Map of Luxembourg | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Founded in 963 Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both World Wars it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957 Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community.


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, FRG 138 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle floodplain in the southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)

Land use: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked


top of page


Population: 383,813 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun--Luxembourger(s; adjective--Luxembourg

Ethnic groups: Celtic base, with French and German blend; also guest and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and European countries

Languages: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English

Religions: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant and Jewish

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name: conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Luxembourg

Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Dependent areas

Independence: 1839

National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), 23 June (1921)

Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964; Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955; Head of Government--Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984; Deputy Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)

Legislative branch: Army

Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de de Justice)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at 2,200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 265-4,171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Jean B. S. GERARD; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2,535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 9,132; telephone p352o 460,123

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The stable economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and negligible unemployment. Agriculture is based on small but highly productive family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most financial matters and is also closely connected economically with the Netherlands.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry; principal products--barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; cattle raising widespread

Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1989 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1989 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products
Partners: EC 75%, US 6%

Imports: $5.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
Commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Partners: FRG 40%, Belgium 35%, France 15%, US 3%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $131.6 million (1989 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1--35.468 (January 1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672 (1986), 59.378 (1985; note--the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced, 3,170 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.2% of GDP, or $76 million (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m; 1 with runways over 3,659 m

Heliports

Pipelines: refined products, 48 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 37 km; Moselle River

Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,138 GRT/9,373 DWT; includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs