Luxembourg

Capital of Luxembourg: Luxembourg
Population of Luxembourg: 503,302
Total area of Luxembourg: 2586 km2

Luxembourg is a small country located in Northwestern Europe and is officially called the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Its flag consists of three horizontal stripes of red, followed by white, followed by blue. Its coat of arms is red and gold, consisting of two lions, each holding part of a banner that also has a lion, drapery and a crown above it all.

Luxembourg population

Luxembourgers are what the people of the country are called. There is a large immigrant population, mostly from neighboring countries. The population consists of 162,000 immigrants, which make up about 37 percent of the total population. The three major languages spoken in Luxembourg include German, French and Luxembourgish. The latter language is based mainly in French. Luxembourgish is considered the national language of Luxembourg and is the language people use to speak to one another. Official business is done in French. German is taught in most schools and is the language of the church and the media. Students need to be proficient in all three languages before they can graduate from secondary school. English is also taught. There are a variety of religions practiced in Luxembourg including Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Russian Orthodoxy, Islam and others.  

History of Luxembourg

Luxembourg castle was acquired in 963. Members of the castle served as Holy Roman Emperors in the 1300s and 1400s. There was a lack of a male heir in 1437 so the land was sold to Philip the Good of Burgundy. It was occupied in the Middle Ages by the French, the Bourbons, the Habsburgs and the Hohenzollerns. It aligned with the Netherlands in 1815. Part of its territory went to Belgium in the 1830s but Luxembourg’s independence was gained in 1839. World War I had Luxembourg occupied by the Germans and this was repeated in WWII. The government remained in exile during the WWII. It became a liberated country in 1944 and was a founding member of the UN and NATO. It was also one of the founding countries of what became the European Union.

Luxembourg Tourism

Though Luxembourg has a highly developed economy as indicated by its nominal GDP per capita, with a rural-based population of half million.  Because of this, the landlocked country has maintained its postcard, fairytale-style beauty. In the northern Ardennes, you can find verdant valleys and highlands. In the east, the Müllerthal forest beckons with its mystery.  Luxembourg City, the spectacularly located capital known for its fortification and reputation as two-time Europe Capital of Culture, is a delightful combination of the old and the new. The modern downtown on the Plâteau du Kirchberg is home of the internationally renowned finance industry and other contemporary structures that house the museums, boutiques and restaurants. The UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Old Town presents fortress towers and cobblestone streets. The Chemin de la Corniche, often called the “most beautiful balcony” in Europe gives a perfect view of the city plus the cross viaducts and bridges that connect to the hillsides and neighboring plateaus.

In Luxembourg, smoking is not allowed in some establishments. The acceptable dress code in most places for dining and social functions is smart-casual dress but formal attire requirement is possible in some cases. As a citizen in the world’s only remaining grand duchy, Luxembourgers are often reserved and formal when dealing with outsiders. The common greeting is a brief handshake. Predominantly Christian, Luxembourgers’ national holidays are most religious observances. Immigrants who are mostly from other European countries compose 32 percent of the overall population. Most of this country’s citizens can speak English though they have three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish.