Luxembourg

Luxembourg 

 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 359 km, Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime Claims

None; landlocked

International Disputes

None

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 floodplain in the southeast
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Burgplatz 559 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

NA

Environment

Note: Landlocked

PEOPLE

Population

415,870 (July 1996 est.)
404,660 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

18% (male 39,199; female 37,239) (July 1996 est.)
18% (male 36,645; female 35,372) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

68% (male 142,394; female 138,349) (July 1996 est.)
68% (male 137,792; female 136,960) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

14% (male 23,118; female 35,571) (July 1996 est.)
14% (male 22,117; female 35,774) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.57% (1996 est.)
0.57% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

13.14 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
12.61 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

8.32 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
9.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

10.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
2.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

1.76 children born/woman (1996 est.)
1.65 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Luxembourgisch, German, French, English

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1980 est.)

Labor Force

200,400 (1992) (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 18%, other market services 17%, community, social, personal services 14%, construction 11%, finance, insurance, real estate, business services 9%, transport, storage, communications 7%, agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing 3%, electricity, gas, water 1%

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

LU

Type

Constitutional monarchy

Capital

Luxembourg

Administrative Divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Independence

1839

National Holiday

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

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

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

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

Judicial Branch

Superior Court of Justice (Cour Superieure de Justice)

Political Parties and Leaders

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

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

Member of

ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, 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, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

National Anthem

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

ECONOMY

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.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $10 billion (1995 est.), $9.2 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.6% (1995 est.)
2.6% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$24,800 (1995 est.)
$22,830 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

3.6% (1992)

Unemployment Rate

2.5% (1995)
2.4% (1994)

Budget

Exports

$5.9 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
$6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$7.5 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
$8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$800 million (1994 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate -0.5% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

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

Economic Aid

donor: ODA, $50 million (1993)

Currency

1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 30.036 (January 1996), 29.480 (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

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

37 km; Moselle River

Pipelines

Petroleum products 48 km

Ports

Mertert

Merchant Marine

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

214,821 telephones (1993 est.); highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables; nationwide mobile phone system

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Army, National Gendarmerie

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 108,271; males fit for military service 89,427; males reach military age (19) annually 2,188 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $142 million, 0.8% of GDP (1995), $129 million, 1.2% of GDP (1994)

History
World Atlas