1995 Edition

Area

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

Climate

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues: deforestation; air and water pollution in urban areas natural hazards: NA 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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

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 France and Germany

Map references

Europe

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

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.)

Birth rate

12.61 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

9.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 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: 76.95 years male: 73.31 years female: 80.75 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Net migration rate

2.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

404,660 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

0.57% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%

Total fertility rate

1.65 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Capital

Luxembourg

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

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: [1] (202) 265-4171

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

FAX

[1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco

[352] 46 14 01

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

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

Member of

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

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 People's Party (CSV), Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES; Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Ben FAYOT; Democratic Party (DP), Henri GRETHEN; Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights, Roby MEHLEN; other minor parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Clay CONSTANTINOU embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: PSC 11, Luxembourg City; APO AE 09132-5380 telephone: [352] 46 01 23

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

none

Electricity

capacity: 1,238,750 kW production: 1.374 billion kWh consumption per capita: 3,395 kWh (1993)

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

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

$800 million (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods partners: Belgium 37%, Germany 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 parity - $9.2 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$22,830 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

2.6% (1994 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

2.4% (1994)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: NA

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

Television

broadcast stations: 3 and 1 direct-broadcast satellite link televisions: NA

Airports

total: 2 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1

Highways

total: 5,108 km paved: 5,062 km (95 km of limited access divided highway) unpaved: 46 km (1992)

Inland 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

Pipelines

petroleum products 48 km

Ports

Mertert

Railroads

total: 271 km standard gauge: 271 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1994)

Branches

Army, National Gendarmerie

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $129 million, 1.2% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ MACAU (overseas territory of Portugal)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 103,990; males fit for military service 85,912; males reach military age (19) annually 2,190 (1995 est.)