Luxembourg ( LUK-səm-burg; Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg [ˈlətsəbuə̯ɕ] ( listen); French: Luxembourg; German: Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is one of the four official capitals of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial authority in the EU. Its culture, people, and languages are highly intertwined with its neighbours, making it essentially a mixture of French and German cultures, as evident by the nation's three official languages: French, German, and the national language of Luxembourgish. The repeated invasions by Germany, especially in World War II, resulted in the country's strong will for mediation between France and Germany and, among other things, led to the foundation of the European Union.
With an area of 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi), it is one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe. In 2019, Luxembourg had a population of 626,108, which makes it one of the least-populous countries in Europe, but by far the one with the highest population growth rate. Foreigners account for nearly half of Luxembourg's population. As a representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is headed by Grand Duke Henri and is the world's only remaining sovereign grand duchy. Luxembourg is a developed country, with an advanced economy and one of the world's highest GDP (PPP) per capita. The City of Luxembourg with its old quarters and fortifications was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to the exceptional preservation of the vast fortifications and the old city.
The history of Luxembourg is considered to begin in 963, when count Siegfried acquired a rocky promontory and its Roman-era fortifications known as Lucilinburhuc, "little castle", and the surrounding area from the Imperial Abbey of St. Maximin in nearby Trier. Siegfried's descendants increased their territory through marriage, war and vassal relations. At the end of the 13th century, the counts of Luxembourg reigned over a considerable territory. In 1308, Henry VII became King of the Germans and later Holy Roman Emperor. The House of Luxembourg produced four emperors during the High Middle Ages. In 1354, Charles IV elevated the county to the Duchy of Luxembourg. The duchy eventually became part of the Burgundian Circle and then one of the Seventeen Provinces of the Habsburg Netherlands.
Over the centuries, the City and Fortress of Luxembourg, of great strategic importance situated between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg territories, was gradually built up to be one of the most reputed fortifications in Europe. After belonging to both the France of Louis XIV and the Austria of Maria Theresa, Luxembourg became part of the First French Republic and Empire under Napoleon. (Full article...)
Luxair, legally Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, is the flag carrier airline of Luxembourg with its headquarters and hub at Luxembourg Airport. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East with additional charter and seasonal services. It is Luxembourg's only passenger-carrying airline offering regular, non-charter service. ( Full article...)
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The following are images from various Luxembourg-related articles on Wikipedia.
Claus Cito, the symbolic Gëlle Fra topping the Monument of Remembrance (1923)
Dominique Lang: Le Barrage (1913)
Pierre Brandenbourg: Early photograph of Brasserie Clausen (1865)
Jean-Baptiste Fresez: Vianden near the Bridge (c. 1857)
Nicolas Liez: View of Luxembourg from the Fetschenhof (1870)
Nico Klopp: Loop in the Moselle at Greiveldange with Stadtbredimus (1930)
Jean Jacoby: Rugby (1928)
Luxembourg has been part of the eurozone since 1999.
- 24 October 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg
- Luxembourg reports a record 862 new infections in the past 24 hours, pushing the overall total to 13,713 cases as a curfew is introduced in the country. (RTL Today)
- 13 October 2020 – Exploration of the Moon
- The U.S.-led Artemis Accords are signed by the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. According to NASA, the Accords aim to establish norms of behavior between countries regarding lunar resource extraction and exploration, outline "safety zones" on the lunar surface where other countries should not interfere, and protect heritage sites on the lunar surface such as the Apollo landing sites. More signatories are expected to be announced in the coming months. (Reuters) (The Verge)
- 9 July 2020 –
- Irish Minister of Finance Paschal Donohoe is elected president of the Eurogroup, beating the candidatures of Spanish Minister Nadia Calviño and of Luxembourgish Minister Pierre Gramegna. He will succeed Mário Centeno. (Politico)
- 15 March 2020 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Germany closes its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg. (BBC)
- 29 February 2020 – 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The first case of coronavirus is confirmed in Ireland, Qatar and Luxembourg. (RTE.ie) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
- Luxembourg news from Wikinews...
Aerial view of the lower Kirchberg area in Luxembourg, with the University of Luxembourg – Kirchberg Campus in the center.
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