One of the smallest sovereign states in the world is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. However, the small area and lack of minerals does not at all prevent it from having the highest per capita income. Well, an interesting history and a huge number of attractions make it a real paradise for tourists.
Where is located
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is located in Western Europe, between Belgium, Germany and France. Its area is surprisingly small - only 2586 square kilometers (for comparison, the area of \u200b\u200bMoscow is 2511 square kilometers), which makes the state one of the smallest in the world.
And the capital of the Duchy of Luxembourg is also called Luxembourg, which can cause some confusion among people who first visited this amazing place. Of course, there are many other settlements - from tiny villages to quite large (by local standards) cities.
Population
According to the census conductedas of January 1, 2018, in total, 602,005 people are citizens of the country. Moreover, almost a quarter live in the capital - about 115 thousand people, which makes it the largest settlement in the country.
The main spoken language is Luxembourgish, but almost every person knows French and German since childhood - without this it is impossible to work in business, tourism, or any other. Because very often you have to travel abroad or receive foreign guests.
As already mentioned, the population in the Duchy of Luxembourg exceeds 600 thousand people. However, this does not mean that they all live here. The fact is that real estate here has an astronomical value. Despite huge salaries, not everyone can afford to rent or buy an apartment or house. Therefore, more than 100 thousand people (half of the working population) go to work from Germany or France, and return home at the end of the working day. This is explained by the fact that real estate in these countries is much cheaper, and there are not the slightest problems in obtaining documents or visas when crossing borders - usually border guards do not even ask for a passport.
Economy
Many EU organizations are located in Luxembourg (a city, not a duchy), which brings in a lot of income. In addition, here you can see more than 200 banks and almost 1000 investment funds - no other city in the world can boast of such figures. Moreover, the share of Luxembourg banks and funds accounts for only a small part of the total number - mainlythese are foreign organizations.
The fact is that Luxembourg is an offshore zone, which can significantly reduce the costs of transactions. This is what allows the state to have such a significant income - 150,554 dollars a year per capita (for comparison, in Russia - 8,946, in the USA - 57,220 and even in Switzerland - only 81,000).
True, there is almost no own industry. Only 10% of GDP comes from local production of pig iron and iron. This makes the state and its population extremely dependent on the economy of other countries. For example, the 2008 crisis hit the well-being of many people very hard, depriving them of their property.
Agriculture
Surprisingly, such a rich and tiny country boasts an extremely developed agriculture - the government does not at all think that it is easier to buy food abroad, having enough funds for this. Farmers receive huge subsidies, which allows them to supply quality products to the citizens of the country. Apparently, the government is well aware that a state dependent on the supply of products from abroad is extremely vulnerable and cannot be called independent.
Cattle breeding is very developed, almost completely covering the needs of the population in milk and meat. There are also chic gardens - the mild climate and the almost complete absence of frosts allow the cultivation of many crops.
Many families for generationsengaged in winemaking. Local vineyards are almost as good as French ones. Especially many plantations are located near the Moselle River. It flows through the valley, protected from cold winds from all sides. The local wine varieties Rivaner, Moselle and Riesling are very popular among connoisseurs.
Transport in the country
It is also worth touching on the topic of transport. Despite the small size of the state, local residents have to travel a lot - as already mentioned, about 100 thousand people cross the border twice a day.
In general, in the Duchy of Luxembourg, the rules for importing cars from Russia are quite simple. If the car is not new (released more than 6 months ago or has a mileage of more than 6,000 kilometers), then the tax does not need to be paid at all. Otherwise, you must provide the invoice received at the time of purchase, a certificate of residence, a gray card (a special document issued in Luxembourg) and have the car with you for checking numbers.
But if you want, you can always rent a car on the spot - it's much easier. And in general, transport here is inexpensive (especially by the standards of Europe). A one-time bus ride costs less than 1 euro. And for 4 euros you can buy a daily pass, which is valid not only in all buses around the country, but also in second-class railway cars.
The country's most famous village
Certainly the most famous village in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is Schengen. Just a fewdecades ago, not even all the inhabitants of the country knew about it. However, after the signing of an agreement uniting the disparate countries of Europe into one Schengen zone, this name thundered throughout the world.
But, despite this, the flow of tourists does not tend to come here. Therefore, Schengen residents lead the same quiet, calm and measured life as before. The population here is quite small - less than a thousand people. They are mainly engaged in the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine, which is popular throughout the country and abroad.
Attractions
Of course, it is impossible not to talk about the sights of the Duchy of Luxembourg, if we talk about it. In general, there are quite a lot of them here.
For example, in the capital it is worth visiting the Palace of the Grand Dukes - a majestic building built in the middle of the sixteenth century and today is the residence of local rulers.
Some tourists will be interested in visiting the Bock casemates. Located near Luxembourg, they are up to 40 meters deep and over 20 kilometers long! Many mysterious passages, gloomy chambers and exits to the surface make them one of the main attractions of the capital and the whole country. From here you can get off almost anywhere in the city. And during the Second World War, casemates were used as a bomb shelter for local residents - a serious depth made the former prison a safe haven.
Wine connoisseurs should definitely follow the Luxembourg Wine Trail. With a length of 42 kilometers, itunites several villages, almost the entire population of which has been growing grapes and making wine for many generations. You can try a variety of varieties here - no one who understands such drinks will be disappointed.
You can also visit the Golden Frau - a monument erected in memory of the inhabitants of Luxembourg who died in the First World War. Then the country was occupied by Germany, many of its citizens fought in the ranks of the French army. On the battlefields, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg lost about two thousand people. The monument is a gilded figure of a woman holding out her hands with a wreath. It is set on a pedestal 21 meters high, at the foot of which there are two figures - a killed soldier and his comrade, mourning the loss.
Main symbols of the country
Of course, speaking about the country, it is worth noting its main symbols - the coat of arms and the flag.
The coat of arms is quite exquisite - against the background of an ermine mantle, two golden lions, looking in different directions, hold a shield, where against a background of blue and white stripes on its hind legs stands a third lion - red. The shield, like the entire coat of arms, is topped with a crown.
But the flag of the Duchy of Luxembourg is not so grandiose - it consists of three horizontal stripes: red, white, blue. And this often causes confusion - after all, the Netherlands flag is exactly the same. The only difference is that the blue stripe has a slightly darker color. However, the problems in identifying the flag are stillarise - such embarrassments often occur at different levels.
Interesting facts
Some people are interested in the question of what Luxembourg is - a principality or a duchy. At the head is one person who, in theory, has complete power. However, since the word duchy appears in the official name, the country will be correctly classified in this category.
Surprisingly, Luxembourg, not having the slightest reserves of oil, gas or other energy sources, boasts the lowest gasoline prices in Western Europe. The government is well aware that many citizens have to travel a significant distance per day (they live in one state and work in another), so they spend a lot of money to keep the cost of fuel at an acceptable level. Many people take advantage of this - the Germans and the French come here to fill up the car. Yes, and local residents often speculate in fuel, buying cheaper and reselling at the border for much more.
Almost a third of the country's area is occupied by artificially planted forests.
Men here have an average life expectancy of 78 years, while women have an average life expectancy of 83.
Conclusion
Our article is coming to an end. From it you learned a lot of interesting and new things about the amazing Duchy of Luxembourg. We tried to tell you about all areas - from the economy and agriculture to history and sights.
