Luxembourg (country), small country in western Europe. A landlocked nation bordering France, Germany, and Belgium, Luxembourg is one of Europe’s oldest and smallest independent states. With Belgium and the Netherlands, Luxembourg forms the Low, or Benelux, Countries. The nation’s capital and largest city is called Luxembourg City (Luxembourg-Ville).

Slightly smaller in area than the state of Rhode Island, Luxembourg measures only about 89 km (55 mi) from north to south and 56 km (35 mi) from east to west. The northern region, known as the Oesling, or E’sleck, consists of the rugged uplands of the Ardennes plateau. In the south is the Bon Pays (“Good Land”), a fertile area of low, gently rolling, hills. Much of Luxembourg is crisscrossed by the broad, deep valleys of swift streams and rivers. The principal river is the Sauer (Sûre), a tributary of the Mosel. The Sauer cuts across northern Luxembourg through winding, wooded valleys and past historic towns such as Esch-sur-Sûre.