Stadt Luxemburg
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| Flag of Stadt Luxemburg | |
| Motto: "Wohlstand ist Einheit" | |
| No Map Available | |
| Region | European Union |
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| Capital | Stadt Luxemburg |
| Official Language(s) | German, French |
| Leader | Jens Engelbrecht |
| Population | 8,000,000 |
| Currency | Luxemburgisch Franc |
| NS Sunset XML | |
The Republic of Stadt Luxemburg (German: Republik Stadt Luxemburg, French: République Ville de Luxembourg), commonly known as Stadt Luxemburg (German: Stadt Luxemburg, French: Ville de Luxembourg) is a small Parliamentary Democracy located in European Union. Stadt Luxemburg has a strong economy and citizens enjoy generous civil and political rights. Its NationStates catagory is New York Times Democracy.
Contents
Geography and climate
Terrain
Stadt Luxemburg is a small, landlocked country located in the European Union. It consists of three distinct regions. The north contains many mountains and valleys, part of the Wilzdecker Range. The west has more rolling terrain, with gently rolling countryside containing many rivers. The south is much flatter, and is the main center of agriculture.
Climate
Stadt Luxembourg has a mild temperate climate, with cooler summers and moderately snowy winters. There is abundant precipitation, except in the summer months. Average yearly precipitation is about 70%, making Stadt Luxemburg one of the rainiest countries in the European Union.
Demographics
People
Stadt Luxemburg had a population of about 10 million at the time of the last census. Its citizens are largely homogeneous, with most families having ties to the country back many generations. Stadt Luxemburg is home to few immigrants, due to restrictive government immigration policies. Those immigrants who are able to make Stadt Luxemburg their home are usually highly educated and fill well-qualified positions.
The combination of a small population and a small land area makes is relatively simple for all citizens to enjoy the services provided by the government. Citizens of Stadt Luxemburg enjoy a high standard of living, provided by economic prosperity and generous government services.
Languages
Stadt Luxemburg has two national languages: German and French. German is the native language of Luxemburgers from the northern and western regions, and citizens residing in the south generally speak French. German is the predominant language, spoken by 84% of the population. French is only spoken by 14% of Luxemburgers.
The remaining 2% of residents (mostly immigrants) speak a variety of languages, the most prominent of which is English. To acquire citizenship, one must be fluent in either German or French, and people over the age of 24 years must be fluent in both. English is also a required language for all schoolchildren to learn because of its prolific use around the world.
Religion
It is specifically stated in the Constitution that Stadt Luxemburg is to be a secular nation. The government is forbidden from creating an official religion, funding religious activities, or providing tax breaks for religious institutions. However, every citizen of Stadt Luxemburg is also guaranteed Freedom of Religion, and so most Luxemburgers to profess to belonging to a certain religion. The breakdown is as follows: Christian 72% (Catholic 28%, Protestant 44%), Buddhist 4%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, Other 3%, Athiest 19%. Although no religion is the official national religion, the government recognizes all religions and may not ban any relgion.
Economy
Important industries
Stadt Luxemburg has strict bank secrecy laws, and is therefore a large banking center of the European Union. It also provides favorable tax rates for businesses, and is therefore home to many corporations’ headquarters.
Economic prosperity
Stadt Luxemburg enjoys relatively high economic prosperity for a country its size. One of the main reasons for this is the pro-business stance the government has taken, which allows businesses a certain amount of freedom in their operations. The total GDP of Stadt Luxemburg is about 200 billion dollars, and the per capita GDP is about 20,000 dollars. There is zero black market activity in Stadt Luxemburg.
Government and politics
Government type
The government of Stadt Luxemburg is a parliamentary democracy that gives great power to local government in the lawmaking process. Very close to a direct democracy, citizens’ referenda are also given great weight, with any petition containing 50,000 signatures collected within 100 days put to vote by the general populace. The general consensus of the citizens of Stadt Luxemburg is usually the deciding factor in most bills coming before Parliament, which makes the Federal Government more ceremonial than most countries.
The Federal Parliament is elected by direct ballot in general elections, held every three years. A Federal Council of seven is chosen from the ranks of Parliament by the members of Parliament. The Federal Council then chooses one of its members to become Prime Minister, a largely ceremonial position consisting of a one-year term. The current prime minister is Jens Engelbrecht.
NationStates rates Stadt Luxemburg as a New York Times Democracy. Specific ratings are as follows: Civil Rights – Excellent; Economy – Very Strong; Political Freedoms – Superb.
Political Parties
The Constitution of Stadt Luxemburg states that the Supreme Court may ban any political party promoting hatred or violence. As a result, most major political parties in Stadt Luxemburg are centrist parties, with a few smaller fringe parties existing.
There are currently six political parties represented in Parliament.
- Democratic People’s Party (German: Partei Der Demokratischen Leute, French: La Partie des Personnes Démocratiques) - Center-left, 27 Parliament seats
- Christian Democratic Party (German: Christlich-Demokratische Partei, French: Parti Démocratique Chrétien) - Center-right, 21 Parliament seats
- Free Democratic Party (German: Freie Demokratische Partei, French: Parti Démocratique Libre) - Social Left, Fiscal Right, 17 Parliament seats
- Luxemburgish National Party (German: Luxemburger Nationale Partei, French: Partie Nationale Luxembourgeoise) - Right, 14 Parliament seats
- Progress Party (German: Fortschritt-Partei, French: Partie de Progrès) - Center, 12 Parliament seats
- The Greens (German: Die Grünen, French: Les Verts) - Left, 9 Parliament seats
Administrative divisions
Stadt Luxemburg is divided into twelve cantons, each with its own capital, parliament, and minister. Each canton is largely independent from the federal government, and a law passed in nine of the twelve cantonal parliaments becomes a federal law. The federal capital city, Stadt Luxemburg, is also a canton, the borders of which are the city limits. Despite its unique situation, Stadt Luxemburg uses the same regulations of any other cantion, and has its own parliament and minister.
