Luxembourg

Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, also spelled Luxemburg, is a small landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometers.

Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; French, German, and Luxembourgish are official languages.

Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by Germany during the WWI, but was allowed to maintain its independence and political mechanisms. It was again invaded and subject to German occupation in the WWII in 1940, and was formally annexed into the Third Reich in 1942.

During WWII, Luxembourg abandoned its policy of neutrality, when it joined the Allies in fighting Germany. Its government, exiled to London, set up a small group of volunteers who participated in the Normandy invasion. It became a founding member of the United Nations in 1946, and of NATO in 1949. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union).