Luxembourg: attractions and general information. History of Luxembourg

Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ( Grand-Duche de Luxembourg), a state in Western Europe. It borders on Belgium in the north and west, on Germany in the east, and France in the south. Together with Belgium and the Netherlands, Luxembourg is part of the so-called Benelux. The area of ​​the country is 2.6 thousand sq. km. Administratively, Luxembourg is divided into districts (3), which in turn are divided into cantons (12), and the cantons into communes (118). Form of government - hereditary a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is the Grand Duke. The current Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Henri (Henry), ascended the throne on October 7, 2000. The legislative body is the Chamber of Deputies. Since 1995, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg has been Jean-Claude Juncker.

Luxembourg map:

The capital is Luxembourg. Largest cities: Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Diferdange, Dudelange, Sanem. Population 480 thousand people (2007), mainly Luxembourgers. The average population density is about 171 people per sq. km. Urban population about 86%. The official languages ​​are German, French and Luxembourgish. The overwhelming number of believers are Catholics, there are Protestants. Average life expectancy: 72 years for men, 79 years for women. The birth rate (per 1000 people) is 11.1. The mortality rate (per 1000 people) is 9.3.

The territory of the country is occupied mainly by a hilly plain, in the north there are spurs of the Ardennes (height up to 565 m). The climate is temperate, transitional from maritime to continental. Average temperatures in January are 0-2 °C, in July 18 °C. Precipitation is over 700 mm per year. The rivers belong to the Moselle basin. Broad-leaved forests. Several reserves, part of the natural national park located in Germany.

Luxembourg is a highly developed industrial country. The basis of the economy is primarily the developed service sector, including in the financial field. Share in GDP (%): industry 33, Agriculture 1. The main industry is ferrous metallurgy; chemical, leather, cement, earthenware, woodworking, clothing, food and flavoring industries. Electricity production 1.2 billion kWh. Dairy and meat farming, grain and fodder crop production, viticulture, and vegetable growing are developed. Foreign tourism is important.

Luxembourg City is home to many EU organizations. Luxembourg is a major international Finance center. Thanks to favorable conditions and offshore zone in the capital there are about 1000 investment funds and more than 200 banks - more than in any other city in the world. In 2008, Luxembourg was recognized richest state EU.

The country is a member of the UN, EU, NATO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Luxembourg is a small landlocked state in Western Europe. By land, the country borders on France (73 km) in the south, Belgium (148 km) in the west and northwest, and Germany (138 km) in the east.

The territory of Luxembourg is 2586 km2, the elevation difference is 428 m. The northern part is higher, the southern part is low-lying (Red Lands). The relief is mostly flat, with small hills of the Ardennes in the north and the Luxembourg Plateau in the southern part. The highest point is the Kneiff Hill (560 m), the lowest is the confluence of the Sauer and the Mosel in the Wasserbillige (132 m).

From a geological point of view, Luxembourg is divided into two parts: Oesling in the north, about 555 meters above sea level, which is the spur of the Ardennes and occupies almost a third of the country, all covered with forests and amazingly beautiful, and the Good country in the south , with alternating forests and agricultural lands, located at 426 meters above sea level. One of the eastern borders is the wine-growing Moselle Valley, and in the southeast of the country there is a narrow strip of red earth that is none other than the Luxembourg mining district. Several rivers cross the country, the largest of them is the Moselle, which is all cut by canals and has access to the largest European waterways. The river network is dense and branched. The rivers of Luxembourg belong to the Rhine basin. There are iron ore deposits in the southern part of Luxembourg.

Relief of Luxembourg

The terrain is mostly smooth highlands with wide, deep valleys; the highlands turn into small mountains in the north, and in the southeast they sharply descend into the valley of the Moselle River.

The forested Ardennes Mountains stretch across the northern regions of the country, and the Sauer and Moselle rivers form its eastern border. The south of Luxembourg is occupied mainly by a hilly plain, in the north - the spurs of the Ardennes. The rivers belong to the Moselle basin. Several reserves, part of a natural national park located in Germany.

The southern half of Luxembourg - Gutland - is a continuation of the Lorraine plateau and is characterized by undulating cuesta terrain. A system of ridges and ledges is expressed here, gradually descending to the east. Cultural landscapes predominate. In the north of the country, in Essling, occupied by the foothills of the Ardennes, a highly dissected terrain with heights of up to 400–500 m is developed. The highest point is Mount Burgplatz (559 m). The most large river Luxembourg - Sur (Sauer) - originates in Belgium and flows to the east, then after confluence with the Ur to the southeast and south and flows into the Moselle. The Alzette, a southern tributary of the Sur, flows through the capital city of Luxembourg and the industrial cities of Esch-sur-Alzette, Mersch and Ettelbrück.

Climate of Luxembourg

As for the weather, Luxembourg does not shine with special diversity. Luxembourg is dominated by a temperate climate, transitional from maritime to continental - characterized by wet winters and cool summers. The hottest month is July, at this time during the daytime the air warms up to 22..24 degrees Celsius, and at night it is about +12..+14 degrees. Winter here is mild, the coldest month is January. In January, during the day the air temperature ranges from 1 to 3 degrees Celsius, at night - from -3 to -1 degrees.

The average temperature in January is 0 °C, in July - about + 17 °C. Snow often falls in the Ardennes in winter. The sunniest months are from May to August, but it is also sunny in the first half of September. 760 mm of precipitation falls annually in the south of the country, and greatest number precipitation falls in the north of the country - up to 900 mm; snowfalls are frequent here in winter. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with small maximums observed in May, June and November and December.

Water resources of Luxembourg

If you look at the detailed physical card Luxembourg, you can see that it is covered with a thick blue net - these are the rivers and streams of the country. The river network of the southern part of the duchy is characterized by relative abundance of water, usually a calm flow and relatively small fluctuations in level, while almost all the rivers of Esling are typically mountainous.

Statistical indicators of Luxembourg
(as of 2012)

Almost all the rivers of the Grand Duchy (with the exception of the small river Korn, which flows in the extreme southwest) belong to the Moselle basin, a left tributary of the Rhine. The Moselle is the main river of Luxembourg. It also occurs in France and Germany. The Moselle originates on the southwestern slopes of the Vosges and flows primarily in a deep, narrow valley. Floods occur from November to March, when maximum precipitation occurs. Low water - in summer, when it is warm and dry and the river's water content is maintained mainly by groundwater.

In addition to the border rivers Moselle and Ur, the most significant rivers of the duchy are the Sauer (Sur), flowing along the border of Essling, and the tributaries of the Sauer, flowing to it through the Ardennes gorges (Wilz, Clerf and Blais) and from the hilly plateaus of Gutland (Alzette). The latter is the main river of Gutland, on the banks of which there are large industrial cities of the duchy: Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Mersch and Ettel-brück. Almost all of the Alzette's tributaries are left-handed, which is explained by the asymmetry of its valley, associated with the cuesta nature of the relief.

An important source of nutrition for the rivers of Luxembourg is groundwater, mostly located at a depth of less than 5 m. The rivers in the elevated part of Luxembourg are fed mainly by rain. There are springs, and in karst areas there are small underground reservoirs, which also serve as a source of power for rivers.

Soils and flora of Luxembourg

Contrasts in relief and climate also affected the diversity of soil and vegetation cover in Luxembourg, which was formed mainly on sedimentary sandy-clayey deposits, shales and limestones.

On the mountain slopes of the Ardennes, brown forest soils developed under the forests. They have little power and are not fertile, so the slopes are used for the most part for pastures. In the south and southwest of Luxembourg, with the exception of the Moselle Valley, humus-carbonate fertile soils are widespread, used everywhere for gardens, vineyards, vegetable gardens, and fields. The Mosel and Sauer valleys are dominated by brown soils and rendzins, or soddy-carbonate soils, formed on carbonate rocks under coniferous, deciduous-coniferous and broad-leaved forests. Peaty soils are common in depressions.

At the end of the XVIII - early XIX c., when Luxembourg was part of France, it was called the forestry department (Foret). And still compared to other countries Western Europe Luxembourg has a large area (relative to the size of its territory) forest areas, the naturalness of its nature. More than 1/3 of the territory of the duchy is occupied by oak and beech forests.

Almost all forests are concentrated in Essling and the northern part of Gutland. Here, in addition to oak, beech, and hornbeam, ash and alder grow here, and birch grows on the flat peat bogs. Among the shrubs, the most common are hazel, euonymus, viburnum, rose hips, and honeysuckle.

In the upper parts of the northern and western slopes of the Ardennes in Essling one can also see coniferous trees: larch and spruce. Pine trees were introduced to Luxembourg approximately 150 years ago and now define the landscape in the far north of Essling.

On peaty and barren sandy soils, heathers are often found - evergreen shrubs with hard, narrow leaves. Heathland is typical of areas with a cool, wet climate. Among the heather there are clusters of lingonberry bushes, crowberries, blueberries, blueberries, and many mosses and lichens.

Characteristic of mountain grasses different kinds nutritious cereal - ryegrass (literally translated from English: “rye grass”), the main plant of pastures. Ryegrass grows back well after being grazed and mowed and is eaten by all types of livestock.

In the south and southwest of Luxembourg, with its fertile humus-carbonate soils, large areas are used for agricultural land. There are also many parks here, which to some extent replenish the deforested areas.

In the duchy there are many southern plants from the Mediterranean flora, reaching here the northern border of their ranges: Walnut, apricot, and from shrubs - holly, boxwood, dogwood, barberry. Many of these species have been cultivated in southern Luxembourg and form an important part of the plantings in parks, personal plots and in the gardens.

Wildlife of Luxembourg

Influenced economic activity people, the conditions of existence of most animals changed, some of which completely disappeared. Large animals mostly became victims of unplanned and haphazard hunting, and some of them were deliberately destroyed by humans as pests or predators. Wolves and wild cats and bears have long disappeared. The few remaining specimens of roe deer and chamois are protected by law. In the forest thickets you can occasionally meet animals such as marten or weasel, which wandered here from the French Vosges.

On arable land you can often see hares, many more squirrels, and among birds - wood pigeons, jays and buzzards, as well as pheasants. A sparrowhawk became a rare visitor. The hazel grouse lives in forests and dense thickets. Wood grouse remain in the north of Essling. Here, seasonal hunting for quail and woodcock is permitted under licenses. In the pine forests at any time of the year you can hear the gentle chirping of the kinglet. Sometimes flocks of crossbills are visible in the sky. Along the banks of the fish-rich, non-freezing rivers of Essling, you can find the blue kingfisher, which has become rare in other places, staying here for the winter. In summer you can hear the singing of a robin, a tiny wren, the flute-like voice of an oriole, the cuckoo's cuckoo and the cry of a startled blackbird.

Occasionally there is a large black woodpecker with a sparkling fiery red crest. Sometimes kites and falcons soar high in the sky, looking out for mice in the furrows of the arable land. You can hear the singing of a lark and the monotonous melody of a bunting. Shrikes fly low over the bushes in search of prey. Starlings and magpies appear where cattle graze.

In orchards The green woodpecker lives, and in the spring a polyphonic roll call is heard in the bushes, conducted by willow warblers and chiffchaffs, warblers, finches and tits. In warm valleys you can also hear a nightingale. In autumn, tits, goldfinches and linnets gather in large flocks. Sparrows and swallows constantly scurry around human habitation.

Coots live near water. The streams and rivers of Essling are home to trout, shellfish, as well as snails, water bugs, and ciliated worms (turbellaria).

Population, language and culture of Luxembourg

The population of Luxembourg is 550 thousand inhabitants. Over the past 30 years, population growth has amounted to almost 100 thousand. This growth was mainly due to immigration. Currently, about 46% of the population has foreign citizenship. Of the 435,000 inhabitants, it is estimated that 290 thousand inhabitants are citizens of Luxembourg, and the rest are foreigners, including the French - 69.2 thousand people, Germans - 33.9 thousand people, Belgians - 33.7 thousand people and etc.

The official languages ​​are German and French, but in 1982 the Luxembourgish language, a mixture of Moselle-Frankish dialect, was given national status. It is the language of everyday communication local residents. Widely used and English language. French most often used for formal ceremonies.

The modern history of Luxembourg begins with the Congress of Vienna, which proclaimed an independent Grand Duchy, and in 1867 the Treaty of London secured the permanent neutrality of Luxembourg. Until 1890, the Grand Duchy was part of the Netherlands, but since 1890 it has been ruled by its own dynasty. In 1948, Luxembourg renounced its neutrality in order to enter the new associations of post-war Europe. France and Germany had the most noticeable influence on local culture, however, the country has a developed sense of its own independence, which was most clearly manifested in the official approval of its own national language. The population of Luxembourg City is small (86 thousand people), which is more than 1/6 of the country's population. The city's population can be divided into two ethnic groups- Germans and French, each of whom has the right to speak their native language.

Source - http://evrotrip.ru/

“Vir wolle bliwe, wat vir zin!” - “We want to remain as we are” - this is the national slogan of the Luxembourgers, who make up about 75% of the population of their country. The remaining 25% of Luxembourg citizens are foreigners who reside permanently or for a long time in the duchy. Among them the Portuguese, Italians, French, Germans, and Belgians predominate. In addition, Austrians, Dutch, Turks, Yugoslavs, etc. live in Luxembourg. 15 thousand residents of border areas from neighboring countries come to work in the duchy every day. The percentage of foreigners in Luxembourg is higher than in any other Western European country. The bulk of foreigners are workers at the ARBED steel mills, but many also work in the banking sector. People from Portugal, Italy and Turkey are often used in hard work and in the service sector. Behind Lately in Luxembourg, as well as in many other industrial developed countries In Western Europe, hostility towards foreign workers is growing, which is caused primarily by the lack of jobs for the Luxembourgers themselves, but this does not take on such hypertrophied proportions as in Germany or England.

Almost the entire population of the duchy belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. There are many churches and chapels in the country, there are crucifixes on the roads, and it is mandatory to teach the law of God in schools. There are followers of other religions (Protestants and Jews), but their numbers are small - approximately 10 thousand people.

Luxembourg is a densely populated country. According to the first census in the history of the duchy, conducted in 1841, 172 thousand people lived here. According to periodic population censuses conducted in the duchy, the most significant increase was observed at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, i.e., during the period of the most intensive development of the capitalist economy. For example, in less than five years, 1894 to 1899, the population increased by 20 thousand people; that's pretty high rate for such a small state. However, in subsequent years and in modern times, the Luxembourgish population has grown and is growing relatively slowly, even compared to many Western European countries.

Luxembourg is a largely urban country. Small villages of 1-2 thousand inhabitants have not only an urban appearance, but also urban living conditions. Almost every town or village has a small factory, a sawmill or a stone quarry; there is either a highway or a railway near the village.

The average population density of Luxembourg is about 120 people per 1 km2. The bulk of the population is concentrated in Gutland, with a particularly high density in the mining region of the southwest - around the cities of Esch-sur-Alze (more than 1000 people per 1 km 2), Rumelange and Pétange (700-800) and in the metropolitan area (about 600 ). In Essling, the population density is below average, and only in the area of ​​​​the cities of Wilz and Ettelbrück is approximately 250 people per 1 km 2. The Moselle valley is relatively densely populated; for example, the average population density near Remich is 500 people per 1 km2.

According to 2008 data, the population of Luxembourg is more than 480 thousand people. About 90,000 of them live in Luxembourg and its suburbs. 32% of the population are foreigners. Population density: about 160 people per 1 sq. km. The vast majority of Luxembourg residents - about 90% - live in cities. Rural population is only 10%.

The Celts, Franks and Germanic tribes who migrated through the area before and after the Roman invasion are the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Luxembourg.

The country has its own language - Luxembourgish, which is based on a dialect German language with numerous borrowings from French.

Population of Luxembourg was 300 thousand people in 1930, 291 thousand in 1947 and 385 thousand in 1991. The population now is more than 460 thousand people.

During Second World War There was a sharp decline in the population, especially the male population, but this loss was compensated for by population growth after 1950.

Almost all of the increase is the result of immigration. There are about 140 thousand people of foreign origin (mainly Portuguese and Italians) in the capital - about a third of the country's total population.

Fertility decreased from 31 per 1000 people at the beginning of the 20th century. to 11 in the 21st century, and the mortality rate is 8.78 per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate is 4.65 per 1000 births. Life expectancy in Luxembourg for men is 74.38 and for women 81.15.

Most of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the country. IN capital city Luxembourg 77.4 thousand people lived (1996). Other cities with a population of over 15 thousand people are Esch-sur-Alzette (24.6 thousand), Differdange (16.4 thousand) and Dudelange (16 thousand). Important tourist centers are Echternach and Mondorf-les-Bains.

0-14 years - 19% (men - about 48 thousand people; women - almost 46 thousand people).

15-64 years old - 67% (men - almost 156 thousand people; women - more than 149 thousand people).

65 years and older - 14% (men - about 32 thousand people; women - more than 43 thousand people).

average life expectancy: 77 years (men - 74 years, women - 81 years).

Luxembourg is an urban country: 2/3 of its population live in 16 cities. The largest of them are located in the south - Luxembourg, Echsur-Alzette, Differdange and Pétange.

Most Big city in the north - Wiltz(more than 5 thousand people). Towns with a population of up to 5 thousand predominate, not much different from large rural settlements that have a completely urban appearance. Central location in urban architecture it is usually occupied by a monumental Catholic cathedral.

The cathedral is especially famous Notre Dame Cathedral in the city of Luxembourg, decorated with numerous sculptures in the style of the reGibraltar of the North on the Goat Mountain of Luxembourgness. The country has preserved many ancient monuments, among which feudal castles with high stone towers are especially interesting.

Language

French and German are official languages, but Luxembourgish, a Moselle-Frankish dialect, received national language status in 1984 and became the everyday language of native Luxembourgers.

Widely used and English language. French is the language most often used for formal ceremonies.