Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna. When Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands in 1839, Luxembourg lost more than half of its territory to Belgium but gained a larger measure of autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Luxembourg gained full independence in 1867 by promising to remain permanently neutral. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, its neutrality ended in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and joined NATO the following year.
- Capital
- Luxembourg
- Government
- constitutional monarchy
- Population
- 671,254
- Area
- 2,586 sq km
- Location
- Western Europe, between France and Germany
- Climate
- modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
- Natural resources
- iron ore (no longer exploited); arable land
- Languages
- Luxembourgish (official administrative; judicial; and national language) 48.9%; Portuguese 15.4%…
- Religions
- Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.6%; Muslim 2.3%; other (includes Buddhist; folk religions…
- Independence
- 1839 (from the Netherlands)
- Administrative divisions
- 12 cantons; Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange, Remic…
- Currency
- euros (EUR)
- Export partners
- Germany 18%; France 15%; Belgium 8%; Netherlands 7%…
- Import partners
- Belgium 26%; Germany 23%; France 10%; Netherlands 5%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain