Western Europe.

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

2586 sq km (999 sq miles).

465,000 (UN estimate 2005).

179 per sq km.

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

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg shares borders to the north and west with Belgium, to the south with France and to the east with Germany. One-third of the country is made up of the hills and forests of the Ardennes, while the rest is wooded farmland. In the southeast is the rich wine-growing valley of Moselle. The capital, Luxembourg-Ville, is built on a rock overlooking the Alzette and Petrusse valleys.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a hereditary and constitutional monarchy. The 60-member unicameral Chamber of Deputies has legislative power, and members are directly elected to serve a five-year term. Executive power is formally in the hands of the Grand Duke, but is in practice wielded by the Council of Ministers.

Constitutional monarchy. Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union and the only Grand Duchy in the world. Head of State: Grand Duke Henri since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker since 1995. 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.

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

Around 88 per cent Roman Catholic, with Protestant, Anglican, Jewish and Muslim minorities.

Handshaking is the normal greeting. The code of practice for visiting someone’s home is similar to other Western European countries: it is acceptable to give gifts or flowers if invited for a meal. Smart-casual dress is widely acceptable, but some dining rooms, clubs and social functions will demand formal attire. Evening wear, black tie (for men) is usually specified on invitation if required. Smoking is prohibited where notified and is becoming increasingly unacceptable.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.