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Luxembourg | Introduction | 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 (later the European Union) and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Luxembourg | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Western Europe, between France and Germany

Geographic coordinates: | 49 45 N, 6 10 E

Map references: | Europe

Area: | total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: | total: 356 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 135 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 flood plain in the southeast

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m

Natural resources: | iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Land use: | arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 35% other: 20%

Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (including Belgium) (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | NA

Environment - current issues: | air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification

Geography - note: | landlocked

Luxembourg | People | Top of Page

Population: | 442,972 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.91% (male 43,051; female 40,711) 15-64 years: 67.03% (male 149,781; female 147,165) 65 years and over: 14.06% (male 24,921; female 37,343) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 1.26% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 12.25 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 8.88 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

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: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 4.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.3 years male: 74.02 years female: 80.8 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.16% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Ethnic groups: | Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European (guest and resident workers)

Religions: | the greatest preponderance of the population is Roman Catholic with a very few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims note: 1979 legislation forbids the collection of religious statistics

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.)

Luxembourg | Government | Top of Page

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

Independence: | 1839 (from the Netherlands)

National holiday: | National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 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 branch: | chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 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 Lydie POLFER (since 7 August 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the monarch, following popular election to the Chamber of Deputies; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies note: government coalition - CSV and DP

Legislative branch: | unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 29.79%, DP 21.58%, LSAP 23.75%, ADR 10.36%, Green Party 9.09%, the Left 3.77%; seats by party - CSV 19, DP 15, LSAP 13, ADR 6, Green Party 5, the Left 2 note: the Council of State or Conseil d'Etat, which has 21 members who are appointed and dismissed by the Grand Duke based on proposals from the government, the Chamber of Deputies, or the Council of State, is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies

Judicial branch: | judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 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 parties and leaders: | Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie POLFER]; Green Party [Abbes JACOBY and Felix BRAS]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Jean ASSELBORN]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: | ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left trade union)

International organization participation: | ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette CONZEMIUS chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James C. HORMEL embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, L-2535 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 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

Luxembourg | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | The stable, high-income economy 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 has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a substantial proportion of the economy. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and trans-border workers for 30% of its labor force. Luxembourg has a custom union with Belgium and the Netherlands, and, as a member of the EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market. It joined with 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $15.9 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 5.7% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $36,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1% industry: 30% services: 69% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 7.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 248,000 (of whom 70,200 are foreign cross-border workers primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2000)

Labor force - by occupation: | services 83.2%, industry 14.3%, agriculture 2.5% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 2.7% (2000 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $5.6 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: | 7.8% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: | 648 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 36.88% hydro: 53.09% nuclear: 0% other: 10.03% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 6.149 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 655 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 6.201 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products

Exports: | $7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass

Exports - partners: | EU 75% (Germany 25%, France 21%, Belgium 13%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Netherlands 5%), US 4% (1999)

Imports: | $10 billion (c.i.f., 2000)

Imports - commodities: | minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners: | EU 81% (Belgium 35%, Germany 26%, France 12%, Netherlands 4%), US 9% (1999)

Debt - external: | $NA

Economic aid - donor: | ODA, $160 million (1999)

Currency: | Luxembourg franc (LUF); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Luxembourg at a fixed rate of 40.3399 Luxembourg francs per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: | LUF; EUR

Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Luxembourg francs per US dollar - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996); note - the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Luxembourg | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 314,700 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 215,741 (2000)

Telephone system: | general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable international: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios: | 285,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 5 (1999)

Televisions: | 285,000 (1998 est.)

Internet country code: | .lu

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 8 (2000)

Internet users: | 86,000 (1999)

Luxembourg | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 274 km standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1998)

Highways: | total: 5,166 km paved: 5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways: | 37 km (on the Moselle)

Pipelines: | petroleum products 48 km

Ports and harbors: | Mertert

Merchant marine: | total: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 988,450 GRT/1,313,498 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, chemical tanker 11, container 2, liquefied gas 18, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 4 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Heliports: | 1 (2000 est.)

Luxembourg | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army; note - the government abolished the Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age: | 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 112,714 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 92,817 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 2,565 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $131 million (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1% (FY98/99)

Luxembourg | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none