1993 Edition

Area

total area: 2,586 km2 land area: 2,586 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

deforestation

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA km2

Land boundaries

total 359 km, Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Land use

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

Location

Western Europe, between Belgium and Germany

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

iron ore (no longer exploited)

Note

landlocked

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

Birth rate

12.96 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

9.56 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

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

Languages

Luxembourgisch, German, French, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.43 years male: 72.71 years female: 80.3 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Nationality

noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Net migration rate

6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

398,220 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

1.04% (1993 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Capital

Luxembourg

Chamber of Deputies

last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held by June 1994); results - CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%, KPL 5.1%, other 4.1%; seats - (60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1

Chief of State

Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955)

Constitution

17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Digraph

LU

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Alphonse BERNS chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-4171

Executive branch

grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

FAX

(202) 328-8270 consulates general: New York and San Francisco

[352] 461401

Flag

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

Head of Government

Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)

Independence

1839

Judicial branch

Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de Justice)

Legal system

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); note - the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat) is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies

Member of

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

Names

conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand-Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg

National holiday

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

Other political or pressure groups

group of steel companies representing iron and steel industry; Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation

Political parties and leaders

Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques POOS; Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH; Communist (KPL), Andre HOFFMANN; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: PSC 11, APO AE 09132-5380 telephone: [352] 460123

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $3.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Currency

1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

none

Electricity

1,238,750 kW capacity; 1,375 million kWh produced, 3,450 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988); note - the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg

Exports

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

External debt

$131.6 million (1989 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

money-laundering hub

Imports

$8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods partners: Belgium 37%, FRG 31%, France 12%, US 2%

Industrial production

growth rate -0.5% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.5 billion (1992)

National product per capita

$21,700 (1992)

National product real growth rate

2.5% (1992)

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 to the Netherlands.

Unemployment rate

1.4% (1991)

Airports

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Highways

5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km earth; about 80 km limited access divided highway

Inland waterways

37 km; Moselle River

Merchant marine

53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,570,466 GRT/2,614,154 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 5 container, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 6 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 8 liquefied gas, 2 passenger, 8 bulk, 6 combination bulk, 4 refrigerated cargo

Pipelines

petroleum products 48 km

Ports

Mertert (river port)

Railroads

Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 272 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 178 km double track; 178 km electrified

Telecommunications

highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables; 230,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable; 1 direct-broadcast satellite earth station; nationwide mobile phone system

Branches

Army, National Gendarmerie

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1.2% of GDP (1992)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 103,607; fit for military service 86,003; reach military age (19) annually 2,227 (1993 est.)