Luxembourg was founded in 963. The country only became a grand duchy in 1815 when Luxembourg was handed over to the kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1839 it became independent from the Netherlands, but the independence was not formally ratified until 1867. The king of the Netherlands remained head of state though and this until 1890, when the state of Luxembourg gained a duke of its own. The throne then passed to HRH Grand Duke Adolf I of Luxembourg. In the twentieth century, this tiny country was overrun by Germany in both World Wars. After the Second World War Luxembourg joined the NATO. And in 1957 it was one of the six founding nations of the European Union.
Luxembourg has a population of over 468,500 people, of which about 174,200 are foreigners. The national language is Luxembourgish, but the administrative languages are German and French. Most people speak fluent English though. Apart from the Luxembourgers, there are also a significant number of foreign citizens. These immigrants mainly originate from Portugal, Italy, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo.
- Population growth rate: 1.25%
- Life expectancy: 78.74 years
- Median age: 38.51 years
- Religions: 87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews and Muslims
Useful facts
Flag: three equally-sized, horizontal bands of red at the top, white and light blue
Currency: euro - EUR - €
Time zone: Beijing is 7 hours ahead of Luxembourg
Weights and measures: the metric system
