Country: The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
is a country in Western Europe. The neighbouring countries
are Belgium, Germany and France. The country is, second to
Malta, the smallest country in the European Union. There 491,539
people (2009) living here.
The original name of Luxembourg was Lützelburg.
This name is made up of two Germanic words: lutila (small)
and burg (Castle). The first mention of the name appears on
a certificate of appreciation in 963. The first settlements
in the area now known as Luxembourg were Celtic settlements
from the 2nd century BC. The Roman military leader Julius
Caesar came here and it became a part of the Roman Empire.
Today the economy of Luxembourg is based on banking and
commerce.
