[syn: Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Luxemburg]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Luxembourg
n 1: the capital and largest city of Luxembourg [syn:
Luxembourg-Ville, Luxembourg, Luxemburg, Luxembourg
City, capital of Luxembourg]
2: a grand duchy (a constitutional monarchy) landlocked in
northwestern Europe between France and Belgium and Germany;
an international financial center [syn: Luxembourg, Grand
Duchy of Luxembourg, Luxemburg]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Luxembourg
Introduction Luxembourg
-----------------------
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.
Geography Luxembourg
--------------------
Location: Western Europe, between France and
Germany
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km,
France 73 km, Germany 138 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: modified continental with mild
winters, cool summers
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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited),
arable land
Land use: arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 75% (includes Belgium) (1998
est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998
est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in urban
areas, soil pollution of farmland
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur
85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental
Modification
Geography - note: landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in
the world, it is the smallest of the
European Union member states
People Luxembourg
-----------------
Population: 448,569 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.9% (male 43,634;
female 41,164)
15-64 years: 67% (male 151,364;
female 149,156)
65 years and over: 14.1% (male
25,486; female 37,765) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.25% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.06 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.48 years
female: 80.97 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.2 years
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.16% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg
Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German
blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs
(from Montenegro, Albania, and
Kososvo) and European (guest and
resident workers)
Religions: the greatest preponderance of the
population is Roman Catholic with a
very few Protestants, Jews, and
Muslims
note: 1979 legislation forbids the
collection of religious statistics
Languages: Luxembourgish (national language),
German (administrative language),
French (administrative language)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
Government Luxembourg
---------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg
local short form: Luxembourg
local long form: Grand Duche de
Luxembourg
Government type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Luxembourg
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher,
Luxembourg
Independence: 1839 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday: National Day (Birthday of Grand
Duchess Charlotte) 23 June
Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional
revisions
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and
compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI
(since 7 October 2000); Heir
Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of
the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister
Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January
1995) and Vice Prime Minister Lydie
POLFER (since 7 August 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
recommended by the prime minister
and appointed by the monarch
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
note: government coalition - CSV and
DP
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 13 June 1999
(next to be held by June 2004)
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
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
Judicial branch: judicial courts and tribunals (3
Justices of the Peace, 2 district
courts, and 1 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
Political parties and leaders: Action Committee for Democracy and
Justice or ADR [Robert MEHLEN];
Christian Social People's Party or
CSV (known also as Christian Social
Party or PCS) [Erna HENNICOT-
SCHOEPGES]; Democratic Party or DP
[Lydie POLFER]; Green Party [Abbes
JACOBY and Felix BRAS]; Luxembourg
Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP
[Jean ASSELBORN]; Marxist and
Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK
(the Left) [no formal leadership];
other minor parties
Political pressure groups and ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA
leaders: (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)
International organization ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC,
participation: CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette
CONZEMIUS-PACCOURD
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York and
San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador
US: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gerald
LOFTUS
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: [352] 46 01 23
FAX: [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
Economy Luxembourg
------------------
Economy - overview: This stable, high-income economy
features 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 has more than compensated for
the decline in steel. Services,
especially banking, account for a
substantial proportion of the
economy. Agriculture is based on
small family-owned farms. The
economy depends on foreign and
trans-border workers for 30% of its
labor force. Although Luxembourg,
like all EU members, has suffered
from the global economic slump, the
country has maintained a fairly
robust growth rate. On 1 January
2002, Luxembourg - together with 11
of its EU partners - began to
replace its circulating national
currency with the euro.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $19.2
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $43,400
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1%
industry: 30%
services: 69% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 262,300 (of whom 87,400 are foreign
cross-border workers primarily from
France, Belgium, and Germany) (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: services 90.1%, industry 8%,
agriculture 1.9% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.4% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.44 billion
expenditures: $4.44 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: banking, iron and steel, food
processing, chemicals, metal
products, engineering, tires, glass,
aluminum
Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 467.7 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 57.52%
hydro: 25.66%
other: 16.82% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 6.158 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 735 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 6.458 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: barley, oats, potatoes, wheat,
fruits, wine grapes; livestock
products
Exports: $7.85 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, steel
products, chemicals, rubber
products, glass
Exports - partners: EU 85% (Germany 24%, France 21%,
Belgium 13%), US 4% (2000)
Imports: $10.25 billion (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs,
quality consumer goods
Imports - partners: EU 88% (Belgium 37%, Germany 25%,
France 13%), US 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $160 million (1999)
Currency: euro (EUR); Luxembourg franc (LUF)
note: on 1 January 1999, the
European Monetary Union introduced
the euro as a common currency to be
used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002,
the euro became the sole currency
for everyday transactions within the
member countries
Currency code: EUR; LUF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
Luxembourg francs per US dollar -
34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998),
35.774 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Luxembourg
-------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 314,700 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 215,741 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Radios: 285,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 5 (1999)
Televisions: 285,000 (1998 est.)
Internet country code: .lu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 8 (2000)
Internet users: 100,000 (2001)
Transportation Luxembourg
-------------------------
Railways: total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge
(242 km electrified) (2001)
Highways: total: 5,166 km
paved: 5,166 km (including 118 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways: 37 km (on the Moselle)
Pipelines: petroleum products 48 km
Ports and harbors: Mertert
Merchant marine: total: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,487,752 GRT/2,123,579 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, chemical
tanker 13, container 8, liquefied
gas 19, passenger 4, petroleum
tanker 8, roll on/roll off 6
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Belgium 21, Finland 3,
France 8, Germany 10, Monaco 1,
Netherlands 3, Norway 1, United
Kingdom 9, United States 3 (2002
est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Luxembourg
-------------------
Military branches: Army, Grand Ducal Police
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 113,557 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 93,429 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 2,565 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $147.8 million (FY01/02)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 0.8% (FY01/02)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Luxembourg
-------------------------------
Disputes - international: none