Luxembourg population: description, composition, employment and size

A small country in Western Europe is Luxembourg. Despite the miniature size, the state has a rich history, a peculiar culture and a very patriotic population. Luxembourg has a high quality of life, which positively affects the demography of the country.

Geography

It is not easy to see the map of Europe Luxembourg. The capital, area, population can be characterized in very small numerical values. The area of the country, for example, is only 2 586.4 km ². Next to such neighbors as Belgium, Germany and France, the country, of course, looks very modest. However, the state and the people, Luxembourg for whom the beloved Motherland, are very proud that they manage to maintain their sovereignty surrounded by such powerful countries.

The country's relief is predominantly a hilly rise, which in the north rests on the Ardennes Mountains. The main waterway of the state is the Moselle River and its tributaries. Also there are several more medium-sized ponds. If you look at the map of Luxembourg, it becomes clear that the country is mostly populated. Dense forests and rivers occupy free territory (about 20% of the total area). The climate here is temperate, influenced by the near Atlantic. Luxemburgers often compare their state with Switzerland, arguing that they have similar living conditions. However, the mountains here are smaller, and the climate is temperate.

History of settlement

The territory, which housed modern Luxembourg, was inhabited already in ancient times. Archaeologists have found a lot of evidence that even in the era of the Upper Neolithic there were places of people here. The sedentary population appears around the 13th century BC. Later there lived Gauls and Franks. During this period, the population of Luxembourg was small. Actually, the history of the country begins in the Middle Ages, when here in the X century a protective fort is created. At this time, a gradual mass settlement of the territory begins. This piece of land for several centuries is inherited in several aristocratic families in Europe. There are built castles, cities, the population density is growing. Soon the country takes a modern look.

State of Luxembourg

Luxembourg - a state whose population is of interest because of its size - has all the attributes of a modern country. From the political point of view, the state is a constitutional monarchy. The main person in the state is the Grand Duke, today it's Henri, or Henry (in German), from the monarchical family of Nassau. He has the right to accept and dismiss the government, interfere in legislative activities, represent the country at the highest levels. In addition, it can have some effect on the work of deputies.

However, in practice all the legislative power remains with the parliament, and the executive with the government. The Duke is only the face of the country. The state has a multi-party system. Thanks to democratic elections, the parliament is elected. The state of Luxembourg has a lot of weight in the European Union. Here there are several institutions of united Europe, including the treasury. In 1867, the permanent neutrality of the state was proclaimed. And just to enter the united Europe, the country decided to give up part of its sovereignty.

Territorial division

The country is divided into three districts, which, in turn, are divided into cantons, and those into communes. The main population of the country Luxembourg lives in cities. In total there are 12 cantons in the state, each of which heads a large settlement. The largest city is the capital of the same name. Its strength is about 100 thousand people. The second largest city is Al-sur-Alzette. Its population is about 30 thousand. Next are almost equal Differdange and Dudelange, slightly under 20 thousand each. In the remaining cities lives less than 10 thousand people. The smallest town is Vianden. There are only 1,5 thousand inhabitants.

Traditions and Culture

Population, demography, religion, traditions, customs, culture of Luxembourg is a subject for long discussion and research. It can be briefly noted that local features were formed under the strong influence of the nearest neighbors, especially Germany and France. The Dutch culture also had a definite impact. Despite a fairly short independent history, the population, Luxembourg for whom is a beloved homeland, is very patriotic and diligently supporting its national identity. Since the state was formed on the basis of a Christian monastery, the canons of faith are still very strong here.

Approximately 70% of the population profess Catholicism, but in peace and harmony they coexist Orthodox, Jews, Protestants and Anglicans. The most favorite and widely celebrated holiday in the country is Easter. On this day, national dishes are prepared, festivals, concerts are held. The cuisine of Luxembourg is unique, although the features of neighboring countries can be seen in it. The locals love meat and know how to cook it, as well as a lot of baked goods, cheeses and unique Moselle wines on their tables. The population of the country is distinguished by healthy conservatism. They do not like innovations and respect traditions. Also residents are extremely polite.

Language

Close proximity to several large countries forces the population to be polyglots. The official languages of Luxembourg are German and French. This allows the residents of the country to easily communicate with their neighbors. In 1982, the status of the official language was Luxembourgish, which is a Mosel-Frankish dialect. They are owned by all the locals. It is on him that they prefer to talk in everyday life. Today, integration into greater Europe forces residents to learn English. And the young people speak it fluently. But people in small villages may not understand this language at all.

Ethnic composition

The fresh statistics of Luxembourg's population indicate that 60% of its population is indigenous Luxembourgers. They are descendants of Celtic tribes with a large admixture of Germanic and Frankish blood. Also in the country there are a lot of immigrants from Germany, Belgium and France. A fairly large number of the Dutch diaspora. In recent years, Luxembourg has experienced a large influx of immigrants from Italy and Portugal. In connection with the latest developments in the Middle East, the country expects the emergence of Syrian refugees, but so far their number does not reach a significant figure. The government is taking certain actions to prevent a large stream of visitors. Therefore, while the number of indigenous people is not threatened.

Dynamics of population

The main value of the country is the population of Luxembourg. The population for more than 300 years of observations of the dynamics of growth has grown more than 100 times. More than 500 thousand people live on the territory of the country today. And sociologists predict a further increase in residents. On average, the dynamics of the country changes as follows: about 18 children are born here daily. Every day 12 people die. Also an average of 30 emigrants come to Luxembourg daily.

Today, the country has one of the highest population densities in Europe. And experts say that this indicator will only grow, especially as a result of migration processes. Today the density is more than 156 people per square kilometer. For example, in Russia this figure is calculated at 8.5, and in France - 116.

Demographic indicators

Today the population of Luxembourg is growing slightly more than 2000 people per year. At the same time, the increase is mainly provided by emigrants, as the birth rate here, as in all of Europe, is not very high. So, for the last 100 years in the country this figure has decreased from 31 to 11 people per 1000 inhabitants. But in the country there is a steady increase in life expectancy. It is today: for men - 73 years, for women - 80 years. This is slightly higher than the world average. Sociologists assess the coefficient of demographic burden in the country, that is, the number of disabled people. It includes people under the age of 15 and over 65. This indicator is 49.5. It is considered quite low, since the number of able-bodied people is quite able to feed dependents. The pension factor is 22%.

Speaking about the age indices, it should be noted that Luxembourg belongs to a successful rejuvenating type of states. The number of young people here predominates over the elderly by about 15%, and the largest number is composed of working-age residents. Indicators on the ratio of sexes in Luxembourg as a whole fit into the European trend. At birth, the number of boys is slightly above girls, and at the age of 65 the number of men is almost one-third less than that of women.

Employment

The country recorded a fairly large number of residents. The population, Luxembourg for whom is a place of permanent residence, experiences some difficulties with employment. The unemployment rate is 6.6. This is due to the fact that migrant workers come to the country every year, whose number reaches 50% of the able-bodied population. About 80% of the population is employed in the services sector, a large part of which are catering and tourism. About 18% work in the field of industrial production, in agriculture - only 2.5%.

A country's economy

Luxembourg, whose GDP per capita is about 100 thousand dollars, is one of the richest countries in the world. Local people are used to a high standard of living and do not want to part with it. Today, the country is one of the best medical services in Europe. The government constantly cares about the quality of education and the living conditions of its population. The power is quite low in unemployment and low inflation. Today, the crisis leaves an imprint on economic indicators, but they are quite optimistic.

The country is actively developing industry. If before the main source of income was the steel industry, today the chemical industry is developing, the production of food products is growing. The biggest problem of Luxembourg's economy is a huge external debt. It is 80% of GDP. The government is trying to reduce economic risks, actively diversifying production, promoting the development of entrepreneurship.