Luxembourg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
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Anthem: Ons Heemecht
"Our Homeland" [1] Royal anthem: De Wilhelmus 1
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Location of Luxembourg (dark green)
– on the European continent (green & dark grey) |
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Capital and largest city
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Luxembourg |
Official languages | Luxembourgish French German |
Demonym(s) | Luxembourgers |
Government | Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy |
Henri (List) | |
Xavier Bettel (List) | |
Legislature | Chamber of Deputies |
Independence | |
• From French empire (Treaty of Paris)
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9 June 1815 |
19 April 1839 | |
• 2nd Treaty of London
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11 May 1867 |
• End of personal union
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23 November 1890 |
Area | |
• Total
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2,586.4 km2 (998.6 sq mi) (175th) |
• Water (%)
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0.60% |
Population | |
• 2011 estimate
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511,840 (170th) |
• 2001 census
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439,539 |
• Density
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194.1/km2 (502.7/sq mi) (67th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total
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$41.221 billion (94th) |
• Per capita
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$80,119 (2nd) |
GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
• Total
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$58.412 billion (69th) |
• Per capita
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$113,533 (1st) |
HDI (2011) | 0.867 very high · 25th |
Currency | Euro (€)2 (EUR) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST)
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UTC+2 (CEST) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | 352 |
ISO 3166 code | LU |
Internet TLD | .lu3 |
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Luxembourg is a country in Western Europe; its official name is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: [Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg). It is a small country. It was one of the first countries in the European Union. It is also a member of the Benelux. The countries next to Luxembourg are Belgium, Germany, and France. Its population is 442,972. Which is big for its country's size.
Contents
Timeline
- 963 - Luxembourg was founded. Sigefroid, Count of Ardennes, came to own the ruins of an old Roman fort called "Castellum Lucilinburhuc" ("Little Castle") from the monks of the Abbey of St. Maximin in Trier.
- 1354 - The emperor Charles IV made Luxembourg a duchy.
- 1437 - There were no people in the ruling family alive. The castle was given to the Habsburgs.
- 1443 - Luxembourg was captured by Philip of Burgundy.
- 1482 - Mary of Burgundy died. Luxembourg was ruled by the Habsburgs again.
- 1795 - After the French revolution Luxembourg was taken over by France. It became a département of France.
- 1815 - Luxembourg became a grand duchy. It was ruled by the king of the Netherlands.
- 1815-1866 - Luxembourg became a member of the German Confederation.
- 1890 - After the death of William III, Luxembourg passed to the House of Nassau-Weilburg.
- 1914-1918 - Luxembourg was conquered by Germany during World War I.
- 1940 - The Germans returned during World War II, and in 1942 Luxembourg became part of the Third Reich.
- 1944 - Luxembourg became independent in September because the United States Army arrived.
- 1945 - Luxembourg joined the United Nations
- 1957 - Luxembourg became one of the first six members of the European Economic Community. That is now called the European Union.
Geography
Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 179th 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, 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 554 metres near Rambrouch. The region is sparsely populated, with only one town (Wiltz) with a population of more than four thousand people.
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.
According to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index, Luxembourg is one of the world's best performers in environmental protection, ranking 4th out of 132 assessed countries Luxembourg also ranks 6th among the top ten most livable cities in the world by Mercer's.
Luxembourg has an oceanic climate, marked by high precipitation, particularly in late summer. The summers are warm and winters cool.
Government
Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy lead by a constitutional monarch. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is in the hands of the Governor and the cabinet, which consists of several other ministers.
Districts, cantons, and communes
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.
Districts
The districts are
Related pages
Images for kids
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Charles IV, the 14th-century Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg
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The largest towns are Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Dudelange, and Differdange.
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View of the Grund along Alzette river in the historical heart of Luxembourg City
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Signs in front of the Centre Drosbach on the Cloche d'or, in the city of Luxembourg
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Population density in Luxembourg by communes. The main urban area, Luxembourg City, is located in the south-center of the country
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Coin of the former Luxembourg franc in two of the country's three languages: French (obverse, left) and Luxembourgish (reverse, right)
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Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg City
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Edward Steichen, photographer and painter
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Charly Gaul won three Grand Tours in his cycling career.
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Judd mat Gaardebounen, served with boiled potatoes and Diekirch beer
See also
In Spanish: Luxemburgo para niños