from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Luxembourg
Introduction
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), and in 1999 it
joined the euro currency area.
Geography
Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany
Geographic 49 45 N, 6 10 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 2,586 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Rhode Island
comparative:
Land total: 359 km
boundaries: border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany
138 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
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 flood plain in the
southeast
Elevation lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
extremes: highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
Natural iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
resources:
Land use: arable land: 23.94%
permanent crops: 0.39%
other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)
Irrigated NA
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution
current of farmland
issues:
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
agreements: Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
note:
People
Population: 474,413 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.9% (male 46,118/female 43,356)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 159,498/female 156,075)
65 years and over: 14.6% (male 28,027/female 41,339)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 38.7 years
male: 37.7 years
female: 39.7 years (2006 est.)
Population 1.23% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 11.94 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.41 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 8.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 4.74 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 4.73 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 78.89 years
expectancy at male: 75.6 years
birth: female: 82.38 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.78 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.2% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 500 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 100 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg
Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese,
Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo)
and European (guest and resident workers)
Religions: 87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims
(2000)
Languages: Luxembourgish (national language), German
(administrative language), French (administrative
language)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
Government
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 constitutional monarchy
type:
Capital: name: Luxembourg
geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
divisions:
Independence: 1839 (from the Netherlands)
National National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23
holiday: June
Constitution: 17 October 1868; occasional revisions
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October
branch: 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the
monarch, born 11 November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER
(since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jean
ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime
minister and appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following
popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is appointed
by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of
Deputies
note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP
Legislative unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes
branch: (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by
June 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%,
LSAP 23.4%, DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats
by party - CSV 24, LSAP 14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5
note: there is also a Council of State that serves as
an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; the
Council of State has 21 members appointed by the Grand
Duke on the advice of the prime minister
Judicial judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace,
branch: 2 district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals);
administrative courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's
Office, administrative courts and tribunals, and the
Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are
appointed for life by the monarch
Political Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast
parties and GIBERYEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (also
leaders: known as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Francois
BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green
Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers'
Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed
Communist Party dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left) [no
formal leadership]; other minor parties
Political ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector
pressure trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of
groups and agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector
leaders: chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil
service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce);
Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL
(federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment
protection); LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement
Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL (center-left
trade union)
International ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
organization EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
participation: ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND
representation chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171
FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ann WAGNER
representation embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535
from the US: Luxembourg City
mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit
1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American
Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123
(personal mail)
telephone: [352] 46 01 23
FAX: [352] 46 14 01
Flag three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
description: 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
Economy
Economy - This stable, high-income economy - benefitting from its
overview: proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - features
solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The
industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has
become increasingly diversified to include chemicals,
rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial
sector, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has
more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most
banks are foreign-owned and have extensive foreign
dealings. Agriculture is based on small family-owned
farms. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border
workers for more than 30% of its labor force. Although
Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the
global economic slump, the country enjoys an
extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per
capita ranks first in the world.
GDP $30.9 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $31.76 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $65,900 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 1%
composition by industry: 13%
sector: services: 86% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 316,500 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border
workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and
Germany (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 1%
by occupation: industry: 13%
services: 86% (2004 est.)
Unemployment 4.5% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 2.5% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 20.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $9.195 billion
expenditures: $9.573 billion; including capital
expenditures of $975.5 million (2005 est.)
Agriculture - wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits;
products: dairy products, livestock products
Industries: banking and financial services, iron and steel,
information technology, telecommunications, cargo
transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal
products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism
Industrial 4.5% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 3.203 billion kWh (2005 est.)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 57.3%
production by hydro: 25.2%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 17.5% (2001)
Electricity - 6.14 billion kWh (2005 est.)
consumption:
Electricity - 2.346 billion kWh (2005 est.)
exports:
Electricity - 5.287 billion kWh (2005 est.)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 55,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 634 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 50,700 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 1.205 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 867 million cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Current $3.56 billion
account
balance:
Exports: $13.39 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals,
commodities: rubber products, glass
Exports - Germany 21%, France 16.3%, Belgium 9.2%, UK 8.3%, Italy
partners: 7.5%, Spain 6.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)
Imports: $18.74 billion c.i.f. (2005 est.)
Imports - minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
commodities:
Imports - Belgium 28.2%, Germany 21.8%, China 12.8%, France 9.6%,
partners: Netherlands 5.1% (2005)
Reserves of $279.1 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $NA
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $235.59 million (2004)
donor:
Currency euro (EUR)
(code): note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by
financial institutions of member countries; on 1
January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for
everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code: EUR
Exchange euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
rates: 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 244,500 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 720,000 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: highly developed, completely
system: automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried
cable
international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on
TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
Radio AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 285,000 (1997)
Television 5 (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 285,000 (1998 est.)
Internet .lu
country code:
Internet 88,661 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 8 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 315,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Airports - total: 1
with unpaved under 914 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 155 km (2006)
Railways: total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 5,210 km
paved: 5,210 km (including 147 km of expressways)
(2002)
Waterways: 37 km (on Moselle River) (2003)
Merchant total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 557,636 GRT/792,069
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, chemical tanker 16, container
7, liquefied gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 3,
roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 9, Finland 4, France 14,
Germany 10, Netherlands 2, US 3) (2006)
Ports and Mertert
terminals:
Military
Military Army
branches:
Military a 1967 law made the Army an all-volunteer force; 17
service age years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers
and under 18 are not deployed into combat or with
obligation: peacekeeping missions (2004)
Manpower males age 17-49: 110,867
available for females age 17-49: 108,758 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 17-49: 90,279
for military females age 17-49: 88,638 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,775
reaching females age 17-49: 2,703 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $231.6 million (2003)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.9% (2003)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international: