Luxembourg

The province lies in Wallonie in southeast Belgium, has an area of 1,715 square miles and is drained by three tributaries of the Meuse River: the Ourthe, Semois, and Lesse Rivers. It is bounded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the east, France to the south, and the provinces of Namur to the west and Liège to the north.75% of it lies within the Ardennes Plateau, and one-third of that is woodland. The remaining 25% constitutes the Belgian Lorraine. The province was once a part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg but became part of Belgium in 1831. Its northern area was heavily damaged during the Second World War, particularly during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-1945. Its historic structures include the ruined castle at Bouillon and the restored Cistercian Abbey of Orval near Florenville. Tourism is important in the area covered by the Ardennes forest, which has two nature reserves. Agricultural products include oats, rye, wheat, potatoes, tobacco, and livestock, while mining is mostly of iron and building stone. The 2003 estimated population was 251,100.