from four constituencies. A second body, the Council of State (Conseil d'État), composed of twenty-one ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.^[18]

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

Administrative divisions

Luxembourg is divided into 3 districts, which are further divided into 12 cantons and then 116 communes. Twelve of the communes have city status, of which the city of Luxembourg is the largest.

The districts are Diekirch, Grevenmacher, and Luxembourg.

Foreign relations

Signing of the Rome Treaty on 25 March 1957. Luxembourg is a founding member of the EEC and the European Union in 1993.

Luxembourg has long been a prominent supporter of European political and economic integration. In efforts foreshadowing European integration, Luxembourg and Belgium in 1921 formed the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) to create an inter-exchangeable currency and a common customs regime. Luxembourg is a member of the Benelux Economic Union and was one of the founding members of the European Economic Community (now the European Union). It also participates in the Schengen Group (named after the Luxembourg village of Schengen where the agreements were signed), whose goal is the free movement of citizens among member states. At the same time, the majority of Luxembourgers have consistently believed that European unity makes sense only in the context of a dynamic transatlantic relationship, and thus have traditionally pursued a pro-NATO, pro-US foreign policy.

Luxembourg is the site of the European Court of Justice, the European Court of Auditors, the Statistical Office of the European Communities ("Eurostat") and other vital EU organs. The Secretariat of the European Parliament is located in Luxembourg, but the Parliament usually meets in nearby Strasbourg.

Military

The contribution Luxembourg makes to its defense and to NATO consists of a small army (currently consisting of around 800 people). As a landlocked country, it has no navy.

Luxembourg also lacks an air force, though the seventeen NATO AWACS aeroplanes are for convenience registered as aircraft of Luxembourg.^[19] In accordance with a joint agreement with Belgium, both countries have put forth funding for one A400M military cargo plane, currently on order. Luxembourg still jointly maintains three NATO Boeing 707 model TCAs (for cargo and training purposes) based at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen.^[19]

Geography

The largest towns are Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Differdange.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 170th in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world; the country is about 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi) in size, and measures 82 km (51 mi) long and 57 km (35 mi) wide. It lies between latitudes 49° and 51° N, and longitudes 5° and 7° E.

To the east, Luxembourg borders the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and, to the south, it borders the French région of Lorraine. The Grand Duchy borders the Belgian Walloon Region, in particular the latter's provinces of Luxembourg and Liège, part of which comprises the German-speaking Community of Belgium, to the west and to the north respectively.

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 near Wilwerdange,^[20] which is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 ft). Other mountains are the 'Buurgplaaz' at 559 metres near Huldange and the 'Napoléonsgaard' at 548 metres near Rambrouch. The region is sparsely populated, with only one town (Wiltz) with a population of more than four thousand people.

Countryside of Alscheid.

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. The Luxembourg plateau, in south-central Luxembourg, is a large, flat, sandstone formation, and the site of the city of Luxembourg. Little Switzerland, in the east of Luxembourg, has craggy terrain and thick forests. The Moselle valley is the lowest-lying region, running along the southeastern border. The Red Lands, in the far south and southwest, are Luxembourg's industrial heartland and home to many of Luxembourg's largest towns.

The border between Luxembourg and Germany is formed by three rivers: the Moselle, the Sauer, and the Our. Other major rivers are the Alzette, the Attert, the Clerve, and the Wiltz. The valleys of the mid-Sauer and Attert form the border between the Gutland and the Oesling.

Climate

Luxembourg has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), marked by high precipitation, particularly in late summer.^[21]

Economy

Luxembourg has been part of the eurozone since 1999.

Luxembourg's stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. It is ranked second richest country in the world with a per capita GDP on a purchasing-power parity (PPP) basis of $81,466 (in a new list compiled by US-based Forbes magazine).^{[citation needed]}

The industrial sector, which was dominated until the 1960s by steel, has 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. Luxembourg is the world's second largest investment fund center (after the United States), the most important private banking center in the Eurozone and Europe's leading center for reinsurance companies. Moreover, the Luxembourgish government has tried to attract internet start-ups. Skype and Amazon are two of the many internet companies that have shifted their regional headquarters to Luxembourg.

Concern about Luxembourg's banking secrecy laws, and its reputation as a tax haven, led in April 2009 to it being added to a "grey list" of nations with questionable banking arrangements by the G20. Luxembourg adapted some months later the OECD standards on exchange of information and moved into the category of 'Jurisdictions that have substantially implemented the internationally agreed tax standard.'^[22][23] In March 2010, the Sunday Telegraph reported that most of Kim Jong-Il's $4bn in secret accounts is in Luxembourg banks.^[24]

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 it enjoys the advantages of the open European market.

Luxembourg possesses the highest GDP per capita in the world (US$87,995 as of 2006),^[25] the 24th highest Human Development Index, and the 4th highest rated in the quality of life index.^[26]

As of March 2006, unemployment is 4.8% of the labor force.^[27]

In the fiscal year of 2005 and 2006, Luxembourg ran a budget deficit for the first time in many years, mostly because of slower international economic growth.^[28]

With $80 billion (November 2010), the country ranks twelfth in the world in holdings of U.S. Treasury securities.^[29] The ranking is however imperfect as some foreign owners entrust the safekeeping of their securities to institutions that are neither in the United States nor in the owner's country of residence.^[30]

Luxembourg is promoting economic relations with foreign firms and countries.^[31][32][33]

GDP growth is set to enter a recession in 2012.^[34]

Transport

Luxembourg has efficient road, rail and air transport facilities and services. The road network has been significantly modernized in recent years with 147 km of motorways connecting the capital to adjacent countries. The advent of the high-speed TGV link to Paris has led to renovation of the city's railway station while a new passenger terminal at Luxembourg Airport has opened some years ago. There are plans to introduce trams in the capital and light-rail lines in adjacent areas within the next few years.

The number of cars per 1000 persons amount to 680.1 in Luxembourg — only British overseas territory Gibraltar and the Principality of Monaco scoring higher.^[35]

Communications

The telecommunications industry in Luxembourg is liberalized and the electronic communications networks are significantly developed. Competition between the different operators is guaranteed by the legislative framework Paquet Telecom^[36] of the Government of 2005 which transposes the European Telecom Directives into Luxembourgean law. This encourages the investment in networks and services. The regulator ILR – Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation^[37] ensures the compliance to these legal rules

Luxembourg has modern and widely deployed optical fibre and cable networks throughout the country. With its central position in Europe, stable economy and low taxes, Luxembourg is an ideal gateway to the European telecommunication markets.^[38][39][40]

It ranks 2nd in the world in the development of the Information and Communication Technologies in the ITU ICT Development Index and 8th in the Global Broadband Quality Study 2009 by the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo.^{[41][42][43][44]}

Luxembourg is connected to all major European Internet Exchanges (AMS-IX Amsterdam, DE-CIX Frankfurt, LINX London), datacenters and POPs through redundant optical networks.^{[45][46][47][48][49]} In addition, the country is connected to the virtual meetme room services (vmmr)^[50] of the international data hub operator Ancotel.^[51] This enables Luxembourg to interconnect with all major telecommunication operators^[52] and data carriers worldwide. The interconnection points are in Frankfurt, London, New York and Hong Kong.^[53]

Several providers interconnect Luxembourg to the major European data hubs

• Teralink^[54] (P&TLuxembourg, also called EPT Luxembourg: incumbent operator)^[55]
• LuxConnect^[56] (shareholder : Government) LuxConnect tested in June 2011 the 100G coherent transmission of data signals between Luxembourg and Amsterdam.^[57]
• Artelis/Cegecom^[58] (alternative telecommunications provider in Luxembourg and Saarland)
• Satellite connectivity – Teleports (SES),^[59] Broadcasting Center Europe^[60] and P&T Luxembourg Teleport.^{[61] [62] [63]}

Luxembourg is connected through an optical DWDM network, called Teralink^[64] to several Tier 1 upstream providers like Level3 and Global Crossing. Teralink offers connectivities up to 100 Gbit/s. P&TLuxembourg has established in 2011 a coherent 100Gbit/s IP connection between Frankfurt and Luxembourg with live traffic.^{[65][66][67][68]}

The Internet IPV6 protocol has been introduced to the country by Restena and P&T Luxembourg.^[69]

Luxembourg has two Internet exchange points and one Carrier Ethernet Exchange points.

• LIX is a neutral Internet exchange operated by the RESTENA Foundation. Its aim is to easily interconnect the different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) within Luxembourg.^[70]
• LUX-CIX is Luxembourg's neutral and commercial Internet Exchange Point which was founded in 2009 by Cegecom, Datacenter Luxembourg, Global Media Systems, INEXIO, LuxConnect, P&T Luxemboug and Root eSolutions. It offers a short, fast and efficient route to the major European Internet networks.^[71][72]
• LEX is the Luxembourg Ethernet Exchange located in the Tier IV certified ebrc datacenter ^[73]

The online portal De Guichet^[74] of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a single one-stop online shop for citizens and companies to realize different sorts of administrative steps (procedures, online forms, downloadable forms and advices) by Internet.^[75]

PSA Peugeot Citroën, with P&T Luxembourg as its partner, has introduced an integrated mobile telecommunication solution for the development of its telematic services in Europe.^[76][77]

Datacenters

More than 17 data centers^[78][79][80] are operating in Luxembourg. The number is constantly growing. Two of the ebrc data centers are Tier IV classified & certificated.^[81]

Demographics

Ethnicity

The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers.^[82] The immigrant population increased in the 20th century due to the arrival of immigrants from Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal, with the majority coming from this latter. In the 2001 census, there were 58,657 inhabitants with Portuguese nationality.^[83]

Since the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, Luxembourg has seen many immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. Annually, over 10,000 new immigrants arrive in Luxembourg, mostly from the EU states, as well and Eastern Europe. As of 2000, there were 162,000 immigrants in Luxembourg, accounting for 37% of the total population. There were an estimated 5,000 illegal immigrants, including asylum seekers, in Luxembourg as of 1999.^[84]

Language

Three languages are recognised as official in Luxembourg: French, German, and Luxembourgish, a Franconian language of the Moselle region that is also spoken in neighbouring parts of France and Germany. Though Luxembourgish is part of the West Central German group of High German languages, more than 5,000 words in the Luxembourgish have their origin in the French language.^[85][86] The first printed sentences in Luxembourgish were released by the weekly journal the 'Luxemburger Wochenblatt' in the second edition of the 14. April 1821.

Apart from being one of the three official languages, Luxembourgish is also considered the national language of the Grand Duchy; it is the mother tongue or "language of the heart" for nearly all Luxembourgers.^{[citation needed]}

Each of the three languages is used as the primary language in certain spheres. Luxembourgish is the language that Luxembourgers generally use to speak to each other, but it is not often used as the written language. Since the 1980s, an increasing number of novels have however been written in Luxembourgish. Most official (written) business is carried out in French. German is usually the first language taught in school and is the language of much of the media and of the church.^[87]

Luxembourg's education system is trilingual: the first years of primary school are in Luxembourgish, before changing to German, while in secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French.^[88] Proficiency in all three languages is required for graduation from secondary school, but half the students leave school without a certified qualification, with the children of immigrants being particularly disadvantaged.^[89]

In addition to the three official languages, English is taught in the compulsory schooling and much of the population of Luxembourg can speak English, at any rate in Luxembourg City. Portuguese, the language of the largest immigrant community, is also spoken by large parts of the population, but by relatively few from outside their community.^[90]

Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg.

Religion

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 Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Russian Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Mennonitism and Islam.^[91]

Since 1980 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices.^[92] An estimation by the CIA Factbook for the year 2000 is that 87% of Luxembourgers are Catholics, including the royal family, the remaining 13% being made up of Muslims, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and those of other or no religion.^[25]

According to a 2005 Eurobarometer poll,^[93] 44% of Luxembourg citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", whereas 28% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 22% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Education

The University of Luxembourg is the only university in Luxembourg.

Health

Luxembourg sells the most alcohol in Europe per capita.^[94] However, the large proportion of alcohol purchased by customers from neighbouring countries contributes to the statistically high level of alcohol sales per capita; this level of alcohol sales is thus not representative of the actual alcohol consumption of the Luxembourg population.^[95]

Culture

Edward Steichen, Luxembourgish photographer and painter

Luxembourg has been overshadowed by the culture of its neighbours, although, having been for much of its history a profoundly rural country, it retains a number of folk traditions. There are several notable museums, mostly located in the capital; these include the National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), the Luxembourg City History Museum, and the new Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam). The National Museum of Military History (MNHM) in Diekirch is especially known for its representations of the Battle of the Bulge. The city of Luxembourg itself is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, on account of the historical importance of its fortifications.^[96]

The country has produced some internationally known artists, including the painters Théo Kerg, Joseph Kutter and Michel Majerus, as well as the photographer Edward Steichen. Steichen's The Family of Man exhibition is now permanently housed in Clervaux, and it has been placed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. Movie star Loretta Young was of Luxembourgish descent.

Luxembourg was the first city to be named European Capital of Culture twice. The first time was in 1995. In 2007, the European Capital of Culture^[97] was to be a cross-border area consisting of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland in Germany, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking part of Belgium, and the Lorraine area in France. The event was an attempt to promote mobility and the exchange of ideas, crossing borders in all areas, physical, psychological, artistic and emotional.

Luxembourg was represented at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China from 1 May to 31 October 2010 with its own pavilion.^[98][99] The pavilion was based on the translation of the word Luxembourg into Chinese, which means ‘Lu Sen Bao’: Forest and Fortress. It represented Luxembourg as the ‘Green Heart in Europe'.^[100]

Sport in Luxembourg

Unlike in most countries in Europe, sport in Luxembourg is not concentrated upon a particular national sport, but encompasses a number of sports, both team and individual. Despite the lack of a central sporting focus, over 100,000 people in Luxembourg, which has a total population of only 460,000, are licensed members of one sports federation or another.^[101] The largest sports venue in the country is d'Coque, an indoor arena and Olympic swimming pool in Kirchberg, north-eastern Luxembourg City, which has a capacity of 8,300. The arena is used for basketball, handball, gymnastics, and volleyball, including the final of the 2007 Women's European Volleyball Championship. The largest, and national, stadium is the Stade Josy Barthel, in western Luxembourg City; named after the country's only official Olympic gold medallist, the stadium has a capacity of 8,054.

Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck are two famous professional cyclists for RadioShack-Nissan-Trek. They are best known as climbers who excel in the mountain stages of Grand Tours like the Tour de France.

Gilles Müller is a professional tennis player, Ranked No. 42 as of (3 October 2011), competing in the fourth round of the 2011 US Open.

Mandy Minella is a professional tennis player.

Luxembourg cuisine

Judd mat Gaardebounen served with boiled potatoes and Diekirch beer

Luxembourg cuisine reflects Luxembourg's position on the border between the Latin and Germanic worlds, being heavily influenced by the cuisines of neighbouring France and Germany. More recently, it has had influence from its many Italian and Portuguese immigrants.

Most particularly native Luxembourgish dishes, consumed as the traditional daily fare, share roots in the Luxembourgish peasantry, similarly to German cuisine and in marked contrast to more sophisticated French.

Media

Luxembourg is known in Europe for its radio and television stations (Radio Luxembourg, RTL Group). It is also the uplink home of SES, carrier of major European satellite services for Germany and Britain. An English language news service is also available from the Luxemburger Wort on the website: wort.lu

Due to the audiovisual law of 1988, which established a special tax regime for audiovisual investment, the film and co-production in Luxembourg has grown steadily.^[102] There exists approximately 30 by agreed production companies in Luxembourg.^[103]

See also

Geography portal Europe portal European Union portal NATO portal Luxembourg portal

• Outline of Luxembourg
  

Articles related to Luxembourg v t e  Luxembourg topics History House of Luxembourg · Forêts · First Treaty of London · Luxembourg Crisis · Second Treaty of London · First World War · Second World War · Partitions · Military occupations · Jewish history · more Geography Gutland (Little Switzerland · Luxembourg plateau · Moselle Valley · Red Lands · Valley of the Seven Castles) · Oesling · Luxembourg City · Rivers · Extreme points · Administrative divisions (Districts · Cantons · Communes · Cities · Quarters of Luxembourg City) · more Economy Communications · Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union · Benelux · Euro coins · Luxembourgish franc · Luxembourg Stock Exchange · Arcelor Mittal · RTL Group · more Transport Motorways · Railway stations (Luxembourg railway station) · Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois · Luxembourg-Findel Airport · Luxair · more Politics Grand Duke (Grand Ducal Family) · Prime Minister · Chamber of Deputies (Presidents) · Council of State (Presidents) · Political parties · Elections · Legislative circonscriptions · Foreign relations · Diplomatic missions · Military · Police · LGBT rights · more People Demographics · Luxembourgers · Portuguese Luxembourger · Sports players · more Religion Roman Catholicism (Archbishop of Luxembourg · Notre-Dame Cathedral · Abbey of Echternach) · Protestantism · Judaism · Islam · Hinduism · more Language Multilingualism · Luxembourgish · French · German · more Culture Cinema (Films) · Cuisine (Wine) · Music · National symbols (Coat of arms · Flag · National anthem · National holiday) · Radio Luxembourg · RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg · Newspapers (Tageblatt · Luxemburger Wort) · Sport (Football · Olympic Games · Rugby union · Tour de Luxembourg) · Boy Scouts · Education in Luxembourg  · more v t e Sovereign states and dependent territories of Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Nagorno-Karabakh Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other territories Denmark Faroe Islands Finland Åland Islands United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey v t e Member states of the European Union Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom Member states by political system and GDP v t e Council of Europe Institutions Secretary General Committee of Ministers Parliamentary Assembly Congress Court of Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights Commission for the Efficiency of Justice Commission against Racism and Intolerance Members Full Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia1 Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Observer Canada Israel Japan Mexico United States Vatican City Former Czechoslovakia (1991–1992) Saar (assoc. 1950–1956) 1 Provisionally referred to by the Council of Europe as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. v t e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) History Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · OECD Anti-Bribery Convention Guidelines Multinational Enterprises · Testing of Chemicals Members Australia · Austria · Belgium · Canada · Chile · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Israel · Japan · Luxembourg · Mexico · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Korea · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States v t e North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) History North Atlantic Treaty Summit Operations Enlargement Structure North Atlantic Council (Secretary General) Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Allied Command Operations (Supreme Allied Commander) Allied Command Transformation Members Albania Belgium Bulgaria Canada Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Turkey United Kingdom United States v t e World Trade Organization System Accession and membership Appellate Body Dispute Settlement Body International Trade Centre Chronology of key events Issues Criticism Doha Development Round Singapore issues Quota Elimination Peace Clause Agreements General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Agriculture Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Technical Barriers to Trade Trade Related Investment Measures Trade in Services Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Government Procurement Information Technology Marrakech Agreement Doha Declaration Ministerial Conferences 1st (1996) 2nd (1998) 3rd (1999) 4th (2001) 5th (2003) 6th (2005) 7th (2009) 8th (2011) People Pascal Lamy (Director-General) Supachai Panitchpakdi (Former Director-General) Deputy Directors-General: Alejandro Jara Valentine Rugwabiza Harsha Singh Rufus Yerxa Members Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belize Benin Bolivia Botswana Brazil Brunei Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile PR China Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador European Union¹ Fiji Gabon The Gambia Georgia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong² Iceland India Indonesia Israel Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lesotho Liechtenstein Macau² Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Russia Rwanda St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Suriname Swaziland Switzerland Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu³ Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe 1. All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom 2. Special administrative region of the People's Republic of China 3. Designated name for the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan) v t e Recipients of the Charlemagne Prize Richard Nikolaus Graf Coudenhove-Kalergi (1950) Hendrik Brugmans (1951) Alcide de Gasperi (1952) Jean Monnet (1953) Konrad Adenauer (1954) Sir Winston S. Churchill (1956) Paul Henri Spaak (1957) Robert Schuman (1958) George C. Marshall (1959) Joseph Bech (1960) Walter Hallstein (1961) Edward Heath (1963) Antonio Segni (1964) Jens Otto Krag (1966) Joseph Luns (1967) The European Commission (1969) François Seydoux de Clausonne (1970) Roy Jenkins (1972) Don Salvador de Madariaga (1973) Leo Tindemans (1976) Walter Scheel (1977) Konstantinos Karamanlis (1978) Emilio Colombo (1979) Simone Veil (1981) King Juan Carlos of Spain (1982) The People of Luxembourg (1986) Henry A. Kissinger (1987) François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl (1988) Frère Roger (1989) Gyula Horn (1990) Václav Havel (1991) Jacques Delors (1992) Felipe González Márquez (1993) Gro Harlem Brundtland (1994) Franz Vranitzky (1995) Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1996) Roman Herzog (1997) Bronisław Geremek (1998) Anthony (Tony) Charles Lynton Blair (1999) William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton (2000) György Konrád (2001) The euro (2002) Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (2003) Pat Cox (2004) Extraordinary prize: Pope John Paul II (2004) Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (2005) Jean-Claude Juncker (2006) Javier Solana (2007) Angela Merkel (2008) Andrea Riccardi (2009) Donald Tusk (2010) Jean-Claude Trichet (2011) Wolfgang Schäuble (2012) v t e Monarchies List of current sovereign monarchs List of current constituent monarchs By continent Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania By country Antigua and Barbuda Australia Andorra The Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belize Belgium Bhutan Brunei Cambodia Canada Denmark Grenada Jamaica Japan Jordan Kuwait Liechtenstein Lesotho Luxembourg Malaysia Monaco Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Oman Papua New Guinea Qatar Spain Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saudi Arabia Solomon Islands Swaziland Sweden Thailand Tonga Tuvalu United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Vatican City By type Absolute Constitutional Elective Hereditary Diarchy Federal Italics indicate Commonwealth realms, which each share the same person as head of state. v t e SaarLorLux Members Belgium French Community · German-speaking Community · Walloon Region France Lorraine · Meurthe-et-Moselle · Moselle Germany Rhineland-Palatinate · Saarland Luxembourg   Institutions Summit Conferences · Regional Commission · Interregional Parliamentary Council · University Charter · European cultural capital 2007 · House of the Greater Region · Private cooperations v t e States of the German Confederation (1815–66) Empires Austria1 Kingdoms Prussia1 Bavaria Saxony Hanover Württemberg Electorates Hesse Grand Duchies Baden Hesse Luxembourg Mecklenburg-Schwerin Mecklenburg-Strelitz Oldenburg Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Duchies Anhalt Bernburg2 Dessau2 Köthen3 Brunswick Holstein Limburg4 Nassau Saxe-Lauenburg Saxony Altenburg5 Coburg-Saalfeld6 Coburg-Gotha5 Gotha-Altenburg6 Hildburghausen6 Meiningen Principalities Hesse-Homburg Hohenzollern Hechingen7 Sigmaringen7 Liechtenstein Lippe Reuss Elder Junior Schaumburg-Lippe Schwarzburg Rudolstadt Sondershausen Waldeck and Pyrmont City-states Bremen Frankfurt Hamburg Lübeck Other territories outside of the confederacy Colonial possessions Personal unions of Habsburg Bukovina Croatia Galicia and Lodomeria Hungary Lombardy–Venetia Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar8 Slavonia9 Transylvania Personal union of Hanover Great Britain and Ireland10 Personal unions of Hohenzollern East Prussia11 Neuchâtel12 Grand Duchy of Posen13 Province of Posen14 Province of Prussia15 West Prussia11 Occupied: Schleswig16 1 w/o areas listed under other territories 2 Merged with Anhalt from 1863 3 until 1847 4 from 1839 5 from 1826 6 until 1826 7 until 1850 8 1849–60 9 as of 1849 10 until 1837 11 until 1829 12 until 1848/57 13 until 1848 14 as of 1848 15 as of 1829 16 as of 1864

References

Further reading

• Kreins, Jean-Marie (2003) (in French). Histoire du Luxembourg (3rd edition ed.). Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 978-21-3053-852-3. 
• Thewes, Guy (July 2003) (in French) (PDF). Les gouvernements du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg depuis 1848 (Édition limitée ed.). Luxembourg City: Service Information et Presse. ISBN 2-87999-118-8. http://www.gouvernement.lu/publications/download/gouvernements_1848_2.pdf. Retrieved 10 July 2007. 
• Plan d'action national luxembourgeois en matière de TIC et de haut-débit
• CEE- Europe’s Digital Competitiveness Report –Volume 2: i2010 –ICT Country Profiles- page 40-41
• Inauguration of LU-CIX
• Art and Culture in Luxembourg

External links

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• Official website (French)
• Luxembourg entry at The World Factbook
• Luxembourg at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Luxembourg
• Luxembourg travel guide from Wikitravel

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