2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

2,586 sq km

total

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

highest point

Burgplatz 559 m

lowest point

Moselle River 133 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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

10 sq km (including Belgium) (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

total

359 km

Land use

arable land

24%

forests and woodland

21%

other

34%

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

20%

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 19% (male 42,375; female 40,109) 15-64 years: 67% (male 148,205; female 145,325) 65 years and over: 14% (male 24,446; female 36,929) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

12.45 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

8.91 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

4.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Luxembourgian, German, French, English

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.63 years (2000 est.)

male

73.84 years

total population

77.13 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

100% (1980 est.)

male

100%

total population

100%

Nationality

adjective

Luxembourg

noun

Luxembourger(s)

Net migration rate

9.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

437,389 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.27% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher,

Capital

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

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

46 01 23

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006

chief of mission

Ambassador Arlette CONZEMIUS

telephone

(202) 265-4171

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch

chief of state

Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of the monarch, born 16 April 1955); note - Grand Duke JEAN intends to abdicate in September 2000 in favor of his oldest son, Prince HENRI

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

head of government

Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Lydie POLFER (since 7 August 1999)

note

government coalition - CSV and DP

FAX

(202) 328-8270

46 14 01

consulate(s) general

New York and San Francisco

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 (from the Netherlands)

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

Judicial branch

Superior Court of Justice or Cour Superieure de Justice, judges are appointed for life by the monarch; Administrative Court or Tribunale Administratin, judges are appointed for life by the monarch

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)

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

elections

last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2004)

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 holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights or ADR ; Christian Social People's Party or CSV ; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie POLFER]; Green Party ; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP ; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) ; 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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$4.71 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$4.73 billion

Currency

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

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $160 million (1999)

Economy - overview

The stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products. 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. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. Luxembourg has especially close trade and financial ties to 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.

Electricity - consumption

5.856 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

900 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

6.4 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

382 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

60.73%

hydro

24.86%

nuclear

0%

other

14.41% (1998)

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995); note - the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg

note

on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a fixed rate of 40.3399 francs per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Exports

$7.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products

Exports - partners

Germany 33%, France 20%, Belgium 12%, UK 6%, US 5%, Netherlands 4% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $14.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

23%

services

76% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $34,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$9.6 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports - commodities

minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners

Belgium 36%, Germany 27%, France 12%, Netherlands 5%, US 4% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

1.6% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.1% (1999 est.)

Labor force

236,400 (one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany) (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 83.2%, industry 14.3%, agriculture 2.5% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

2.7% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

13 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios

285,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

314,700 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

95,400 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

8 (1999)

Televisions

285,000 (1998 est.)

Airports

2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways)

total

5,166 km

unpaved

0 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 2, chemical tanker 10, container 1, liquified gas 18, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 6, roll-on/roll-off 7 (1999 est.)

total

48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,283,738 GRT/1,872,071 DWT

Pipelines

petroleum products 48 km

Ports and harbors

Mertert

Railways

standard gauge

274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1998)

total

274 km

Waterways

37 km; Moselle

Military branches

Army; note - the new government abolished the Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$131 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 111,882 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 92,238 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

2,563 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

MACAU