Everything You Need to Know About the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
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Grand Duchy of Luxembourg of Duchy Grand Everything you need to know know needto you Everything Geography History about the Political system National symbols Economy Population Languages Education Culture Table of contents of Table 2 4 6 10 12 14 18 20 24 26 History Culture Economy Education Population Languages Geography At a glance a glance At Political system system Political National symbols National Everything you need to know about the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg of Duchy about the Grand know need to you Everything Official designation Territory Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Administrative division Capital • 12 cantons (Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Luxembourg Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange-sur-Attert, National day Remich, Vianden, Wiltz) 23 June • 105 municipalities • 4 electoral constituencies (South, Centre, Currency North, East) Euro Judicial division Geography • 2 judicial districts (Luxembourg, Diekirch) comprising 3 magistrates’ courts At a glance At (Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Diekirch) Geographical coordinates Latitude 49° 37’ North and longitude 6° 08’ East Population Area 2,586 km2, of which 85.4% is farmland or forest Total population (2013) 549,700 inhabitants, including 248,900 foreign residents representing 45.3% of the total population Neighbouring countries (January 2014) Belgium, Germany, France Most densely populated towns Climate Luxembourg (107,200 inhabitants) Luxembourg enjoys a temperate climate. Annual Esch-sur-Alzette (32,600 inhabitants) average temperatures range from -2.6° C (average Differdange (23,600 inhabitants) minimum value) to 21.6° C (average maximum (January 2014) value) (1981-2010). Languages National language Lëtzebuergesch Administrative languages French, German, Lëtzebuergesch Everything you need to know about the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg of Duchy about the Grand know need to you Everything 2 Political system USEFUL ADDRESSES Form of government Institut national de la statistique Parliamentary democracy within the framework et des études économiques (Statec) of a constitutional monarchy (National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies) Head of state Centre administratif Pierre Werner 13, rue Érasme HRH Grand Duke Henri L-1468 Luxembourg (acceded to the throne on 7 October 2000) Tel.: (+352) 247-84219 [email protected] www.statistiques.lu Service information et presse du gouvernement (Information and Press Service of the Government) 33, boulevard F.D. Roosevelt L-2450 Luxembourg Tel.: (+352) 247-82181 [email protected] www.gouvernement.lu Clervaux www.luxembourg.lu Office national du tourisme (National Tourist Office) B.P. 1001 Vianden Wiltz L-1010 Luxembourg Tel.: (+352) 42 82 82 10 [email protected] Diekirch www.visitluxembourg.com Redange- Reference websites sur-Attert Echternach www.luxembourg.lu Mersch www.promoteluxembourg.com www.etat.lu Grevenmacher BELGIUM Capellen Luxembourg GERMANY Remich Esch-sur-Alzette FRANCE 3 The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is located in the The area along the Oesling-Gutland boundary is heart of Western Europe between Belgium, Germany one of the country’s prime agricultural regions on and France. It has two natural regions: the Oesling in account of its rich and varied soils. the north and the Gutland, comprising the Moselle • The Gutland (“good country”), in the south and valley in the east and the mineral basin in the south. centre of the country, occupies along with the The total area of the country is 2,586 km2, with the capital the remainder of the territory (68%). It Oesling covering 828 km2 and the Gutland 1,758 km2. is made up essentially of fields and forests and comprises the following main regions: Capital - Luxembourg’s sandstone plateau is the dominant feature of the Gutland, where some of the Luxembourg City lies 300 m above sea level. The country’s finest forests are to be found. capital offers a striking contrast between the modern - Marly depressions are the largest and most quarters perched on a rocky plateau with a sheer characteristic feature of the Gutland landscape. drop and the three lower quarters of Grund, Clausen They extend to the foot of the Dogger and and Pfaffenthal. Geography Luxembourg sandstone escarpments and are The quarter housing the European institutions has made up of wide valleys. Over two thirds of this been located on the Kirchberg plateau to the north- area is given over to farming. east of the city since the 1960s. - The Moselle valley is the most impressive in Luxembourg both in terms of size and variety Regions of landscapes. It is one of the country’s main tourist attractions, largely on account of its The variety of its landscapes is one of Luxembourg’s winemaking activities. greatest attractions. The country is divided into two - The region Mullerthal – Luxembourg’s Little main regions, the Oesling and the Gutland. Switzerland is located to the north of the Moselle • The Oesling, in the north, forms part of the valley along the border with Germany. Its Ardennes massif and borders the German Eifel main town, Echternach, is one of the oldest in plateau. This wooded region covers one third of Luxembourg. the country (32%) and is a magnet for tourists. The highest point in Luxembourg is situated in this region rising to 560 m (Wilwerdange). There are villages on the uplands, as well as rivers and lakes. Oak and pine forests cover the steep slopes. The climate is harsher than in the rest of the country. The main towns in this region are Wiltz, Clervaux and Vianden. - The Troisvierges plateau in the north of the Oesling is predominantly arable land with few forests. It is the coldest and wettest area of Luxembourg. - The Ardennes plateau, crossed by rivers, south of the Wiltz basin, is the most typical area of the Oesling, with landscapes rich in contrasting forms The Moselle region: its river and vineyards Everything you need to know about the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg of Duchy about the Grand know need to you Everything and colours, plateaus and forests. © ONT 4 - The Terres rouges (Red Lands) are situated to the south of the marly depressions. The area USEFUL ADDRESSES has been moulded by industry where iron ore has been extracted from the red earth, hence Office national du tourisme the region’s Lëtzebuergesch name “Minett” (National Tourist Office) (from “minette”, the designation for iron ore B.P. 1001 L-1010 Luxembourg in the Lorraine, France). The main towns are Tel.: (+352) 42 82 82 10 Esch-sur-Alzette, the second-largest town in the [email protected] Grand Duchy, Differdange and Dudelange. www.visitluxembourg.com - The Valley of the Seven Castles boasts the castles Reference website of Mersch, Schoenfels, Hollenfels, the two www.geoportail.lu castles of Ansembourg and also Septfontaines and Koerich, all along a 24-km stretch. They are Haute-Sûre lake part of a landscape of meadows and old villages © Christof Weber/SIP that is perfect walking country. Climate River network Luxembourg does not have a clearly defined The four largest rivers in the Grand Duchy are climate; it ranges between the oceanic climate of the Moselle, Sûre, Our and Alzette. The other the Atlantic zone (small seasonal variations, mild rivers are the Mess, Mamer, Eisch, Attert and Wark and wet winters) and the continental climate of in the west; the Wiltz, Clerve and Blees in the the eastern European plains (pronounced seasonal north; the White Ernz, Black Ernz, Syr and Gander variations, harsh winters and rainy summers). in the east. The Pétrusse is a minor river running Oceanic influence brings rain in all seasons and through the city of Luxembourg, before flowing continental influence brings biting, dry weather into the Alzette. in winter. The climate is temperate from May to With the exception of the Chiers, which flows mid-October. June, July and August are the hottest from the south-west of the country into the Meuse months, with July and August frequently seeing the basin, Luxembourg’s rivers are tributaries of the most sunshine. Luxembourg often experiences its Rhine basin by way of the Moselle. own version of an Indian summer in September and October. Administrative division The annual average temperature is 9.4° C, it ranges from -2.6° C (average minimum value) to The country is divided into 12 cantons, 105 munici 21.6° C (average maximum value) (1981-2010). palities and 4 electoral constituencies. There are slight variations in temperature, of around 2° C, between the north and south of the country due to the difference in altitude. 5 Luxembourg’s origins North”, which European powers fought to control. In 1795, the French revolutionary armies conquered The name Luxembourg (Lucilinburhuc) first appears the stronghold. The country was annexed to France around 963 in a deed of barter in which Count and became the Département des Forêts (Forests Siegfried acquired from the abbey of St Maximin Department). of Trier a small fort situated on a rocky outcrop dominating the Alzette valley, commonly called the Bock. This fortified site became a foothold, Towards the birth allowing the counts of Luxembourg to accumulate of an independent state territory over the course of the 11th, 12th and 13th The collapse of the Napoleonic Empire in 1815 also History centuries. By the late 13th century, the County of Luxembourg occupied a vast area stretching from had repercussions on the status of Luxembourg. the Meuse to the Moselle. The major European powers that gathered at the Congress of Vienna in that year decided to create a vast kingdom of the Netherlands to From the house of Luxembourg thwart any possible French ambitions. Elevated to the Habsburg dynasty to the rank of grand duchy, Luxembourg was theoretically autonomous, but bound in a personal At the start of the 14th century, the house of union to William I of Orange-Nassau, king of the Luxembourg acceded to the imperial throne and Netherlands and grand duke of Luxembourg.