2010 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

Buurgplaatz 559 m

lowest point

Moselle River 133 m

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-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

121 cu m/yr (1999)

total

0.06 cu km/yr (42%/45%/13%)

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

total

359 km

Land use

arable land

27.42%

other

71.89% (includes Belgium) (2005)

permanent crops

0.69%

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

Total renewable water resources

1.6 cu km (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.5% (male 46,918/female 44,052) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 165,342/female 162,681) 65 years and over: 14.8% (male 29,839/female 42,943) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

11.7 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

8.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.7% of GDP (2001)

Ethnic groups

Luxembourger 63.1%, Portuguese 13.3%, French 4.5%, Italian 4.3%, German 2.3%, other EU 7.3%, other 5.2% (2000 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

4.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.49 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.95 years (2010 est.)

male

76.22 years

total population

79.48 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

100% (2000 est.)

male

100%

total population

100%

Median age

female

40.3 years (2010 est.)

male

38.3 years

total

39.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Luxembourg

noun

Luxembourger(s)

Net migration rate

8.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

497,538 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.158% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2006)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.066 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

82% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

49 36 N, 6 07 E

name

Luxembourg

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Cynthia STROUM

embassy

22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

FAX

[352] 46 14 01

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Jean-Paul SENNINGER

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 328-8270

telephone

[1] (202) 265-4171 through 72

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)

elections

the monarchy is hereditary; following popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP

head of government

Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 20 January 1995); Deputy Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004)

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; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

1839 (from the Netherlands)

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

judicial courts and tribunals (three Justices of the Peace, two district courts, and one 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

Legal system

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - CSV 38%, LSAP 21.6%, DP 15%, Green Party 11.7%, ADR 8.1%, The Left 3.3%, other 2.3%; seats by party - CSV 26, LSAP 13, DP 9, Green Party 7, ADR 4, The Left 1 note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister

elections

last held on 7 June 2009 (next to be held by June 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown note: "Ons Heemecht," adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while "De Wilhelmus," adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg

name

"Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William)

National holiday

National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June; note - the actual date of birth was 23 January 1896, but the festivities were shifted by five months to allow observance during a more favorable time of year

Political parties and leaders

Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Michel WOLTER]; dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left); Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; 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); Greenpeace (environment protection); LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy and livestock products

Central bank discount rate

1.75% (31 December 2009) 3% (31 December 2008) note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Current account balance

$3.396 billion (2010 est.) $2.985 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$1.892 trillion (30 June 2010) $2.02 trillion (31 December 2008)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26 (2005)

Economy - overview

This small, stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - has historically featured 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, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign owned and have extensive foreign dealings, but Luxembourg has lost some of its advantages as a tax haven because of OECD and EU pressure. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 60% of its labor force. Luxembourg, like all EU members, suffered from the global economic crisis that began in late 2008, but unemployment has trended below the EU average. Following strong expansion from 2004 to 2007, Luxembourg's economy contracted and 3.4% in 2009, but rebounded 2.6% in 2010. The country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks third in the world, after Liechtenstein and Qatar, and is the highest in the EU. Turmoil in the world financial markets and lower global demand during 2008-09 prompted the government to inject capital into the banking sector and implement stimulus measures to boost the economy. Government stimulus measures and support for the banking sector, however, led to a 5% government budget deficit in 2009, however, the deficit was cut below 3% in 2010.

Electricity - consumption

6.525 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.483 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

6.83 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

2.696 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Exports

$17.82 billion (2010 est.) $15.5 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass

Exports - partners

Germany 19.78%, France 15.87%, Belgium 11.07%, UK 7.96%, Italy 7.49%, Netherlands 4.31% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

0.4%

industry

13.6%

services

86% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$81,800 (2010 est.) $80,700 (2009 est.) $84,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.2% (2010 est.) -3.7% (2009 est.) 1.4% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$52.43 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$40.81 billion (2010 est.) $39.55 billion (2009 est.) $41.07 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)

Imports

$23.67 billion (2010 est.) $19.76 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners

Belgium 27.22%, Germany 23.14%, China 18.62%, France 8.85%, Netherlands 5.06% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

1.7% (2009 est.)

Industries

banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (2010 est.) 0.4% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.8% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

206,000 of whom 125,400 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2.2%

industry

17.2%

services

80.6% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$105.6 billion (31 December 2009) $66.46 billion (31 December 2008) $166.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

1.268 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.263 billion cu m (2009 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

50,720 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

63 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - imports

59,210 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

16.2% of GDP (2010 est.) 14.6% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA (31 December 2010 est.) $810 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$255.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $231.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA (31 December 2009 est.) $11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$395.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $369.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$120.8 billion (31 December 2010 est) $121 billion (31 December 2009 est) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Unemployment rate

5.5% (2010 est.) 5.7% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services to pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately-owned broadcast media group, the RTL group, which operates 45 television stations and 31 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations are available; satellite and cable TV services are accessible (2008)

Internet country code

.lu

Internet hosts

244,225 (2010)

Internet users

424,500 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated

general assessment

highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables

international

country code - 352 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

273,600 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

719,000 (2009)

Airports

2 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, cargo 3, chemical tanker 16, container 10, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 10

foreign-owned

45 (Belgium 9, France 16, Germany 9, Netherlands 2, Switzerland 1, UK 5, US 3)

registered in other countries

16 (Italy 12, Malta 3, Panama 1) (2010)

total

47

Pipelines

gas 155 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Mertert

Railways

standard gauge

275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)

total

275 km

Roadways

paved

5,227 km (includes 147 km of expressways) (2008)

total

5,227 km

Waterways

37 km (on Moselle River) (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 117,892 females age 16-49: 116,517 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 96,585 females age 16-49: 95,519 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

3,057 (2010 est.)

male

3,211

Military branches

Army (2010)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2010)

Disputes - international

none page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================