The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked country situated in the north-west of continental Europe, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium.

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe. It is ranked 167th in size of all the countries of the world. The country is about 2,586 km² in size. In the west it borders the Belgian province of Luxembourg, which is (at 4,443 km²) nearly twice the size of the country.

The north of the country, part of the Ardennes, has hills and low mountains, with the Buurgplaatz as the highest point at 559 m. The rest of the country is also hilly.

Luxembourg's eastern border is formed by three rivers, the Moselle, the Sauer/Sûre and the Our.

Luxembourg has a parliamentary form of government with a constitutional monarchy by inheritance. Under the constitution of 1868, executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke or Grand Dutchess and the cabinet, which consists of a prime minister and several other ministers. The Grand Duke has the power to dissolve parliament and reinstate a new one.

Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies, directly elected to 5-year terms. A second body, the "Conseil d'État" (Council of State), composed of 21 ordinary citizens appointed by the Grand Duke, advises the Chamber of Deputies in the drafting of legislation.

Luxembourg's contribution to its defense and to NATO consists of a small army. As a landlocked country, it has no navy, and it has no Air Force, except for the fact that the 18 NATO AWACS airplanes were registered as aircraft of Luxembourg as a matter of political and aviation convenience.