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The
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small country surrounded by Belgium,
France and Germany, and its history has been inextricably linked with that
of its larger neighbours. It is largely made up of rolling hills and forests.
~ Luxembourg has been under the control of many states and ruling
houses in its long history, but it has been a separate, if not always autonomous,
political unit since the 10th century. Today, Luxembourg is a hereditary
Grand Duchy with a unicameral parliamentary system. ~ Luxembourgish, the
national language, is akin to German. German is the first foreign language
for most Luxembourgers and is used in the media. French is the administrative
language. ~ The economic structure of Luxembourg is based mainly in banking,
insurance, and the steel industry. Agriculture and wine production are
also important. ~ Many of Luxembourg's speciality dishes are of the type
one would expect in a forested country. They include jugged hare and Ardennes
ham. Trout and pike, fresh from the country’s rivers, also feature regularly
on menus here. ~ Luxembourg shares the Moselle valley with Germany and
the local white wines are well known and popular. Like other northern European
countries, Luxembourg also produces popular brands of beer.
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