40 Facts About Luxembourg

The name Luxembourg is derived from the Lucilinburhuc ("little fortress") castle purchased by Siegfried, count of Ardennes, in 963 C.E., which marked the establishment of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is the world's last Grand Duchy with a Grand Duke as its head of state.

Grand Duke Jean reigned for 36 years until his son, Henri, took over in 2000.

The Prime Minister is in charge of the government.

Xavier Bettel, the current Prime Minister of Luxembourg, was the first gay EU leader to marry. In 2015, he married his partner, Gauthier Destenay.

Luxembourg is a landlocked country bordered to the west by Belgium, to the south by France, and to the east by Germany. 

According to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook Report published in April 2015, it has the highest GDP per capita in the world in 2014, at $111,716.

The total population of the country is approximately 525,000 people, 43% of whom are foreign residents. It has the most expats per capita of any European country.

Luxembourg is home to the RTL Group, Europe's largest entertainment network. It owns 55 TV channels and 29 radio stations around the world.

The official languages are German, French, and Ltzebuergesch (Luxembourgish). German and French are used primarily for administrative and official written communication, whereas Luxembourgish is used in everyday conversations. Everyone in school is required to learn German beginning in first grade, French at the end of second grade, and English in eighth grade.

There are only two universities in Luxembourg: the University of Luxembourg and the Sacred Heart University of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is one of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's twelve founding members (NATO).

Luxembourg, along with Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, was one of the six founding members of the European Union.

Luxembourg is unique in that immigrants and cross-border workers account for 70% of the workforce.

The Old Quarters and Fortifications of Luxembourg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Luxembourg's National Day is celebrated on June 23rd, as is the birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte, who ruled for nearly 50 years. (The Grand Duchess was born on January 23, 1896, but the holiday was moved to June because of better weather.)

The country's motto is "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin" meaning "We want to remain what we are".

Luxembourg is home to the corporate headquarters of Skype, as well as the European headquarters of Amazon, Paypal, Rakuten, and Rovi Corp., because it is a well-known strong financial centre and tax haven.

According to 2015 data, Luxembourg has the highest monthly minimum wage in the world, at $2,468. (based on a 40-hour work week). Australia is first with $2,863.

The Bock Casemates, a 21-kilometer underground tunnel network, is one of the country's most well-known attractions.

According to the US Central Intelligence Agency's 2015 figures, the average life expectancy is 82 years.

The Dancing Procession of Echternach, which is on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, is an old religious tradition in which thousands of pilgrims gather on Whit Tuesday to take part in a hopping/skipping procession in honour of St. Willibrord.

In 1443, Elisabeth of Luxembourg sold Luxembourg to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

The Bourscheid Castle is the largest of the 75 castles that still stand in the country today.

Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion.

Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Auxerrois, Rivaner, Elbling, and Chardonnay are among the nine grape varieties grown in the Moselle Valley.

Another Moselle specialty is Crémant de Luxembourg, a high-quality sparkling wine produced in the traditional manner similar to Champagne. This type of wine is also produced in France and Burgundy, but Luxembourg clearly produces the best variety, winning 22 gold medals in the recent Crémant Awards—24th Concours National des Crémants—held in 2015.

Bouneshclupp, or green bean soup, is a Luxembourg specialty that is typically served with Gromperekichelcher (potato pancakes), Rendfleeschbritt (beef broth with vermicelli), and Gromperenzopp (potato pancakes) (a potato soup with leeks, egg yolks, and cream).

Gromperekichelcher, which are potato pancakes made with potatoes, onions, parsley, egg, and flour, are a popular national snack.

Pork is traditionally served as ham. Another popular Luxembourgish dish is Judd mat Gaardebounen, which is smoked pork collar with broad or Fava beans.

Friture de la Moselle is a popular specialty made from fried small Moselle River fish.

The "Luxembourg Menu," another traditional dish, is a meat platter of cooked and smoked hams, pâté, and sausage served with hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and fresh tomatoes.

Quetsch is a traditional plum-based alcoholic beverage.

When invited to someone's home, it is customary to bring a box of chocolates or flowers.

Except for 13, which is considered unlucky, flowers should be given in odd numbers.

Chrysanthemums are commonly used as funeral flowers.

It is illegal to allow your dog to defecate within the city; thus, dog poo bag dispensers are readily available, and the bags even have printed instructions for proper disposal on them.

Despite the fact that the cost of living in Luxembourg is generally high, the country's petrol is among the cheapest in the EU.

Iron and steel, aluminium, glass, rubber, chemicals, telecommunications, engineering, and tourism are the main industries that drive the country's economy.

ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, is headquartered in Luxembourg.