It is generally accepted that the state is a rather large area with a certain number of people living on it. All this applies to any country in the world, but there are powers that do not fit into the concept of a simple average person about an average country. One of these dwarf states is Luxembourg, whose area is about 2586.4 square meters. km We will talk about him in more detail in the article.
brief information
This European country is located between the three largest states: Germany, France and Belgium. The entire area of Luxembourg has a state border, the total length of which is 359 kilometers. In this case, the coastline is completely absent (there is no access to the sea). The national holiday in the country is June 23 - National Day.
Population and language
As you already understood, the area of Luxembourg, the photo of which is given below, is so small that the number of permanent residents in the country is also insignificant and at the beginning of 2016 amounts to 576,249 people. The official languages in the state are French and Luxembourgish. The main religion is Catholicism.
Historical reference
The first people lived in the territory that now occupies the area of Luxembourg, 35,000 years ago. During the Neolithic period in the south of the existing country, ancient settlers erected dwellings from trees, and the walls were covered with clay and vine. In the period from the sixth to the first century BC, Luxembourg was inhabited by Gauls, and after the country became part of Rome. The state also survived the invasion of the Franks.
Age of the Middle Ages
During this period, Luxembourg lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire and Lorraine. In 963, the country gained independence, but already in 1477 the Habsburgs came to power, and later Luxembourg Square was influenced by Spain. After the rebellion organized by the Netherlands against the Spanish ruler, Luxembourg came under the protectorate of the Dutch. Subsequently, the state was alternately influenced by France and Spain.
XX century
During the First World War, Luxembourg (the country's area indicated above) took a neutral position, but this did not save it from occupation by German troops in 1914. In 1919, the Committee of Public Safety took possession of the power, but in the end the French garrison regained control of the monarchy power.
The second occupation for Luxembourg came in 1940. And again the Germans came to the country. But this time, the government did not go on about the invaders, and therefore all the nobles left their homes. The duchy was immersed in the power of traditional Nazi orders, and the French language was doomed. At the end of 1941, the country entered the Third Reich. About 12 thousand people were mobilized, another 3 thousand were able to escape, and about the same number of people died in the fighting.
In the fall of 1944, the entire area of Luxembourg was liberated from the Nazis, and the country entered into economic union with the Netherlands and Belgium (the so-called Benelux was formed). In 1949, a small but proud state became a member of the NATO military bloc, thereby violating its long-standing military neutrality. In 1964, Prince Jean appeared on the throne of the duchy, who in October 2000 was forced to renounce power because of poor health and old age. In his place was his own son, Henry.
Political structure
The head of Luxembourg is the Grand Duke. He personally exercises executive power in the country on the basis of the constitution. It is he who determines the quantitative composition of the government and the procedure for its functioning, announces and approves various laws, defines people for military and civilian posts, is the Supreme Commander in Chief, has the right to conclude international treaties, etc.
The Government of Luxembourg is governed by the Prime Minister. The legislative branch is represented by the Chamber of Deputies, which is elected for a five-year term through general elections on a proportional basis. Persons over the age of eighteen are eligible to vote.
Administrative separation
Luxembourg Square, which is described in detail in this article, is divided into three districts: Luxembourg, Grevenmacher, Diekirch. In each of the districts, the commissioner is the main person, and the cantons are governed by the burgomaster. In communes, self-government bodies are represented by elected councils. The number of cantons is twelve, and the communes are 105.
Judicial system
Constitutional review is carried out, as you might guess, by the Constitutional Court. The highest instance in the judicial hierarchy is the Supreme Court, which includes the Court of Cassation and the Court of Appeal. There are also district as well as magistrates courts. The law enforcement system is represented by the Grand Duchy Police.
Economic sphere
Despite the fact that the area of Luxembourg in square. km is not too great, this state is quite highly developed. Due to the presence of an offshore zone, the capital of the country hosts about a thousand different investment funds and over two hundred banking institutions, which, in turn, is much larger than in any other settlement in the world. In terms of per capita income, the country ranks fourth in the world ranking. One-tenth of Luxembourg's gross domestic product is the extraction of iron ore, as well as the production of pig iron.
One cannot ignore the fact that the state has a colossal external debt, which especially grew during the crisis period of 2008-2011. The basis of the country's economy is a variety of services, including in the financial sector.
Also, in the country's economy there was a place for banking, telecommunications networks are being developed, video and audio equipment is being produced, chemical products, machines, fabrics, porcelain, glass, and plastics are being produced. Foreign companies like to work in Luxembourg also because often local workers are fluent in several foreign languages.
The area of Luxembourg in thousand km2 is insignificant, and its real estate market is quite expensive. In 2008, the average cost per square meter of living space in the country was almost 4,800 euros.
Taxation
The following taxes are invested in the basis of the state tax system:
- Income tax levied on individuals.
- Corporate income tax.
- Municipal tax.
- Property tax.
- Value added tax.
Municipalities have the right to levy only one tax on their own - land tax.
Energy, communications, transport
Studying the area of Luxembourg, the detailed information of which is presented in this essay, we note that the total length of roads for vehicles is 5100 kilometers, railway lines stretch for 370 kilometers. The main river port of the country is Mertert. Also available is a 48 km long oil pipeline.
State telephone service is fully automated. At the same time, the country leases three TAT-b submarine communication cables laid between Europe and North America.
Almost all types of energy consumed in Luxembourg are imported from abroad, including coal, natural gas, and oil.
Capital
The area of the city of Luxembourg is 51.73 square meters. km This is not to say that many people live in the main city of the country. According to data for 2016, the population of the capital is about 115 thousand. Moreover, the percentage of foreigners is very high - 58%. The city itself is located at an altitude of 316 meters above sea level and is located at the confluence of two not too large rivers - Petrus and Alzette. The climate in the capital is temperate oceanic, mild. Winter is very mild, and in summer the temperature does not often rise above +25 degrees Celsius. In addition, it is very rare in the city to be sunny, often overcast. Precipitation falls all year round, and in winter quite often heavy and prolonged snowfalls occur.
The main square of the city of Luxembourg is Constitution Square, which is not very large in size. In its center is a monument to those residents of the city who died during the First and Second World Wars. At the foot of this monument is a statue of a soldier who mourns his fallen brothers. The top of the sculptural work is crowned with a Golden Frau figure holding a laurel wreath in its hands. The monument was erected in 1923, but in 1940 it was destroyed by the Nazis. The restoration of the historical site took place in 1984.
In addition, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg and all its three towers are clearly visible from the square. There is also a special observation deck. It is from her that you can explore the most beautiful places. For lovers of excursions, trips to various attractions on buses with an open top are provided.
Power transfer
The entire Luxembourg square, detailed information about which is available to everyone today, is under the control of one person - the duke. According to a long tradition, the throne in the country is transferred to the eldest man of the family of rulers, and if there is none, then the eldest daughter takes his place. The family of dukes in the state is very popular among ordinary inhabitants, since the nobles symbolize the prosperity and stability of the state.
Culinary features
Although the area of Luxembourg in thousand km2 is not very impressive, nevertheless in this country the national cuisine is very developed. Local chefs combine in their recipes the achievements of German, Belgian and French cuisines. However, there are exclusively Luxembourgish recipes. For example, dairy piglets, pork with beans, and hare roast in Luxembourgish are very popular. And what Luxembourg is especially famous for is white wines, which have gained recognition throughout the European continent. The state also produces many types of beer and sparkling wines.
With regard to crime in Luxembourg, the crime rate in this country is quite low. This brings the duchy to one of the leading positions in the world in terms of security. However, statistics show that in recent years the number of pickpocketing has increased markedly, so you should not lose vigilance in public places, and especially at the airport and railway stations.