Luxembourg Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western Europe.

Area
2,586 sq km (999 sq miles).

Population
480,222 (CIA estimate 2007).

Population Density
186 per sq km.

Capital
Luxembourg-Ville.
Population: 82,000 (2005).

Government
Constitutional monarchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and the only Grand Duchy in the world.

Language
Lëtzeburgesch, a German-Moselle-Frankish dialect, became the officially recognized national language in 1984. French and German are generally used for administrative and commercial purposes. Many Luxembourgers also speak English.

Religion
Around 87% Roman Catholic, with Protestant, Anglican, Jewish and Muslim minorities.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker since 1995.

Head of State
Grand Duke Henri since 2000.

Recent History
Jean-Claude Juncker, of the conservative Christian Social Party, has been Prime Minister since 1995 when his predecessor, Jacques Santer, became President of the European Commission. His party had originally formed a coalition government with the Democratic Party. Following the June 2004 general elections, he formed a coalition with the Socialist Workers Party. In July 2005, Luxembourg’s voters backed a proposed EU constitution, already rejected by the French and Dutch.

Telephone
Country code: 352 (no area codes). International phones have a yellow sign showing a telephone dial with a receiver in the center.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Luxembourg City and most towns.

Media
Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences, including those in France, Germany and the UK thanks to the Luxembourg-based media group RTL. Today, RTL’s television and radio stations remain key players in media markets across Europe. The country is also home to Europe’s largest satellite operator, Societé Européenne des Satellites (SES), which operates the Astra satellite fleet. Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the constitution.


Post
Post to other European destinations takes two to four days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1330-1700. Smaller offices may open for only a few hours.

Press
• There are several daily newspapers including the Lëtzebuerger Journal, Luxemburger Wort and Tageblatt.
• 352 is a weekly publication in English.

Radio
• RTL Radio Letzebuerg is RTL’s domestic network.
• Den Neien Radio is a commercial network.
• Radio ARA has music and some English-language programs.
• EldoRadio broadcasts pop music.
• Honnert,7 (100.7) is a public, cultural station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
23 Feb** Carnival.
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
21 May Ascension. 
1 Jun Whit Monday.
23 Jun National Day.
15 Aug Assumption. 
1 Sep** Luxembourg City Kermesse.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec St Stephen's Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day. 
15 Feb** Carnival.
5 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May May Day.
13 May Ascension. 
24 May Whit Monday.
23 Jun National Day.
15 Aug Assumption. 
1 Sep** Luxembourg City Kermesse.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec St Stephen's Day.

Note
(a) **Applies to the City of Luxembourg only. (b) Official public holidays falling on a Sunday may be deferred to the following Monday, for a maximum of two holidays. Exact details should be confirmed with the tourist office or the embassy (see General Info).

Contact Information:

Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the UK
27 Wilton Crescent, London SW1X 8SD, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 6961.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1145 (visa section; applications); Mon-Fri 1145-1200 (visa collections).

Luxembourg National Tourist Office in the UK
Sicilian House, Suite 4.1, Sicilian Avenue, London WC1A 2QR, UK
Tel: (020) 7434 2800.
Website: www.luxembourg.co.uk

Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the USA
2200 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 265 4171.
Website: www.luxembourg-usa.org

Luxembourg National Tourist Office in the USA
Luxembourg House,17 Beekman Place, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (212) 935 8888.
Website: www.visitluxembourg.com


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