Van Luxemburger Factbook, v.3

[Van Luxemburg]

(OOC : I thought it was time to renew my factbook once again. Pleas enote that, while it may look finished, there's still some things to be done. Cities might be completely implemented at a later date. Thanks to Brutland and Norden for letting me borrow his factbook look!)

The Grand Duchy of Van Luxemburg

'Concordia civium murus patriae'

A short overview of Van Luxemburg:
Name:
conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Van Luxemburg
conventional short form: Van Luxemburg
local long form: Groussherzogtum Vun Lëtzebuerg, Großherzogtum Van Luxemburg, Grand Duché du Van Luxemburg, Granducato del Van Luxemburg, Groothertogdom Van Luxemburg
local short form: Vun Lëtzebuerg, Van Luxemburg
Official Languages: Vun Lëtzebuergesch, Dutch, German, French and Italian
Head of State: Grand Duke Koen van Luxemburg
Head of Government: Premier Nicolas Hirtz
Form of Government: Grand Duchy (Constitutional Monarchy)
Capital: Luxembourg
National animal: Van Luxemburger Lion - Panthera leo luxemburgum
National tree: Van Luxemburger Olive Tree – Olea europae luxemburgum
Currency: 1 Florin = 100 cents, ƒ1 = $1.5091
Population: 528,000,000(April 2008 est.)
Religion: None officially.
Map: Large Version

The Factbook of the Grand Duchy of Van Luxemburg

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: History
Chapter 2: Geography
Chapter 3: People
Chapter 4: Government
Chapter 5: Economy
Chapter 6: Communications
Chapter 7: Transportation
Chapter 8: Military : Arméi
Chapter 9: Marine
Chapter 10: Airforce
Chapter 11: National symbols
Chapter 12: The Autobahn
(- Important Cities of Van Luxemburg :
Chapter 13: Luxembourg
Chapter 14: Esch-sur-Alzette
Chapter 15: Venezia
Chapter 16: Zinzendorf
Chapter 17: Enzersdorf
Chapter 18: Weiningen
Chapter 19: Arvaglio
Chapter 20: San Giustra
Chapter 21: Levallois
Chapter 22: Villacoublay
Chapter 23: Sint Annabeek)
Chapter 24 : The Autobahnpolizei
Chapter 25 : Other Emergency services

[Van Luxemburg]

History

In the prehistoric ages, Van Luxemburg was inhabited by a small amount of tribes, who have proven to have a very sophisticated way of living. Their tools can still be found in several areas in Van Luxemburg, although very little of these tools are still in a good condition. It is unknown what exactly caused these tribes to extinct, but recent research has shown that the cause of this may be a period of severe drought, around 100 BC. There are still some remains of the ancient mountain villages (called Wunn, a Vun Lëtzebuerger word for these villages), which were built on the rocky grounds. They were primarily made out of Perret stone. These villages probably served as summer housing for the tribes, so that they could allow their cattle to walk in the fertile mountain fields.

Meanwhile, in Europe,1136, after the death of Koenraad (Konrad) II as Count of Luxembourg, a large group of loyalists supporting the unrecognised Koenraad III moved out of the County, being threatened with prosecution. Leaving from Antwerp, they left on a journey that was originally destined for Jerusalem, then seen as the center of the world. Totally unexpected, they found a new continent, which was named Van Luxemburg (meaning Of Luxembourg, also sometimes called Vun Lëtzebuerg) to honour their origin. The settlers originally landed in a somewhat awkward place, being the present-day city Esch-sur-Alzette on the Alzettemier sea, in the centre of Van Luxemburg. This means that the settlers must have passed the Stretto di Barriera, possibly thinking it was the Gibraltar Strait. It is still a miracle they were able to navigate past the extremely dangerous coral reefs in the strait, without sinking their ships.

From Esch-sur-Alzette, the loyalists spread out over the lands slowly, still not realising the scale of the continent they had discovered. After Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg was founded. There, a castle was constructed for Koenraad III, who was in bad health and unable to travel anymore. In the years following, the loyalists steadily expanded the settled area, while more and more settlers arrived in Esch-sur-Alzette. While a large part of the new settlers also were loyalists or at least former citizens of Luxembourg and surroundings, people from the Holy Roman Empire, including Italians, French, German and Dutch settlers. One can still see the influence from the Catholic Church on Van Luxemburg nowadays: all over the continent, Catholic Churches and Monasteries are scattered around the landscape, even though Protestants now almost have the same amount of followers as the Catholics.

After roughly 200 years, Van Luxemburg was colonised, even though villages and towns were separated by days and days of travelling. This made it hard to spread news around the continent, and some messages took years to reach the recipients. The Grand Duchy was still relatively unknown on a global scale, but this changed as immigrants spread the news among family in Europe, causing immigrants to arrive in a ‘better world with new chances’, as the populace in Europe believed.

This caused the population of the Grand Duchy to grow extensively. By 1500, the population had grown to over 10 million individuals, both centered in cities and dotted around the agricultural landscape. In this age, the travel to ‘The New World’, America, was also on the rise, and Van Luxemburg served as an important stop in the journeys between Europe and America. This caused quite some tension in the major port cities, and even small skirmishes were not out of the question as English and Spanish armadas sailed past to reach their new home. Several armies of Swiss mercenaries kept the Spanish and English at bail, while the Venetians and Dutch often traded with the Van Luxemburgers.

However, in 1584, Months after the murder of William of Orange, the news reached the Dutch and Spanish trading posts in Van Luxemburg, a spark which ignited hostilities between the two in Van Luxemburg as well. The Dutch were quickly supported by the Van Luxemburgers and Swiss mercenaries, while a fleet of the Venetians safeguarded Van Luxemburg from any Spanish armadas. The violence of the Spanish was quickly contained, after several small-scale battles in Van Luxemburg’s southern provinces. This caused the Dutch and Venetians to receive a definite place in Van Luxemburg. The city of Venezia was named in honour of the Venetian fleet, attracting many sailors from the Republic of Venice, while the Dutch settled in one of the northernmost provinces, naming it Sint Annabeek.

In 1653, war came again to the continent. This time, the English had declared war to the Dutch, of which the latter maintained a sizeable force on the continent to protect their trade interests. English troops landed near Sint-Annabeek, before having been fired upon by both Venetian and Van Luxemburger ships. They were however pushed back rather quickly, thanks to the presence of a Dutch military force, supported by the Van Luxemburger Arméi. The Battle of Stokkel was the last large battle with the English, before 150 years of peace would reign in the Grand Duchy. In the meantime, the power and might of the Grand Dukes grew, slowly encompassing the Dutch and Venetian settlements into parts of their Grand Duchy.

However, in 1803, French revolutionaries attempted to take the Grand Duchy by storm, being partly successful by capturing the two French regions of Van Luxemburg, Levallois-Perret and Villacoublay. The Transperret republic was founded out of those two regions, being named after the mountain range that was located in the center of the republic. This republic lasted for approximately 46 years, before it was again taken up in the Grand Duchy again following a constitution reformation in Van Luxemburg. The last few revolutionaries were banished from the Grand Duchy forever, and were placed on the barren island of Saint-Dié, off the coast of Van Luxemburg. Nowadays, the People’s Republic of Île Saint-Dié is a republic that is largely distrusted by the Van Luxemburgers, and a cold war has been taking place in the past 150 years.

The constitution change also allowed for a parliament to be organised under the Grand Duke’s reign, a change that made the Grand Duchy a Constitutional Monarchy. The first premier of the new government was Michel Senneville, the former president of the Transperret Republic. Under his rule, Van Luxemburg changed into a very liberal nation, even during their industrial revolution. It was a nation in which women and factory workers were allowed to vote from 1854 on, and wealth became more evenly distributed.

The Grand Duchy did not actually participate in the Colonial Wars, but Van Luxemburger naval ships managed to capture several islands across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. By 2008, most of these islands have been ceded to other nations. One of the remnant of the former Van Luxemburger colonial assets is Guyana Island, located in the South Atlantic. It is currently in the process of being ceded to Romandeos. Another island in the South Atlantic, Kreuzbadinsel, was colonised in 2006.

In 1914, the Van Luxemburger government decided to remain neutral during the First World War, and adopted a policy of ‘everlasting neutrality’ to secure the nation from any foreign invasions. This was partly successful, as German and English ships often fought naval battles near the continent, without any interference of Van Luxemburger navy ships. These battles, such as the Battle for the Dié coastal waters, learned the Marine of the Grand Duchy some important lessons, vital for the military reorganisation that would take place years later.

In 1929, the Wall Street Crash had little effect on the Grand Duchy. Since it was considerably less tied to the USA than other nations in the world, and had little vital trade contacts with the outside world, it could survive the hard years. However, this was also the start of an extensive social policy that would ensure an income for the unemployed. This policy has been maintained throughout the years and lasts even now, though adapted to modern times.

When in 1939 fighting broke out across the world, the Van Luxemburger Grand Duchy was on good terms with France and the Benelux, having severely condemned the ongoing actions in Germany. Even though the Van Luxemburgers were still neutral, this would not take long.
The Dié republic had took up relationships with the Axis of Hitler and Mussolini. Since Van Luxemburg was on good terms with the Western Allies, they couldn’t tolerate the position of Dié as Axis dissident anymore as war broke out.
However, Dié, German and Italian troops prevented the Van Luxemburgers from undertaking the first strike. In the morning of May 15, 1940, a small contingent of Axis troops attacked the Van Luxemburger mainland near Pietrobuona. The troops consisted of the German 164th Infantry Division, pockets of the SS-Division Das Reich, the Italian 27 Divisione Autotrasportabile Brescia and a large amount of Dié Army troops. Supported by the Italian 372 Squadriglia equipped with FIAT CR.42 Falco’s, and at sea represented by a notable navy with the German cruiser ‘Nürnberg’ as flagship. They were up against Van Luxemburger troops, not expecting the attack and underequipped with only one tank battalion, consisting of around 12 license-produced Somua S-35 and Landsverk L-60 tanks. The infantry was very mobile and motorised, but lacked proper weaponry. Automatic rifles had only been integrated in the military at a platoon level. The same applied to submachine guns. However, in terms of air power, the Van Luxemburgers could quickly employ their modern Monteluci fighter aircraft from airbases in Venezia and even Campolongo. As the Italian fighters were little challenge for the agile and heavily armed Monteluci’s, and air supremacy was quickly achieved within the day. In terms of naval power, Van Luxemburg could only field two MTB’s from Montbéliard, and could only damage the Dié destroyer Sucy before they were sunk by gunfire from the Nürnberg. Meanwhile, the Axis troops quickly moved inlands to the east, while breaching small pockets of resistance that increased as the day moved on. As the Van Luxemburgers had reorganised themselves, the Axis troops were quickly brought to a halt with notable help from the tank battalion near Campolongo, after the Axis had captured the road from Pietrobuona to Campolongo and the city of Castelnuovo on the Alzettemier further to the north.

In the five years that followed, several offensives followed the first attacks in May 1940. but none were successful for either side due to the heavy fortification that had taken place on the frontline. As the German Götterdämmerung approached, and Italian troops already deserted the enclave, Dié troops were quick to sign a peace treaty that would lead to the retreat of all Dié troops from the Van Luxemburger mainland However, in the years that followed, no Dié troop formation ever returned home, and an impasse had been reached: since 5 May 1945, Both countries look at each other through binoculars only.

After the Second World War, Van Luxemburg focused on economic growth, and in 1948, VLT Automotive was founded, the beginning of one of the most successful businesses in Van Luxemburg. With the LDG party in power throughout the 50’s, the economic growth in Van Luxemburg went through the roof, causing the many factories in Van Luxemburg to run overhours in order to supply the population with their required luxury goods.

The market experienced somewhat of a slowdown during the 1970’s, as a direct result of the oil crises. This also caused Van Luxemburger exploration ships to go out and discover oil fields in several places around the Alzettemier, and even in some small offshore pockets. While this solved the oil shortage in Van Luxemburger society, the economic slowdown had already lead to the demise of several automobile manufacturers.

In 2004, Grand Duke Koen van Luxemburg accessed the throne of the palace on the Boulevard 5. Mee 1945, and a new era for the nation had begun. From 2005 on, several small skirmishes in The Vuhifellian States followed, as well as anti-terrorism actions on Guyana Island. These skirmishes and actions could however not stop from Van Luxemburger becoming one of the most automobile-minded nations in the world, and also one of the wealthiest thanks to the export of automobile-related products.

[Van Luxemburg]

Geography

Region : The Northern Atlantic Ocean, inbetween Europe and North America
Area size:
total: 2,305,150 sq km
land: 2,644,120 sq km
water: 661,030 sq km
Coastline: 20,590 km
Highest point: Trefflingerkofel 4188m
Lowest point: Sint-Annabeekpolder -19m
Natural Resources: iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, silver, gold, platinum, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish

Van Luxemburg was created by a collision of three plates, namely the North-American, Eurasian and African plate. This caused the three Van Luxemburger mountain ranges (Zinzener Appeninen, Lëtzebuerger Alpen, Montagnes Perret) to appear. Sedimentation of soil against these mountain ranges caused the lower areas of Van Luxemburg to be created. These grounds were extremely fertile, and stimulated the growth of various plants. Several large lakes are also the result of sedimentation; these lakes were disconnected from the sea due to sedimentation at one point in history. Recent research has also shown that the Alzettemier (a large inland sea) is also suffering from sedimentation, and shrinks at a rate of about 2 centimetres per year.

Van Luxemburg is a large continent, with several known climates being evenly distributed across the continent. A temperate climate in the north, slowly changing into a Mediterranean climate in the south. The three main mountain ranges are wrapped in an alpine climate, which causes snow to fall from late October to early April. An average of 90mm’s of snow falls in the valleys in the mountain ranges, while the north of Van Luxemburg gets 40mm’s of snow on average.

Entrance to Van Luxemburg’s inland sea, the Alzettemier, is possible only by passing through the Stretto di Barriera/Détroit des Récifs. This is a treacherous passageway where coral reefs grow in shallow waters, and is hard to navigate without special maps. It is however very popular in tourism.

Van Luxemburgs’ natural resources are mainly iron ore, coal, copper, silver, gold, platinum, lead, zinc, bauxite, and uranium to be found in mountaineous areas, while natural gas and petroleum can mainly be found in the areas laid down by sedimentation, the lakes, the Alzettemier and a small offshore portion. Hydropower, arable land, timber and fish are ubiquitous.

[Van Luxemburg]

People

Population: 528,000,000 (Apr 2008 est.)
Median Age: 34.7 years
Population Growth rate: 0.589%
Life Expectancy at Birth:
total population: 83.3 years
male: 82.1 years
female: 84.5 years (2007 est.)
HDI Index: .987 (2007)
Nationality: Van Luxemburger (noun, adjective) Van Luxemburgian (alternative, anglo-american noun, adjective)
Religion: Roman Catholic 31%, Dutch Reformed 7%, Calvinist 8%, Muslim 0.5%, other 3.5%, none 50% (2002)
Language: Vun Lëtzebuergesch (official), German (official), Italian (official), Dutch (official), French (official) –note: Only Vun Lëtzebuergesch used on national level.
Ethnicity: Lëtzebuerger 10%, German 30%, French 21 %, Italian 20%, Dutch 16%, other 3%

Van Luxemburg is a nation that mainly exists out of people that are of European descendance, and immigrated to the nation in the course of the last 9 centuries. The integration level is almost perfect, as Van Luxemburger society lies very close to the European society. Even while language and nationality issues may seem very closely connected to the Van Luxemburger society, this is not the case. Due to the ‘Union Politics’ in the last few centuries, all nationalitie shave grown very close to eachother, and have learned to lay their cultural differences aside to form a new culture, that is typical to Van Luxemburg, but still lies very close to the various European cultures.

With the everlasting development of healthcare in Van Luxemburg, the life expectancy is rather high. A medical insurance is required for every citizen of Van Luxemburg, and this medical insurance covers the cost of medical care, if it isn’t free already or not covered by government subsidies. The cost of this basic medical insurance is 800 Florins per year, and can be amended by several additional insurances, that cover dental care, for instance.

The official language in Van Luxemburg is Vun Lëtzebuergesch. This language is a descendant of Germanic languages, even though it is influenced by all other languages spoken in Van Luxemburg. All Van Luxemburger citizens are required to learn and speak this language. Next to this, they speak the mother tongue of their region, a third language that is taught at middle school, and English, which has been taught since Group 6 of the primary school.

Because of this, schooling for Van Luxemburgers starts early. It is possible for children to enter into kindergarten at the age of two, while school starts from the age of 4. The first class, Group 1, is virtually an extension from Kindergarten, but from Group 2, children learn to read, write and calculate, with reading and writing being both in Vun Lëtzebuergesch as in their native language. From Group 6 on, they are also taught English (since 1983). If they reach Group 8 at the age of 12, they finish primary school and perform a test to apply to their new middle school. Every middle school sets their own requirements for the test, but the Ministry of Education has a standardised list of school forms. They include Virbereedende Gemëttelde Beruffs Unterricht (VGBU), Virbereedende Héie Beruffs Unterricht (VHBU) and Virbereedende Universiteets Unterricht (VUU). These school types all over access to a different layer of professions: With VGBU, one can later go to a GBU, which will eventually train you into a practical profession, such as a carpenter or builder. VHBU will let you gain access to HBU, which will eventually train you to be (e.g.) an accountant. VUU will allow you to go to university. With these different school types come different schooling lengths. VGBU takes 5 years of middle school, on average, while VHBU takes 6 years and VUU 7 years. Middle schools ask you to specialise your school choice in the 3rd year, which means that your course will pay special attention to these subjects. The three main groups include Languages & Culture, Economy & Society and Health & Nature. This specialisation will also block several career opportunities. E.g. if you choose Languages & Culture, you later cannot be trained to be a physician. Languages & Culture can be seen as a ‘lighter’ form of Economy & Society, with less mathematics and economics, and a significant amount of overlap between the two profiles in terms of subjects. Health & Nature is practically stand-alone. GBU, HBU and university all take 4 years, with the last year being a specialization (Masters) year. All graduated university students have a diploma that meets international requirements.

[Van Luxemburg]

Government

Head of state: Grand Duke Koen van Luxemburg
Head of government: Premier Nicolas Hirtz
Government form: Constitutional Monarchy, bicameral

The Van Luxemburger political system may appear familiar to outsiders, but it has minor differences in several facets. In Van Luxemburger politics, there are 4 possibilities for a law to come into effect:
Nationalzëmmer -> Grand Duke/cabinet
Zweete Zëmmer -> Nationalzëmmer -> Grand Duke/cabinet
Grand Duke/Cabinet -> Zweete Zëmmer -> Nationalzëmmer

One has to note that the Grand Duke rarely uses his ability to make his own laws and proposals. The most used possibility starts with a proposal or law in the cabinet. All entities will have to approve the plan with a majority of at least 60%.

Nationalzëmmer

The Nationalzëmmer (or national chamber) is a parliament that consists of a group of 500 randomly chosen citizens above 18 years of age. Every four years, a new group of 500 citizens are chosen at random from the database of the Federal Taxation Office, and offered a position in the Nationalzëmmer (abbreviated NZ). The NZ is the most important and influential political entity in Van Luxemburg, as it can block any law or proposal made by the cabinet or the Grand Duke. They can however only make new laws and proposals if they pass the NZ with a 60% positive outcome and the Grand Duke approves the plan after consideration with his cabinet.

While there is a parliament room that is specifically reserved for NZ purposes, most members vote from their home address.

Zweete Zëmmer

The Zweete Zëmmer consists of all political parties that were chosen into the chamber during the latest elections. The Zweete Zëmmer (abbreviated as ZZ) also consists of 500 seats, and consists of full-time politicians who each belong to a political party. They can propose new initiatives, but also ask questions to the cabinet about current problems in the nation or criticise laws.

Cabinet

The cabinet, including the premier (Prime Minister) are not chosen by popular vote. In fact, the victorious political party in elections may place their candidate as Prime Minister, and then enter talks with other political parties to eventually create a cabinet that resembles the majority of the ZZ. The cabinet usually consists of 2 to 3 political parties.

Current cabinet members:
Premier: Nicolas Hirtz
Vice Premier: Martin Fleischer (RGP)
Minister of Internal Affairs: Emile Gehn (RGP)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Jens Blom (DCP)
Minister of Defence: Philippe Dermont (LDG)
Minister of Economic Affairs: Neville Guertin (LDG)
Minister of Finances: Domenico De Luca (DCP)
Minister of Justice: Sebastian Güther (RGP)
Minister of Social Affairs: Willem Hoogerman (DCP)
Minister of Education: Giovanni Rizzo (LDG)
Minister of Traffic: Mario Eberhart (LDG)
Minister of Health and Sports: Gilles Sirois (DCP)
Minister of Housing, Regional Developments and the Environment: Lukas Schmidtmann (RGP)


Grand Duke

Even while the possibility is rarely used, the Grand Duke is also able to create new initiatives. He can approve these by letting them pass through both the NZ and ZZ. On the other hand, the Grand Duke always has the final decision on initiatives from other entities, as he will have to sign these with his own, personal signature to let them come into effect.


The Political Parties

Government parties

LDG (Liberaal-Demokratische Group)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Moderate Right
Leader: Nicolas Hirtz (current Premier)
Registered 1937 as a coalition of all Liberal parties. Has been in several major governments, and the election battle between the (now defunct) SDP and the LDG has been harsh at times. Since 2002, Nicolas Hirtz has been the leader of the LDG. A brief biography is included below. The LDG has won the last elections, and usually operates together with the RGP.
Member count: 80 Million, 340 thousand.
Current Seats in the ZZ: 212 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: 5 out of 14 (Premiership, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Traffic)



RGP (Regional Gemeinwohl Programm)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Moderate Left
Leader: None elected as of 20-04-2008
The Regional Gemeinwohl Programm focuses mostly on Internal politics. They have been allying themselves to the LDG since the founding of the party in 1964. The LDG mostly adds the RGP into the Cabinet talk after an election, to take most of the National positions, while the LDG takes up International responsibilities.
Member count: 15 million, 20 thousand.
Current Seats in the ZZ: 55 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: 4 out of 14 (Vice-Premiership, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Regional Developments and the Environment)



DCP (Demokratesch-Centristpartei)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Centrist
Leader: Alexandre Authier (Member of the ZZ)
The Demokratesch-Centristpartei is a Centrist party, which means they are mostly used as a broker between other parties on the left and right side of the politic scale. They intend to keep this image, and therefore have adapted a pragmatic programme. The party was registered in 1989, with the same pragmatic stance as nowadays. This has made the DCP a beloved partner in several governments.
Member count: 65 million, 780 thousand
Current Seats in the ZZ: 187 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: 5 out of 14 (Ministry of General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finances, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health and Sports)




Opposition Parties



CV (Christlech-Vollekspartei)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Extreme Right
Leader: Sven Gustavsson
Established 1854, The Christlech-Vollekspartei is a party that follows Christian rules, and is the oldest party in Van Luxemburg. It prefers to finish off any other religion in Van Luxemburg, and make Christianity the State Religion, while barring other religions. With this party, Van Luxemburg would have to give up it’s emancipation, abortion and euthanasia laws. Most of the members of the CV are Extreme-Right, but it does have a less extreme branch, which calls themselves ‘The Liberals’. They however do not have a large influence over the party. It’s Leader, Gustavsson, rarely appears in public.
Member count: 5 million, 540 thousand
Current Seats in the ZZ: 15 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: None.




LCP (Liberaal-Communesteschpartei)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Extreme Left
Leader: Roger Michels
Established 1917, The Communist party’s name was quickly changed into Liberal Communist Party, After the number of votes went down catastrophically in 1947.
This caused the number of votes to go up somewhat, but has been low ever since. The Liberal Communists have mostly communist opinions, but have toned down somewhat after the end of communism in other nations.
Member count: 2 million, 67 thousand
Current Seats in the ZZ: 4 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: None.



SDP (Sozial-Demokratisch Parteí)
Affiliation on Politic Scale: Left
Leader: Stefanie Wurfel
The SDP has been thrown off somewhat by it’s low number of seats in the last elections, due to a fraud scandal. However, confidence in the once-largest party has been growing since Stefanie Wurfel took over the lead from the (now convicted) former leader Philipp Hueber. The expectation is that the LDG will find a major competitor in the SDP in the coming election, unlike last time.
Member count: 84 million, 990 thousand
Current Seats in the ZZ: 27 out of 500
Current Number of Ministers in Cabinet: None.

[Van Luxemburg]

Economy

Currency: Van Luxemburger Florin (VLF)
Exchange rate: Florins per NS dollar – 0.6626
Average Income: ƒ30,670/$46,280
Unemployment rate: 4.61%
Population below poverty line: 2.1%
Budget:
revenues: ƒ181.56 trillion ($273.99 trillion)
expenditures: ƒ177.93 trillion; ($268.51 trillion)

Van Luxemburg is an economic powerhouse, mostly noted for it’s worldwide exports of luxury passenger automobiles. The nation markets itself as ‘Automobile nation number one’, with the part-government owned VLT Automotive Group as the most well known example of this. The nation exported nearly 400 million automobiles in the last year, even though the total sales easily surpassed 1.2 billion units (due to vehicle assembly in other nations). Other known companies are little known worldwide.

A list of known Van Luxemburger companies

- VLT Automotive Group
- Rothstein+Lange Bauunternehmen (Infrastructure construction)
- Walter Technologie
- Terracon Construction & Foundation technologies
- Groussherzogliche Fliger Gesellschaft (GFG) (Airline)
- Pabst Fire Technologies GmbH
- Radio and Television Van Luxemburg (RTVL)
- Müller Militärwerke
- Courbusier Navale shipyards
- AIAL (Association of Independent Automobile Brands Van Luxemburg)
- GDAA (Grand Ducal Agricultural Association)
- Klein & Russo Accountants
- Banque Morel S.A.
- Bülacher Staatsbank
- Koopman Transporten B.V.

[Van Luxemburg]

Communications

Television Broadcasting Stations: 71
Main Telephone lines in use: 510 million (2007)
Cellular Telephones in use: 549 million (2007)
Internet country code: .vl
Internet users: 526 million (2007)

Van Luxemburg has a highly-developed and well-maintained communications network, that branches out over all parts of the nation. If Cable TV is not available (farms or extremely rural areas suffer from this every once in a while), one can get TV via satellite or digital broadcasting. Telephone and internet can also be offered from the same digital system television broadcasters use.

The main Van Luxemburger media company is the public RTVL service, which broadcasts over several TV and radio stations, and attempt to cater to all age groups and cultures. Most of their programming is orientated on the domestic viewer, but RTVLI (Radio and Television Van Luxemburg International) provides programming for Van Luxemburgers abroad and foreigners. Several commercial broadcasters offer their services in Van Luxemburg, including some foreign news services.

Newspapers in Van Luxemburg are still very popular, even though Radio, TV and Internet have caused somewhat of a decline of sales. The most popular newspaper is the objective Zeitong Mateneen, followed by the sensation newspaper Den Lëtzebuerger.

[Van Luxemburg]

Transportation

Roadways: 434,000 km (Autobahns) 12,912,000 km (Total)
Waterways: 188,900 km (navigable for ships of 50+ tons)
Railways: 1,721,000 km (Total)
Airports: 8,917 (2007)
Heliports: 281 (2006)

Van Luxemburg is a nation in which transport by road is very important. Every family owns one or more automobiles, and large amounts of goods are transported by Van Luxemburgs’ excellent network of Autobahns, which have no speed limit. This makes Van Luxemburg a very car-minded nation, in which the automobile industry is not only very important in terms of economy, but also in terms of culture.

Even while the automobile is the most popular form of transport, public transport in Van Luxemburg is well-organised, and the high-speed trains of the Nationaleisebunn (NEB) are direct competitors to the cars that are allowed to travel at derestricted autobahns. With speeds of 300 km/h upwards, the TGV’s of the NEB are frequently used by businessmen that want to keep their hands off the wheel and do some work for their business while travelling.

For larger distances, a large domestic network of airports is connected by the GFG (Groussherzogliche Fliger Gesellschaft), but also by several domestic budget airlines. International flights mostly arrive on the following airports:

Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
Luxembourg-Courtemanche Airport
Venezia (Gilberto Monteluci) International
Sint-Annabeek-Emmelkamp
Weiningeralp (Grand Duke Konrad II)
Levallois (Perret Airport)
Villacoublay (Trois Forêts)

Due to the unusual natural obstacle that is the Alzettemier, a large amount of shipping is active on the inland sea. Large passenger ships, also able to transport automobiles and even trains, cross the Alzettemier in every direction. High-speed hovercrafts and hydrofoils can make the trip in just several hours, while it can take up to a day for a normal ‘rapid’ ship to cross the sea.

[Van Luxemburg]

Military (TBC)

The Van Luxemburger military is an institution that was founded in 1136, and mainly consisted of mercenary troops throughout the first 300 years of it’s existence. In 1478, the decision was made to create a professional military force, that would defend the nation and be loyal to the Grand Duke. The troops mainly consisted of former peasants, that were trained and led by integrated Swiss Mercenaries. Even while the Swiss Pike units were still ubiquitous, firearms were integrated in the Van Luxemburger Arméi around 1600. This integration continues through the years: The Arméi was one of the first militaries in the world to adopt the revolver-type pistol, and Mondragon-type rifles.
The Arméi has a long-lasting relationship with Swiss arms manufacturer SIG, and the SIG weaponry is mostly produced by thanks to the influence of the Swiss Mercenaries through the years. Due to the neutrality policy in WWI, the Van Luxemburger military was outdated by the start of the Second World War. A rapid modernisation programme allowed the Van Luxemburgers to successfully defend their homeland against invading Axis troops by 1942. Since World War Two, the Vun Lëtzebuerger Arméi has not been involved in any major military actions.

The Van Luxemburger Arméi (Ground Component, Army), is the well-equipped and well-trained, but very small defence force of the Grand Duchy of Van Luxemburg. Even though it can support small-scale operations abroad, it’s prime task is the defence of the Grand Duchy and it’s assets. For this task, the Arméi maintains some 150,000 soldiers, who can actively participate in combat operations. Next to this, it operates another 1,350,000 men worth of support personnel. This makes it by far the largest component of the armed forces. Currently, the 150,000 troops of the Arméi are divided into 40 regiments and roughly 8000 special forces. Every Region (9 in total) receives a 4 regiments, the remaining 4 regiments make up an interregional division, used for rapid international reaction and general intensified defence tasks.

The makeup of a regiment can vary. The Arméi currently subdivides it’s mainstream troops into five categories: Mechanised (Karabinéier), Armoured (Kavaléier), Mountain (Biergjeeër), Amphibious (Marinekarabinéier) and Airmobile (Fallschiermjeeër). These are mostly battalion-sized forces that are combined together to form a regiment. Even though regimental organisations are fixed, some battalions may temporarily be relocated or exchanged with other troops, to create the required force.
One exception to the usual organisation is the 30th regiment, which has a battalion that uses MfkPz-3 Ground-Launched Cruise Missile systems. This particular battalion should provide cruise missile support wherever required in the Grand Duchy, thanks to it’s long-range cruise missiles.


Small Arms
Pistol
Fiorentini Pistola Militare 250 (PM250) - standard issue pistol. Also known as SIG-Sauer P250
Müller Waffenwerk Maschinepistole 04 (MP-04) – Special Operations pistol. Also known as Glock 17.
Rifle
Fiorentini Fucile Automatica Militare 87 (FAM-87) – Standard assault rifle, various models in use. Also known as the SIG 55x series.
Müller Waffenwerk Gewehr 66 (G-66) – Standard Assault Rifle (Obsolete), in use with the GVT, several special operations units, and the occasional police department for their anti-terrorism teams. Also known as the HK G3.
Müller Waffenwerk Gewehr ‘07 (G-07) – Special Operations Rifle, in use with the more experienced units of the Arméi. Also known as the FN F2000.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Automatisch Geweer Model 1998 (AGM-98) – Special Operations Rifle, in use with airmobile troops. Also known as the FN SCAR.
(Sub)Machine Guns
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Aanvalsgeweer, Zwaar, Model 1954 (AGM-54Z) - Standard issue heavy machine gun 12.7mm, for vehicle and personnel use. Also known as Browning M2.
Müller Waffenwerk Maschinegewehr 61 (MG-61) – Standard Issue Light Machinegun (Obsolete) 6.5mm, for vehicle and personnel use. Also known as SIG-Sauer MG710
Müller Waffenwerk Maschinegewehr 04 (MG-04) – Standard Issue Light Machinegun 6.8mm. Also known as FN Minimi.
Fiorentini Fucile Subautomatica Militare 69 (FSM-69) – Standard Issue Submachinegun 9mm. Multiple variants. Also known as HK MP5
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Aanvalsgeweer, Licht, Model 2001 (AGM-01L) – Standard sidearm of the GVT. Also known as Brügger+Thomet MP9
Fiorentini Fucile Subautomatica Militare 56 (FSM-56) – Standard Issue Submachinegun (Obsolete), 9mm. Also known as Beretta PM12(s)
Sniper rifles
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Scherpschuttersgeweer, Zwaar, Model 1999 (SSG-99Z) – Standard Issue heavy sniper rifle. Also known as Accuracy International AW-50.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Scherspschuttersgeweer Model 1999 (SSG-99) – Standard issue sniper rifle. Also known as Accuracy international Arctic Warfare
Fiorentini Fucile Precisione Militare 08 (FPM-08) – Special Operations sniper rifle. Also known as Brügger+Thomet APR308
Grenades
Müller Waffenwerk Granate 39 (Gr-39) – Standard issue handheld grenade
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Granaatwerper, Licht, Model 2003 (GW-03L) – Special operations light grenade launcher. Also known as Brügger+Thomet GL-06
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Granaatwerper, Zwaar, Model 1997 (GW-97Z) – Standard Issue heavy grenade launcher. Also known as HK GMG.

Other Firearms
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
Walter Militärtechnologie Eryx-VL – Standard issue heavy wire-guided antitank missile, for vehicle and personnel use. Also known as Eryx.
Walter Militärtechnologie Panzerverteidigungswaffen 86 (PVW-86) – Standard issue MANPADS anti-tank missile. Also known as Panzerfaust 3
Anti-Air Guided Missiles
Walter Militärtechnologie Luftverteidigungswaffen 99 (LVW-99) – Standard issue laser-guided anti-air missile. Also known as Starstreak.
Antitank gun
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Antitank kanon, stationair Model 1944 (ATK-44S) – Antitank gun, 90mm. Still in use on some stationary defence platforms.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Antitank kanon, stationair Model 1978 (ATK-78S) – Antitank gun, 120mm. Still in use on some stationary defence platforms.
Antiaircraft gun
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Luchtafweergeschut, stationair, model 1957 (LAG-57S) – Radar-guided anti-air gun, 90mm. Still in use on some stationary defence platforms, or in mobilisation storage.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Luchtafweergeschut, stationair, model 1989 (LAG-89S) – Radar-guided anti-air gun, 40mm with guided anti-air missiles 'Mistral'. Still in use on some stationary defence platforms, or in mobilisation storage.
Mortar
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken, Mortier, Algemeen, Model 1988 (M-88A) – Standard issue mortar, in 60mm, 80mm or 120mm.

Vehicles
Tanks
Müller Panzerwerke/Nineveh Armoured Works (Sumer) MT38 Holzwollef MBT – Also known as MCA-7E.
Müller Panzerwerke MT98 MBT – Also known as Leopard 2A6EX mod.
Müller Panzerwerke MT66 MBT - Also known as Leopard 1A5
Müller Panzerwerke/LBMFAB (Russkya) PzW-08 Draach - Also known as BRA-L Marauder armoured car.
Müller Panzerwerke Leichte Panzer 08 Landsknecht. Also known as SAV-12.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken/Nineveh Armoured Works (Sumer) Mobiel Artilleriekanon model 2008 (MAK-08) – Also known as TD-7 Self-propelled Gun.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Mobiel Artilleriekanon Model 2005 (MAK-05) – Also known as PzH2000 mod.
Infantry Fighting Vehicles
Müller Panzerwerke/Nineveh Armoured Works (Sumer) Spähpanzerwagen 08 (SPW-08) – Also known as PIV-30 Armoured Infantry Combat Vehicle.
VLT Military Leichter Spähpanzerwagen 09 (SPW-09)
Müller Panzerwerke Panzerjäger-08 (PzJ-08) - PIV-30 with 4 9M123 Chrysanthemum ATGM launchers instead of the 30mm main gun.
Armoured Personnel Carriers
VLT Military/Nineveh Armoured Works (Sumer) Truppenpanzer 08 (TP-08) – also known as PIV-28.
Monteluci Militare M6 Tipo B (M6B) – Light 4x4 Armoured Personnel Carrier
Air
Rousseau Aerospace Hélicoptère d’Assaut 04 ‘Tigre’ – Also known as Eurocopter Tiger
Rousseau Aerospace Hélicoptère de Reconnaissance 98 ‘Fennec’ – Also known as Eurocopter AS550 Fennec
Rousseau Aerospace Hélicoptère de Transport 08 ‘Kangourou’ – Also known as NH Industries NH-90
Rousseau Aerospace Hélicoptère de Transport 87 ‘Panther’ – Also known as Eurocopter AS565 Panther
Misc.
Monteluci Militare M6 Tipo A (M6A) – Light 4x4 for reconnaissance and light transport duties.VLT Military M5 Type A/B (M5a/b) – Multi-version truck for transport duties.
Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken Mobiel Luchtafweergeschut, Zwaar, Model 2008 (MLAG-08Z) - Als known as ADTV-7.
Monteluci M6b ASRAD-AA - Monteluci 4x4 with AA module + ASRAD missiles.
VLT M5b ASTER 30-AA VL - VLT truck with vertical-launch AA module + Aster 15/30 missiles.
VLT M5b MLRS - VLT truck with 227mm Multiple-Luanch Rocket System
Müller Panzerwerke PanzerBrücke-38 (PzB-38) - Tank-launched bridge based on MT-38 Holzwollef. Also known as TLB-18
Müller Panzerwerke PanzerPioniere-38 (PzPi-38) - Combat Engineering Vehicle based on MT38 Holzwollef. Also known as AEV-94
Müller Panzerwerke PanzerBergung-38 (PzBe-38) - Armoured Recovery Vehicle based on MT38 Holzwollef. Also known as TRV.
Liebherr L538 wheel loaders
Liebherr LTM1055 3.1 wheel cranes
M3 Ampibious Bridging Vehicle
Walter Technologie Marschflugkörperpanzer-3 (MfkPz-3) - Ground-Launched Cruise Missile, also known as GLCM-3.

Military organisation

Mechanised Squad:
1 Officer (Sergent) (FAM-87ACOG)
1 Subofficer (Caporal) (FAM-87ACOG)
1 AT specialist (FAM-87ACOG + PVW-86)
1 AA specialist (FAM-87ACOG + LVW-99)
1 Machinegunner (MG-04)
2 Grenadiers (FAM-87 with 40mm GL)
1 Sharpshooter (FAM-87 Sniper)
1 Medic (FAM-87c)
1 Junior Rifleman/Radioman (FAM-87)

Mechanised Platoon:

2 Squads (20)
2 Monteluci Corazziere UW RWS(6)
2 Monteluci Corazziere UW 30mm (6)
4 PzW-08 Draach (12)
MG team (AGM-54Z MG +2 operators)
Sniper Team (SSG-99(Z) +2 operators)
2 Heavy AT team (Vehicle-mounted Eryx-VL ATGM +4 operators)
2 Mortar team (Vehicle-mounted 120/80mm M-88A mortar +6 operators)
2 officers (Adjudant or Aspirant-officier and Lieutenant)
1 Monteluci M6 Tipo B Command vehicle (soldier-operated)
1 Monteluci M6 Tipo A + Aladin UAV + 2 operators
4 Monteluci M6 Tipo A (mounted with either Eryx or Mortar, soldier operated)

Mechanised Company:
3 Platoons (186)
AA Defence Section (21)
- 3 MLAG-08Z (9)
- 3 Monteluci M6b ASRAD-AA (6)
- 3 VLT M5b ASTER 30-AA VL (6)
Artillery Section (20)
- 5 TD-7 (10)
- 5 TP-08D Gun supply (10)
Missile Artillery Section (20)
- 5 VLT M5b MLRS (10)
- 5 VLT M5 replenishment (10)
Red Cross Section (20)
- 2 Monteluci M6a Field Ambulances (4)
- 2 TP-08 Ambulance (6)
- 2 VLT M5b Mobile Intensive Care Unit (10)
AT Defence Section (30)
- 10 PzJ-08 ATGM Tank destroyers (30)
Command section (8)
- Monteluci M6b Command Vehicle (3)
- VLT M5b Mobile Communications Vehicle (5)

Battalion
3 Companies (915)
Engineering Section (65)
- 2 PzB-38 Tank-launched bridge (4)
- 6 PzPi-38 Combat Engineering Vehicle (18)
- 6 PzB-38 Armoured Recovery Vehicle (18)
- 10 VLT M5b transport vehicles (10)
- 2 Liebherr L538 wheel loaders (2)
- 2 Liebherr LTM1055 3.1 wheel cranes (4)
- 3 M3 Ampibious Bridging Vehicle
Boating section (20)
- 4 CB-90 Combat Boats (12)
- 4 Zodiac CZ-7 + BRG-15 (8)
+ Relevant transport vehicle (VLT M5a) crewed by boat crews


Air Support Section (90)
- 20 HT-08 ‘Kangourou’ (40)
- 10 HA-04 Tigre Attack helicopters (20)
- 10 HR-98 ‘Fennec’ (20)
- 1 Monteluci M6a Communications Vehicle (2)
- 1 VLT M5 Mobile Air Control Vehicle (6)
- 1 VLT M5 ALD Communications Vehicle (2)
Command Section (40)
- 4 Monteluci M6a Line Communication Vehicles (12)
- 2 VLT M5 Mobile Radio Communications Vehicle (10)
- 3 VLT M5 C3I Command Vehicles (15)
- TP-08C Armoured Command Vehicle (3)
Marechaussee Section (35)
- VLT M5 Mobile Police Office (5)
- 15 Monteluci M6a Marechaussee vehicles (30)

Regiment
3 Mechanised battalions (3495)
Command Section (55)
- 5 Monteluci M6a Line Communication Vehicles (15)
- 2 VLT M5 Mobile Radio Communications Vehicle (10)
- 3 VLT M5 C3I Command Vehicles (15)
- 5 TP-08C Armoured Command Vehicle (15)

Mechanised Regiment total 3550


Armoured Zug:
4 MT-38 Holzwollef (12)

Kavaleier, Armoured Platoon:
4 Zugs (48)
3 PzB-38 Armoured Recovery Vehicle (9)
1 TP-08C Armoured Command Vehicle (3)
1 VLT M6a Emergency reparations vehicle (2)

Kavaleier, Infantry Platoon
3 Squads (30)
2 TP-08 (6)
3 SPW-08 (6)
Sniper Team (SSG-99(Z) +3 operators)
2 Heavy AT team (Vehicle-mounted Eryx-VL ATGM +4 operators)
2 Mortar team (Vehicle-mounted 120/80mm M-88A mortar +6 operators)
2 officers (Adjudant or Aspirant-officier and Lieutenant)
1 Monteluci M6 Tipo B Command vehicle (soldier-operated)
1 Monteluci M6 Tipo A + Aladin UAV + 2 operators
2 Monteluci Corazziere AMOS (mounted with Mortar turret, soldier operated)
2 Monteluci M6 Tipo A + Eryx (soldier operated)


Armoured Company:
3 Platoons, 1 OR 2 Infantry, 1 OR 2 Armoured (186)
AA Defence Section (21)
- 3 MLAG-08Z (9)
- 3 Monteluci M6b ASRAD-AA (6)
- 3 VLT M5b ASTER 30-AA VL (6)
Artillery Section (20)
- 5 TD-7 (10)
- 5 TP-08D Gun supply (10)
Missile Artillery Section (20)
- 5 VLT M5b MLRS (10)
- 5 VLT M5 replenishment (10)
Red Cross Section (20)
- 2 Monteluci M6a Field Ambulances (4)
- 2 TP-08 Ambulance (6)
- 2 VLT M5b Mobile Intensive Care Unit (10)
AT Defence Section (30)
- 10 PzJ-08 ATGM Tank destroyers (30)
Command section (8)
- Monteluci M6b Command Vehicle (3)
- VLT M5b Mobile Communications Vehicle (5)


Light Squad:
1 Officer (Sergent) (FAM-87ACOG)
1 Subofficer (Caporal) (FAM-87ACOG)
1 AT specialist (FAM-87ACOG + PVW-86)
1 AA specialist (FAM-87ACOG + LVW-99)
1 Machinegunner (MG-04)
2 Grenadiers (FAM-87 with 40mm GL)
1 Sharpshooter (FAM-87 Sniper)
1 Medic (FAM-87c)
1 Junior Rifleman/Radioman (FAM-87)

Light Platoon:

3 Squads (30)
3 Monteluci M6c + RWS BRG-15 OR Monteluci Corazziere + BRG-15 or VGK-8 (6)
4 LPz-08 Landsknecht (12)
2 MG team (AGM-54Z MG +4 operators)
2 Sniper Team (SSG-99(Z) +4 operators)
2 officers (Adjudant or Aspirant-officier and Lieutenant)
1 Monteluci M6c Command vehicle (soldier-operated)
4 Mortar team (4 60mm Mortar + 12 operators + 4 M6c)


Light Company:
3 Platoons (186)
AA Defence Section (21)
- 3 VLT M5 + Otobreda 40mm Fast Forty
- 3 Monteluci M6b ASRAD-AA (6)
- 3 VLT M5b ASTER 30-AA VL (6)
Artillery Section (40)
- 8 Monteluci M6c + OTO Melara 105mm PACK(40)
Red Cross Section (20)
- 5 Monteluci M6c Field Ambulances (10)
- 2 VLT M5b Mobile Intensive Care Unit (10)
AT Defence Section (30)
- 10 Monteluci M6c + Eryx Heavy ATGM (30)
Command section (8)
- Monteluci M6b Command Vehicle (3)
- VLT M5b Mobile Communications Vehicle (5)

Battalion
3 Companies (915)
Engineering Section (65)
- 2 PzB-38 Tank-launched bridge (4)
- 6 PzPi-38 Combat Engineering Vehicle (18)
- 6 PzB-38 Armoured Recovery Vehicle (18)
- 10 VLT M5b transport vehicles (10)
- 2 Liebherr L538 wheel loaders (2)
- 2 Liebherr LTM1055 3.1 wheel cranes (4)
- 3 M3 Ampibious Bridging Vehicle
Boating section (50) (Amphibious units)
- 10 CB-90 Combat Boats (30)
- 7 Zodiac CZ-7 + BRG-15 (20)
+ Relevant transport vehicle (VLT M5a) crewed by boat crews

Air Support Section (60) (Mountain and Amphibious units)
- 10 HT-08 ‘Kangourou’ (20)
- 8 HA-04 Tigre Attack helicopters (16)
- 4 BK-117 ‘Fennec’ (13)
- 1 Monteluci M6a Communications Vehicle (2)
- 1 VLT M5 Mobile Air Control Vehicle (6)
- 1 VLT M5 ALD Communications Vehicle (2)


Air Support Section (110) (Airmobile units)
- 20 HT-08 ‘Kangourou’ (40)
- 12 HA-04 Tigre Attack helicopters (24)
- 18 BK-117 ‘Fennec’ (36)
- 1 Monteluci M6a Communications Vehicle (2)
- 1 VLT M5 Mobile Air Control Vehicle (6)
- 1 VLT M5 ALD Communications Vehicle (2)
Mountaineering Section (50)
- Mules OR
- Snowscooters (ALPINA Sherpa + Ski-Doo Skandic SWT) OR
- Bv206 S

Command Section (40)
- 4 Monteluci M6a Line Communication Vehicles (12)
- 2 VLT M5 Mobile Radio Communications Vehicle (10)
- 3 VLT M5 C3I Command Vehicles (15)
- Monteluci Corazziere Armoured Command Vehicle (3)
Marechaussee Section (35)
- VLT M5 Mobile Police Office (5)
- 15 Monteluci M6a Marechaussee vehicles (30)

Regiment
3 Mechanised battalions (3495)
Command Section (55)
- 5 Monteluci M6a Line Communication Vehicles (15)
- 2 VLT M5 Mobile Radio Communications Vehicle (10)
- 3 VLT M5 C3I Command Vehicles (15)
- 5 Monteluci Corazziere Armoured Command Vehicle (15)




Currently, the regiments and their bases are as follows:
Region Luxembourg
1. Regiment ‘Groussherzogliche Wuecht’ – Findelkasern, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
2 Mechanised, 1 Armoured, 1 Airmobile
2. Regiment ‘Jean-Marie Tapp’ – Tappkasern, Mompach, Luxembourg
3 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
3. Regiment ‚Yann Esch’ – Eschkasern, Biwer, Luxembourg
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
4. Regiment ‚Benoit Kintzinger’ – Kintzingerkasern, Neunhausen, Luxembourg
2 Mechanised, 2 Armoured
Region Villacoublay
5e Régiment de Garde ‘Notre Comte’ - Caserne du Comté Villacoublay, Villacoublay, Villacoublay
3 Armoured, 1 Mechanised
6e Régiment Suisse ‘Lac Léman’ – Caserne Cantonal, Rosny-sous-Bois, Villacoublay
2 Mechanised, 2 Amphibious
7e Régiment ‘François Gabriaux’ – Caserne du Mons, Mons-en-Baroeul, Villacoublay
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Airmobile
28e Régiment ‘Troupes d’Alzette’ - Caserne Nationale, Châteauroux, Villacoublay
3 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
Region Levallois-Perret
8e Régiment ‘Guides Perret’ – Caserne du Montagnes Perret, Livry-Gargan, Levallois-Perret
2 Mechanised, 2 Mountain
9e Régiment Suisse ‘Garde Van Heutsz’ – Caserne du Montbéliard, Montbéliard, Levallois-Perret
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
10e Régiment ‘Division Atlantique’ – Caserne de la Mer, La Courneuve, Levallois-Perret
2 Mechanised, 1 Armoured, 1 Airmobile
30e Régiment ‘Grand-Duc Floris II’ – Caserne Félin, Pessac, Levallois-Perret
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Continental Artillery Batallion (Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles)
Region Zinzendorf
11. Regiment ‘Zinzendorfer Wächter’, Marktschellenseekaserne, Zinzendorf, Zinzendorf
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
14. Regiment ‚Ludwigsarmee’, Burgseekaserne, Kreuth, Zinzendorf
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
31. Regiment ‚Westschützen’, Schützenkaserne‚ Düren, Zinzendorf
3 Armoured, 1 Amphibious
35. Regiment ,Eijsens’ Truppen’, TrÜbplatz Mühlaubacher Land, Mühlau, Zinzendorf
3 Amphibious, 1 Mechanised
Region Enzersdorf
12. Regiment ‚Enzersdorfer Landsknechten’, Hirtenbergerkaserne, Gstöttenau, Enzersdorf
2 Mechanised, 2 Armoured
15. Regiment ‚Predinger Armee’, Rosenkaserne, Rosenfeld, Enzersdorf
3 Mechanised, 1 Airmobile
32. Regiment ‚Enzergrenadiers’, Oberburgaukaserne, Oberburgau, Enzersdorf
1 Armoured, 3 Mechanised
36. Regiment ‚Freistaat Aubach’, Baerkazerne, Aubach, Enzersdorf
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
Region Weiningen
21. Regiment ‚Weininger Alpenwächter’, Grossherzog Anno-kaserne, Weiningeralp, Weiningen
2 Mechanised, 2 Mountain
16. Regiment ‚Am Trefflingerkofel’, Stanskaserne, Samedan, Weiningen
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
33. Regiment ‚Fueseliers’, Flumenthalkaserne, Oberwil, Weiningen
2 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious, 1 Airmobile
22. Regiment ‘Carasso’, Reichenaukaserne, Bad Weissenhall, Weiningen
3 Armoured, 1 Mechanised
Region San Giustra
Regimente 17° ‘Lorenzo de’Medici’ – Caserma D’Annunzio, Trivignano, San Giustra
3 Mechanised, 1 Armoured
Regimente 29° ‘Romeo Udinese’ – Caserma Piemonte, Castiglione, San Giustra
1 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 2 Airmobile
Regimente 19° ‘Enrico Dandolo’ – Caserma del Doge, Casciano, San Giustra
3 Armoured, 1 Amphibious
Regimente 34° ‘Laura Schiavone’ - Caserma Centrale, Ciamprisco, San Giustra
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
Region Arvaglio
Regimente 18° ‘Marco Polo’ – Caserma Veneto, Pavignano, Arvaglio
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
Regimente 20° ‘Antonio Grimani’ – Caserma di Campolongo, Campolongo, Arvaglio
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Airmobile
Regimente 13° ‘Alfonso Trevisani’ – Caserma Trevisani, Fiorentini, Arvaglio
1 Armoured, 3 Mechanised
Regimente 27° ‘Carlo Pozzi’ – Caserma Mariani, Arvaglio, Arvaglio
2 Armoured, 2 Amphibious
Region Sint Annabeek
23e Regiment ‚Zinzener Grenadiers’ – Groothertog Godefridus I Kazerne, Westmalle, Sint Annabeek
3 Mechanised, 1 Airmobile
24e Regiment ‚Luikse Dragonders’ – Atlantiekkazerne, Kleinbosch, Sint Annabeek
1 Armoured, 3 Mechanised
25e Regiment ‚Limburgse Jagers’ – Weiningerkazerne, Klein-Zwitserland, Sint Annabeek
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
26e Regiment ‘Annabeeker Wachters’ – Regiokazerne, Sint Annabeek, Sint Annabeek
3 Armoured, 1 Amphibious

Interregional Division Rapid Interventions
87. Regiment ‘Schweizerwuecht’, Wuechtkaserne, Schaffhausen, Weiningen
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Mountain
54° Regimente ‘Garde di Giustra’, Caserma Centrale, San Giustra, San Giustra
1 Armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
44e Régiment du Détroit, Caserne des Récifs, Stagno, Arvaglio
2 Armoured, 1 Mechanised, 1 Amphibious
71. Regiment ‘Luxembourg’, VLT-kaserne, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
1 armoured, 2 Mechanised, 1 Airmobile

Next to this, 3 components form the Vun Lëtzebuerger Arméi Spezialistenkommando (Special Forces):
88 Regiment ‘Maritieme Jagers’
144 Regiment ‘Draachentrupp’
Regiment ‘Reebouwuecht’

Gemengliche Verdeedegengs Truppen (GVT) or National Reserve

Due to it’s size, the Van Luxemburger Arméi is supposedly unable to completely defend it’s territory when several regiments are fighting overseas in a war situation. Due to the somewhat explosive situation on Van Luxemburgs’ southern borders in the last two centuries, the Gemengliche Verdeedegens Truppen were founded in 1896 as a military unit that primarily consisted of voluntary reservists that would defend the Grand Duchy in times of need.

The GVT’s are organised on a municipal level, and commanded mainly by local police officers (sometimes firemen as well), which had a one-year military training at the start of their own training. The mainstream of it’s soldiers are voluntary civilians in the age category of 18-55 years old. As soon as a Van Luxemburger turns 18, he or she is sent a letter explaining the purpose of the GVT, and what they can do for their local unit. He or she is later contacted by the local GVT commander, with the question if the person in question is willing to join their local unit. If accepted, a 4-week military training at the nearest military base will take place during the summer holidays, after which the person receives his uniform, a personal defence weapon (Groothertogelijke Artilleriefabrieken AGM-01L) with vault (+ personal code) and ammunition, to be stored at home, and a Müller G-66 assault rifle, which is stored at the local mobilisation storage. From now on, the GVT’er has to show up for training one weekend per month, and receives a compensation based on the number of hours he or she works for the GVT. If necessary or wanted, one can sign up for additional courses, such as operation training for specific military vehicles or Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.

The local GVT’s mobilisation storage and arsenal is housed in an NBC-secured underground bunker, constructed in the municipality. If all vehicles and weapons are removed, it should house all inhabitants of the municipality: this is sometimes solved by constructing multiple underground bunkers. Most GVT’s have several trucks or jeeps, but larger or better equipped GVT’s receive various armoured and armed vehicles. For example, the GVT of Luxembourg is known to operate several PzW-08 Draachs, next to TP-08 APC’s.

Sometimes, companies that can be considered strategical industrial targets have their own partly-government funded defence force. Technically, they do not belong to a GVT, but often operate under the command of the local defence department. These companies often oblige a certain percentage of their personnel to take part in their defence force, exempting personnel that is already part of a local defence unit. These men and women are also often trained in the usage of anti-air systems. Industrial Defence Units are operated by (e.g.) VLT Automotive, Walter Technologie and Müller Waffenwerke.

GVT’s are often composed of anywhere inbetween 0-5% of the inhabitants of a town, with extremes of up to 50% occuring along the Dié border, thanks to the small skirmishes that have taken place between Diéan troops and Arméi units over the years.

[Van Luxemburg]

Groussherzogliche Marine

TBC

[Van Luxemburg]

Armei Loft Divisioun/Marine Loft Divisioun

TBC

[Van Luxemburg]

National Symbols

Van Luxemburgian Olive Tree – Olea europae luxemburgum

The Van Luxemburgian Olive Tree is a small tree which mainly grows in Van Luxemburg. It is recogniseable by the distinctive deep green fruit it produces, different from the known types of olive trees around the world. It has a very strong flavour, which can usually be described as ‘fruity’ and ‘sweet’. The fruit has a high oil yield and is frequently used as table fruit or in high quality olive oil. The tree is usually grown in Arvaglio and Levallois Perret, which have a slight difference in taste. The Levallois-Perret fruit has an even stronger flavour than the fruits from Arvaglio, meaning it is somewhat neglected in usual Southern Van Luxemburgian cuisines.

The trees grow in a strong Mediterranean climate, where they require a lot of sun to grow properly. The fruits can be harvested once a year, usually in the late winter and early spring (March-April). They are harvested as usual olive trees by shaking the boughs or the entire tree, but picking the fruits from the ground is also acceptable, since the high resistance of the fruit means that the oil quality will not degrade.

The Olea europae luxemburgum is also known for it’s very dark wood, which can be easily worked. However, due to the high price of the wood, directly related to the wood being scarce, means it has only found it’s way into the interior of automobiles manufactured by Monteluci. It is a long tradition that Monteluci uses the wood from the Van Luxemburgian olive tree as interior decoration.

Perret stone

Perret stone is an extremely hard and tough species of rock, coming from the Montagnes Perret in the southwest of Van Luxemburg. It can be recognised by it’s yellowish colour, which is usually found near a mountain core.

The first historical appearance of the Perret stone was in 1584, when a painting by Philippe Guay depicted the mining of the stone. This was usually done by excavating part of a mountain, a long and dangerous job which killed thousands of miners in the last few centuries. Due to the danger of this job, Perret stone was very expensive and therefore it’s primary use was to construct houses for wealthy citizens from Levallois-Perret. The strength of the stone makes that a lot of these typical buildings still exist.

Nowadays, the use of Perret stone is nearly non-existent. Some houses in Van Luxemburg are still made out of the stone type, but the slow progress and expensive equipment make it specialist work. The hour charge of these workers is usually in excess of 50 Euros/hour.

Van Luxemburgian Lion – Panthera leo luxemburgum

Now mostly extinct, the Van Luxemburgian Lion once occupied the southern lands of Van Luxemburg, in ancient history possibly the entire continent. Due to a slowly changing climate, the Van Luxemburgian Lion has almost completely no natural habitat anymore, and solely lives in captivity nowadays. The animals usually weigh between 120-150 kg (Male) and 100-130 (Female). This makes them one of the smallest lions around. This is also seen in the choice of their prey: Van Luxemburgian Lions prefer smaller animals, such as rabbits, chicken, deer and cows. Currently, only the zoos of Venezia, Levallois, Luxembourg and San Giustra have Van Luxemburgian Lions in captivity. The Region of Arvaglio has announced a breeding programme in a nature preserve in cooperation with zoos from Venezia and San Giustra. Star of the programme is the 145 kg male Virgilio from the Giardino Zoologico di Venezia..

[Van Luxemburg]

A Tourist’s guide to
The Van Luxemburgian Autobahn

It could well be every motorist’s dream: A motorway without any speedlimits. Van Luxemburg offers these, plenty of them. But, the reality might be different; With today’s traffic, the Autobahn’s around cities are very crowded, and do not allow high speeds.
Interconnecting motorways, however, are barred from any speed limit, and high-powered luxury vehicles and sportscars usually fly by with speeds in excess of 180 km/h.
The roads are usually well-serviced, and the death toll is low, due to the skill of the drivers, used to the high speeds of the motorway. This, and the mighty power of the Automobile lobby (a lobby even containing the head-of-state, Grand Duke Koen van Luxemburg), has never seen an initiative to universally minimize the speed. The advised speed is clearly stated to be 130 km/h, although many drivers tend to ignore this advise.

This guide from the National Tourist Board of Van Luxemburg will try to make you more familiar with the customs and rules on the Van Luxemburgian Autobahns. This guide can be used to finish the Van Luxemburgian Motorway Familiarisation Test within one hour, instead of two.

STEP I: A rental car.

Who might visit Van Luxemburg, and doesn’t have any family living here, will need a rental car (Or can use public transport, ofcourse). Major rental companies will be based at every airport around Van Luxemburg, and some will also own offices in major cities or at train stations. Please mind the following:

-Rental Cars in Van Luxemburg have a manual gearbox. If needed or wanted, a vehicle with automatic gearbox can be delivered. Please bear in mind that these vehicles will need to be reserved specifically, since there are not too many available.
-Always check the car for possible damage before you hire the car. Rental Companies can oblige you to pay for damage that was already there when you hired the car. If the damage is reported beforehand, There will be no problems afterwards.
-Most rental companies keep several high-powered vehicles (e.g. Porsche, Ferrari) in stock for the tourists that want to hire them to experience the Autobahn in another (faster) way. Usually, these vehicles are very expensive to hire.
-Most rental companies have no limits to the amount of kilometres that can be driven with the car; However, Fuel will need to be paid by the person who hires the car.
-To hire a car, you will need a valid driver’s license, an MFT Certificate and a passport; rental cars are always insured, since it is obliged by law that any (road-legal) vehicle must be insured.

STEP II: The Motorway Familiarisation Test

Every tourist willing to drive a car in Van Luxemburg must take the MFT, or Motorway Familiarisation Test. This is only for the first time they will be driving a car in Van Luxemburg; All times afterwards you can show your certificate to the rental company and the Police. The MFT certificate must be with you every time you are driving a car; Penalties of up to 200 Euros are possible when the driver doesn’t have the required certificate.

It is encouraged for all persons 18 years and up with a valid driving license to take the test, instead of only the driver. However, if any of the passengers will not have an MFT, they will not be fined by the Police. Please bear in mind that only persons of 18 years and up are allowed to drive a car; minors (under 18 years) with a valid driving license are not allowed to drive a vehicle in van Luxemburg.

The MFT consists of a theoretical lesson and an Exam; The theoretical exam can be finished in an hour. The theoretical lesson consists of an explanation of the Van Luxemburgian Road system in a classroom, which is not compulsory. If both have been finished with good results, the MFT certificate will be given out by the examinator. Costs for this one-time test usually are around 50 Euros.

STEP III: Learning the rules

The Traffic Laws might be different then the ones in your home nation. Please read this section carefully!

The minimum age of driving in Van Luxemburg is 18. The drivers usually get their license after almost half a year of training, both practical and theoretical. The drivers are usually calm and skilled, and try to keep aggression out of traffic. Using your headlamps is usually frowned upon; if it happens, the driver is indicating that he wants to get past. Several General Laws:

-Traffic drives on the right, passes on the left. The so-called Rechtsfahrgebot enforces this by ordering the driver to keep right whenever possible. Fines for driving too long and unnecessary on the left range from 50 to 350 euros, while overtaking over the right can cost up to 500 Euros, depending on the situation. In heavy traffic and traffic jams, it is allowed to switch lanes from left to right and overtake someone.
- The Police reserves the right to collect minor fines (up to 500 euros) on the spot. If the driver is unable to comply, a bill will be sent to it’s home address. However, the Police prefers to collect fines from foreigners on the spot, since it is hard to send the bill to a foreign nation. Be prepared to have your car towed away if you cannot comply, but it is also possible that the Police will bring you to the nearest bank to pick up the required amount of money there.
-Bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians are specifically prohibited from using the Autobahn, as are any other vehicles with a maximum speed rating of less than 60 km/h.
-Stopping, parking, U-turns, and backing-up are strictly forbidden, including on shoulders and ramps (except for emergencies.)
-Entering and exiting is permitted only at marked interchanges.
-During traffic jams, motorists in the left lane are required to move as far to the left as possible and those in the adjacent center or right lane must move as far to the right in their lane as possible, thus creating a gap between the lanes for emergency vehicles to pass through. However, emergency vehicles can also use the emergency shoulder.
-If you have a breakdown or accident, you must move to the shoulder if possible and place a warning triangle 200 meters behind the scene. You must report the incident to the authorities using the nearest emergency phone.
-It is illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn. Technically, there is no law specifically against this, but it is illegal to stop unnecessarily on the Autobahn and this law is also applied to people who run out of fuel as such an occurrence is deemed to be preventable.
- It is a custom to use the hazard blinkers to warn other drivers behind you that there is a traffic jam ahead.
-The Speed Limit is non-existent, Advised speed is 130 km/h, unless stated otherwise alongside the road. Vehicles with trailers and vehicles above 3,5 tons must obey to a speed limit of at least 80 km/h, and a maximum of 100 km/h

-Always obey the limits and advice set on the Electronic Dynamic signs overhead. Please note that if these signs give a maximum speed, traffic cameras and speed checks will be aware of this and go off at speeds above the maximum.
-Do not forget that, in a car accident, the vehicle with the higher speed is always guilty.

A list of possible warnings/limits on the Electronic Dynamic Signs. Every lane has one screen for itself. (e.g. in this illustration there would be three lanes in this direction)

STEP IV: Traffic, Police and Construction

All cars in Van Luxemburg actively scan the radio station you last tuned into for traffic messages. It will break into anything you were currently doing with the radio, playing a CD for example, with renewed traffic information and important warnings. The Police itself will warn for speed checks beforehand, and will put up alternative routes if there is a traffic jam. It is also possible they will block off roads due to a smog warning, but this is relatively rare.

Please be always polite to your fellow drivers. If you are not polite to them, they will not be polite to you. Never block someone’s way when he is driving faster then you, and try to keep off the horn, unless you are able to prevent an accident. Using the horn is considered very rude, and will not be appreciated.

The Police operates a separate service for the Motorways, the Autobahnpolizei. These officers are equipped with faster cars and have had special high-speed driving trainings. These units do not crack down on speed violation that much, but they will rather stop cars which show aggressive driving, dangerous behaviour or are subject to a traffic violation. Fines range from 10 euros to a driving ban and confiscation of the car. A small list is included below. Some fines are indicated in price ranges, this due to the situation in which it takes place. Please be aware that these are not set fines, and the fine might differ slightly from the price set here. The Police force is however not funded by corruption, and there are heavy penalties for it.

-Not using blinkers while changing lanes: 10 Euro
-Signalling with headlights in dangerous situations (e.g. in corners, blinding oncoming traffic): 25-100 Euro
- Using a cellphone without handsfree set: 175 Euro
- Overtaking on the right: 25-500 Euro
-Driving on the left unnecessarily 50-350 Euro
-Endangering other drivers: 500-10,000 euro, or driving ban plus possible confiscation of vehicle. (there are known cases that the driver had to appear in court)
- Aggressive driving: 200-1000 Euro, Driving ban plus possible confiscation of vehicle (there are known cases that the driver had to appear in court)
-Speed violation: 2 Euro per kilometre too fast, baseline fine 20 Euro. (speeds below 5 km/h too fast are not fined, so 6 kilometres too fast would be 22 Euro. However, Speed violations are not the main priority of the police)
- Resisting arrest (e.g. beating an officer, wounding an officer or driving away after a ‘stop’ sign.): 2,000 euros and up, plus a punishment to be decided by a Van Luxemburgian court
- Insulting an officer during duty (e.g. calling names, bullying, etcetera): 50 euros and up, possible arrest
-Owning a weapon without valid documentation (this also applies to foreigners): confiscation of weapon and a punishment by Van Luxemburgian court.

For a full list, please inquire at a van Luxemburgian embassy, or at a Police Station in Van Luxemburg

You will find the Police officers to be polite, and not aggressive. Usually, they will not be heavily armed, but will carry a pistol with them in their car. Since several decades, the van Luxemburgian Police also has undercover cars driving around on all roads, these will record the traffic situation and stop vehicles accordingly. These have the same rights and duties as normal policemen, but please do not hesitate to ask for an identification. Since several years, the Internet is sprawling with possible license plates for these cars. The Autobahnpolizei has already attended citizens of Van Luxemburg that it is useless to record them, since they change the license plates of the vehicles in irregular patterns.

The Police usually uses a flashing sign to pull cars over to the side of the road. These signs mostly read ‘Stop – Polizei’ (or Police),with ‘Bitte Folgen’ or ‘Please Follow’ added to it in the next flash. Other possibilities are being stopped by hand or a so-called ‘lollypop’, a sign held by the officer, which indicates you to stop.

Construction sites are, due to the good state of the Autobahn, usually present to maintain the road. Please note that, during construction, speed is limited (limits differ per site) and that yellow lines supersede the normal white lines on the asphalt. Always be careful at construction sites; there might be people walking around!



STEP V: Service areas (Raststätte)

The Service areas along the Autobahn are usually well-maintained, and Contain a filling station, a restaurant or snack shop, toilets (and showers, occasionally) plus enough parking space. Most also have WiFi Wireless Internet and a playground, some others might have chapels, shops with local produce

Fuel is expensive in Van Luxemburg, mostly due to taxes. The Current price (January 2007) is around 1 Euro per litre Diesel and 1 euro and 20 cents for a litre of petrol (Euro RON95) There are also several highly priced fuel, which will improve the prestations of your car and will reduce the amount of fuel used. Think of Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate. Van Luxemburg might use different octane levels than in your country; please refer to the car manual on what kind of fuel to fill up your car with.

Relatively popular with so-called ‘truckers’ is the Autohof. These large rest areas just off the Autobahn are usually cheaper then the Raststätte along the Autobahn. They are marked along the Autobahn, and so are fast-food restaurants off-route.

Even more present are the simple parking places, always including toilets and an emergency phone (These are also available every 2 km. In tunnels, they are 100 metres apart. They have speakers available in many different languages. If the language you requested is not available, the dispatcher will likely speak English to you, or any other language that suits you better. They will be able to dispatch special Autobahn emergency services and repair vehicles from the VLMA, the Van Luxemburgian Mobility Association.)

This concludes the Autobahn Guide. We wish you a great holiday in Van Luxemburg!

[Van Luxemburg]

Luxembourg

A view of the Boulevard 5. Mee 1945 from the National Assembly.

Population: 724,892
Capital: Yes
Founded: 1141
Temperatures: ranging from minus 7°C to 28°C

History

Luxembourg was the second city to be founded on the continent of Van Luxemburg, and was named in honour of the background of the Van Luxemburgian settlers. Luxembourg has always been the center of the Grand Duchy, and it's rich history of many visitors and inhabitants have made it an interesting historical city. While most of the older traces of Luxembourg have slowly vanished since the Renaissance, the buildings built during these ages are very imposing and amazingly well-decorated constructions. A city wall remains, even though parts of it have been torn down to construct roads and waterways. This means that Luxembourg is a city with two faces: One of it is the rich historical value of it's center, and the other are the monstrous villas and palaces outside the city, mostly in the rich neighborhood of Grünewald.

It has housed the Palace of the Grand Duke since 1145, even though many of the buildings have been demolished an rebuilt. The current palace dates from 1901 and is one of the largest buildings in Luxembourg. The Palace can be visited on the Boulevard 5. Mee 1945, a road which cuts through the city as a wide, green and open road, connecting all major governmental buildings, and some embassies.

Over the years, Luxembourg has attracted many wealthy persons, which lead to a fight over who could build the most beautiful and largest palace for himself. This makes Luxembourg the City of Castles, Palaces and Wealth. The construction fight between Georg Walter and Grand Duke Godefridus was the reason that the current Grand-Ducal Palace was constructed, after which Georg and Godefridus made peace and promised to stop the construction of even larger houses. This is generally considered the end of the Palace era of Luxembourg, since little castle and palace-like villas have been built since.

Safety

Luxembourg is the only city to be patrolled by two separate law enforcement agencies: both the Police Grand-Ducale (under the Ministry of the Interior) and the Grand-Ducal Marechaussee (under the Ministry of Defence) patrol the city. In case of national emergencies, highly-trained troops of the Garde Grand-Ducale (the Grand Duke's personal military unit) can also take part in guarding the city or assist in special situations.

Overall there is little crime in Luxembourg. While police responds to minor affairs such as theft or social problems on a daily basis, the city is mostly clear of major crimes. Due to the position of Van Luxemburg as an automobile-loving nation, Police units usually are equipped with expensive vehicles, produced domestically. A notable special unit is the Autobahnpolizei, which differs from the Kommunalpolizei (Local Police) in objectives and equipment, as they patrol the motorways in sportscars prepared for the task of policing the high-speed Autobahn of Van Luxemburg.

Environment

Luxembourg is a green city, and since the inner city has been mostly rebuilt i the Renaissance, the people have included large amounts of green in the city. Parks surround the larger villas and palaces, while citizens living in the larger buildings (converted into apartments) can enjoy several green city parks. Outside the city, Grünewald is a more exclusive neighborhood, which consists of large villas, castles and palaces being constructed on large plots of land, surrounded by forests.

Public Transport in Luxembourg mainly consists of electric metro and tram sets, while the Luxembourg Transport Society (LTS) have recently participated in a large acquisition porgramme for VLTC C-5 'Ascendance' buses, which are powered by electricity and biodiesel. This limits pollution, even though a lot of inhabitants prefer taking the car when they have to cover larger distances. Other possibilities are by foot or by bicycle, since Luxembourg has a large network of asphalted or paved cycling and walking ways.

Standard of living

Due to the presence of the expensive neighborhood of Grünewald, the average income of an inhabitant of Luxembourg is $74,781, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, This includes notable citizens such as Nicolas Hirtz (Premier of Luxembourg, annual income of $500,000), many ministers (Annual incomes of $250,000), Markus Walter (Annual income of $2.5 million). Not included is Grand Duke Koen van Luxemburg, who has an annual income of more then $1 trillion USD.

This also increases the prices and quality of goods in Luxembourg. While it depends on the quality rating of the restaurant one goes to, it is possible that bills ranging from $50-$5,000 per person, for a complete dinner. (The latter being in Restaurant Le Palais Royaume on the Boulevard 5. Mee 1945, housed in the former alternative residence of the Grand Duke. This is generally considered to be one of the best restaurants in Van Luxemburg) Lower prices ($15 for a complete four course dinner is possible) can be found across the city, but these restaurants are not likely to be rated 4 stars or above by the Association Culinaire of Van Luxemburg.

Renting a house is not common in Luxembourg, but prices of $1500 are the average for a 3-room apartment in one of the many residential buildings in the Inner City. Buying a house is more common, with the average price for the same apartment being $200,000. Residences in Grünewald average a good $1.5 million, with the most expensive houses costing around $50 million. For a hotel, one has to expect prices starting from $10 a night for a one-star hotel (outside the city, most likely in one of the smaller towns surrounding the city) to $1000 for a junior suite in Hotel L'Esplanade.

Healthcare

Luxembourg has three main hospitals, not counting the smaller private clinics. One of the main hospitals is the Luxembourg Universitary Medical Center, which is generally considered to be one of the best hospitals in Van Luxemburg. It can perform complex operations with the newest technology around, and has a capacity of around 5500 beds. It is categorised as a Trauma Centerm, and therefore has three Mobile Medical Teams (each consisting of a helicopter for distant rapid deployments and a special ambulance for close-by rapid deployments) available. The other two main hospitals are considerably smaller, with each offering a capacity of around 2000 beds. Van Luxemburgian health insurance consists of a minimal annual payment of $1000, and can be amended by several additional insurances (for dentist care, etc.) When one visits a hospital as a Van Luxemburgian citizen for healthcare (operations, consults, medicines), this is covered by insurance. This may not apply to private clinics, however.

Landmarks

Museums

Luxembourg has many museums, of which the most interesting have been submitted to form a short list of what to see

Ofcourse, one would need to visit the Museum for National History, which offers a nice view of what Van Luxemburg has become throughout the years. This is supported by important relics, such as equipment that the first inhabitants of Van Luxemburg took with them, as well as a 500-year old crown used by Grand Dukes until 1912.
Another interesting semi-museum is the showroom of the Van Luxemburgian Classic Preservation Fund, where the Fund showcases a variety of classic cars, most for sale, accompanied by a small selection of cars from the Grand-Ducal Garage. These vehicles are not for sale, but are counted amongst the most rare and special cars in the world.
The Courtemanche Museum for Modern Art showcases the modern art that Henry Courtemanche (1856-1919, Founder of Courtemanche Automobiles S.A.) collected in his lifespan. After his death, most was donated to a fund for a modern art museum in Luxembourg. The museum was named in honour of him.


(All are links to pictures)

Ministerial buildings:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Ministry of Finance

Ministry of General Affairs (Premier)

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Education

Ministry of Traffic

Ministry of Health and Sports

Ministry of Housing, Regional Developments and the Environment

Other interesting buildings:
National Assembly on the Boulevard 5. Mee 1945

Residence of the Premier

Grand-Ducal Palace

Hotel L'Esplanade

[Van Luxemburg]

Esch-sur-Alzette

Population: 5,981,300
Capital: No
Founded: 1136
Temperatures: ranging from minus 3°C to 26°C

History

Esch-sur-Alzette was the first city to be founded on the continent of Van Luxemburg, in 1136. The encampment soon grew exponentially, as it was the point of arrival for many colonists in Van Luxemburg. With the increase of shipping to Van Luxemburg, Esch-sur-Alzette was also made the mainport of the continent fairly quickly, increasing wealth and industry, and owning it a spot as largest port in Van Luxemburg, a place it still owns today.

Esch-sur-Alzette is a city that was rebuilt multiple times during the ages. It’s last reconstruction dates from the 1940’s: after a bombardment by Axis forces, the city was completely destroyed by incendiary bombs and fires that resulted from it. As a result of this, Esch-sur-Alzette is one of the most modern cities of Van Luxemburg, and the only city in which skyscrapers are allowed to be constructed in the city centre.

The city is also one of the largest and most important in the nation: It houses the headquarters of VLT Automotive, as well as several factories of the same manufacturer. The port of ‘Esch’ serves thousands of ships every year, being one of the main shipping ports for exporting VLT products.

A view of the Esch skyline

The VLT Automotive Headquarters

The business district of 'Esch' by night.