Albania vs Luxembourg

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Albania ( (listen) a(w)l-BAY-nee-ə; Albanian: Shqipëri or Shqipëria; Gheg Albanian: Shqipni or Shqipnia also Shqypni or Shqypnia), officially the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë, pronounced [ɾɛpuˈblika ɛ ʃcipəˈɾiːsə]), is a country in Southeast Europe on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea.

It shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo into the northeast, North Macedonia to the east, Greece to the south and maritime borders with Greece, Montenegro and Italy to the west. Geographically, the country displays diverse climatic, geological, hydrological, and morphological conditions, defined in an area of 28,748 km2 (11,100 sq mi). It possesses significant diversity together with the landscape ranging from the snow-capped mountains in the Albanian Alps as well as the Korab, Skanderbeg, Pindus and Ceraunian Mountains to the hot and sunny coasts of the Albanian Adriatic and Ionian Sea along the Mediterranean Sea. Historically, the nation has been inhabited by numerous civilisations like the Illyrians, Thracians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans. The Albanians established the autonomous Principality of Arbër in the 12th century. The Kingdom of Albania and Principality of Albania formed between the 13th and 14th centuries. Before the Ottoman conquest of Albania in the 15th century, the Albanian resistance to Ottoman expansion into Europe headed by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg won them acclaim over most of Europe. Between the 18th and 19th centuries, cultural developments, widely attributed to Albanians having accumulated both intellectual and spiritual strength, conclusively resulted in the Albanian Renaissance. Following the defeat of the Ottomans in the Balkan Wars, the modern nation state of Albania declared independence in 1912. In the 20th century, the Kingdom of Albania was invaded by Italy which formed Greater Albania before becoming a protectorate of Nazi Germany. Enver Hoxha formed Communist Albania following the Second World War and launched the Albanians on a course of oppression and decades of isolation. The Revolutions of 1991 concluded the fall of communism in Albania and eventually the establishment of the current Republic of Albania. Politically, the country is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic and developing nation with an upper-middle income economy dominated by the service sector, followed by manufacturing. It went through a process of transition following the end of communism in 1990, from centralized planning to a market-based economy. Albania provides universal healthcare and free primary and secondary education to its citizens.The nation is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, UNESCO, NATO, WTO, COE, OSCE, and OIC. It's an official candidate for membership in the European Union. It is one of the founding members of the Energy Community, such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Union for the Mediterranean.

Source: Wikipedia

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<p>Luxembourg ( (listen) LUK-səm-burg; Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerg [ˈlətsəbuə̯ɕ] (listen); French: Luxembourg; German: Luxemburg), Formally the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. </p>Belgium borders it to France and north, Germany to the east, and the west to the south. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is among the four official capitals of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the highest judicial authority in the EU. People its culture, and languages are intertwined with its neighbours, which makes it essentially a mixture of French and German cultures, as evident by the country's three official languages and the language of Luxembourgish. The repeated invasions by Germany, especially in World War II, caused the country's powerful will for mediation between France and Germany and, among other things, led to the foundation of the European Union.With an area of 2,586 square kilometres (998 sq mi), it is among the smallest sovereign states in Europe. In 2019, Luxembourg had a population of 626,108, which makes it among the least-populous nations in Europe, but by far the one with the highest population growth rate. Foreigners account for almost half of Luxembourg's population. As a representative democracy with a constitutional monarch, it is headed by Grand Duke Henri and is the world's sole remaining autonomous grand duchy. Luxembourg is a developed country, with an advanced economy and among the world's highest GDP (PPP) per capita. The City of Luxembourg with its old quarters and fortifications was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 due to the exceptional preservation of the vast fortifications and the old city.The history of Luxembourg is considered to begin in 963, when count Siegfried obtained a rocky promontory and its Roman-era fortifications known as Lucilinburhuc,"little castle", and the surrounding area from the Imperial Abbey of St. Maximin in neighboring Trier. Their territory increased through marriage, war and vassal relations. At the end of the century, Luxembourg's counts reigned over a territory. In 1308, Henry VII became King of the Germans and later Holy Roman Emperor. Four emperors were produced by Luxembourg's House during the High Middle Ages. Into the Duchy of Luxembourg, Charles IV elevated the county in 1354. The duchy eventually became part of the Burgundian Circle and among the Seventeen Provinces of the Habsburg Netherlands. Over time, the City and Fortress of Luxembourg, of great strategic importance situated between the Kingdom of France and the Habsburg lands, was slowly built up to be among the most fortifications in Europe. After belonging to both the France of Louis XIV and the Austria of Maria Theresa, Luxembourg became part of the First French Republic and Empire under Napoleon.The present-day state of Luxembourg first emerged in the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The Grand Duchy, with its fortress, became an independent state under the possession of William I of the Netherlands using a garrison. In 1839, following the chaos of the Belgian Revolution, the only French-speaking part of Luxembourg was ceded to Belgium and the Luxembourgish-speaking part (except the Arelerland, the area around Arlon) became what is the current state of Luxembourg.Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, OECD, United Nations, NATO, and Benelux. The city of Luxembourg, that is the country's capital and largest city, is the seat of several agencies and institutions of the EU. Luxembourg served for the years 2013 and 2014, which was a first in the history of the country. As of 2020, Luxembourg taxpayers had access to 187 countries and territories, standing the Luxembourgish passport fifth in the world, tied with Spain and Denmark.

Source: Wikipedia