1998 Edition

Area

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

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Burgplatz 559 m

Environment-current issues

air and water pollution in urban areas

Environment-international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography-note

landlocked

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Land use

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

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

iron ore (no longer exploited)

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% (male 39,565; female 37,824) 15-64 years: 67% (male 145,060; female 139,628) 65 years and over: 15% (male 25,449; female 37,491) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

11.12 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

9.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Luxembourgian, German, French, English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.49 years male: 74.41 years female: 80.68 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Net migration rate

8.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

425,017 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.02% (1998 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Constitution

17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Country name

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

Data code

LU

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 JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the sovereign, responsible to the Chamber of Deputies elections: none; the grand duke is a hereditary monarch; prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the sovereign but are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies

FAX

[1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clay CONSTANTINOU embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 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

[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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

1839

International organization participation

ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alphonse BERNS chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171

Judicial branch

Superior Court of Justice or Cour Superieure de Justice, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke; Administrative Court or Tribunale Administratin, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke Political parties and leaders: Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Ben FAYOT]; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie Wurth POLFER]; Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights [Roby MEHLEN]; the Green Alternative [Abbes JACOBY]; other minor parties Political pressure groups and leaders: 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

Legal system

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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 12 June 1994 (next to be held by June 1999) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-CSV 21, LSAP 17, DP 12, Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights 5, Greens 5 note: the Council of State or Conseil d'Etat, which has 21 members who are appointed for life, is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies

National capital

Luxembourg

National holiday

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture-products

barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products

Budget

revenues: $5.46 billion expenditures: $5.44 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes; note-centimes no longer in use

Debt-external

$NA

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $50 million (1993)

Economy-overview

The stable, prosperous economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified. During the past decades, 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 EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market.

Electricity-capacity

138,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

13,518 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

470 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1-37.459 (January 1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993); note-the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg

Exports

total value: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products partners: Germany 28%, France 18%, Belgium 15%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$13.48 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 5% industry: 21% services: 74% (1995)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$33,700 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

3.6% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $9.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods partners: Belgium 38%, Germany 25%, France 11%, Netherlands 4%

Industrial production growth rate

3.3% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate-consumer price index

2.3% (1995)

Labor force

total: 213,100 (one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany) by occupation: trade, restaurants, hotels 20%, mining, quarrying, manufacturing 16%, other market services 18%, community, social, personal services 14%, construction 11%, finance, insurance, real estate, business services 9%, transport, storage, communications 8%, agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing 1%, electricity, gas, water 1% (1995 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

230,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones

221,900 (1994 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 plus 1 direct-broadcast satellite link

Televisions

100,500 (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.5% (1997)

Airports

2 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 5,160 km paved: 5,160 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 775,336 GRT/1,028,012 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 11, oil tanker 5, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 (1997 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 48 km Ports and harbors: Mertert

Railways

total: 275 km standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1995)

Waterways

37 km; Moselle

Military branches

Army, National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$142 million (1995)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

0.8% (1995)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 108,111 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 88,807 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-military age

19 years of age

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: 2,388 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none (Chinese territory under Portuguese administration)