Map of Luxembourg | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 (later the European Union).


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Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total area total: 2,586 km²
Land: 2,586 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

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

Coastline: 0 km (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
Arable land: 24%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 20%
Forest and woodland: 21%
Other: 34%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 404,660 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.57% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Luxembourger(s)
Adjective: Luxembourg

Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, and European (guest and worker residents)

Languages: Luxembourgisch, German, French, English

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (female 35,372; male 36,645)
15-64 years: 68% (female 136,960; male 137,792)
65 years and over: 14% (female 35,774; male 22,117) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.57% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 12.61 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.47 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; air and water pollution in urban areas
Current issues natural hazards: NA
Current issues international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.95 years
Male: 73.31 years
Female: 80.75 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Conventional short form: Luxembourg
Local long form: Grand-Duche de Luxembourg
Local short form: Luxembourg

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Luxembourg

Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Dependent areas

Independence: 1839

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

Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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 Jean-Claude JUNKER (since 1 January 1994); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the sovereign

Legislative branch: unicameral
Chamber of Deputies Chambre des Deputes: elections last held on 12 June 1994 (next to be held by June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) CSV 21, LSAP 17, DP 12, Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights 5, Greens 5
Note: the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies

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

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alphonse BERNS
In the us chancery: 2,200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-4,171
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-8,270
In the us consulates general: New York and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Clay CONSTANTINOU
From the us embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2,535 Luxembourg City
From the us mailing address: PSC 11, Luxembourg City; APO AE 9,132-5,380
From the us telephone: [352] 46 01 23
From the us FAX: [352] 46 14 01

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


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Economy overview: The stable, prosperous 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, is also closely connected economically to the Netherlands, and as a member of the 15-member European Union enjoys the advantages of the open European market.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $22,830 (1994 est.)

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: -0.5% (1990; accounts for 25% of GDP

Labor force: 177,300 (one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany)
By occupation services: 65%
By occupation industry: 31.6%
By occupation agriculture: 3.4% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1994)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4 billion
Expenditures: $4.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

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: $6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products
Partners: EC 76%, US 5%

Imports: $8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Partners: Belgium 37%, Germany 31%, France 12%, US 2%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $800 million (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 31.549 (January 1995), 33,456 (1994), 34.597 (1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990; note - the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,238,750 kW
Production: 1.374 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 3,395 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 230,000 telephones; highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables; nationwide mobile phone system
Local: NA
Intercity: buried cable
International: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $129 million, 1.2% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products 48 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 37 km; Moselle River

Merchant marine
Total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,129,466 GRT/1,790,988 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 2, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 6, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 8, oil tanker 7, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs