Luxembourg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

8 (2000)

Internet country code

.lu

Internet users

100,000 (2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios

285,000 (1997)

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

314,700 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

215,741 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

5 (1999)

Televisions

285,000 (1998 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $5.5 billion expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $760 million $NA (2002 est.)

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

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $160 million (1999)

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, which now accounts for about 22% of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned and have extensive foreign dealings. 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 strong growth rate.

Electricity - consumption

6.158 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

735 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

6.458 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

467.7 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 58% hydro: 26% other: 17% (2000) nuclear: 0%

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)

Exports

$7.85 billion f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

EU 84.7% (Germany 24.6%, France 19.6%, Belgium 12.3%), US 3.5% (2001)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $20 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 1% industry: 30% services: 69% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $44,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$10.25 billion c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities

minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners

EU 86.7% (Belgium 34.3%, Germany 25.1%, France 12.8%), US 5.8% (2001)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2002 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (2002 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%, industry 8%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

4.1% (2002 est.)

Area

total: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 2,586 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: Buurgplaatz 559 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-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

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world, it is the smallest of the European Union member states

Irrigated land

40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

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

Land use

arable land: 25% permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (includes Belgium) (1998 est.)

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

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Capital

Luxembourg

Constitution

17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TERPELUK, Jr. 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

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

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

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, 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

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

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 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

National holiday

National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June

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 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

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.

Military branches

Army, Grand Ducal Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$147.8 million (FY01/02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.8% (FY01/02)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 113,557 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 93,429 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 2,565 (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.)

Birth rate

12.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European (guest and resident workers)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.16% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.48 years female: 80.97 years (2002 est.) male: 74.2 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Net migration rate

9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

448,569 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

1.25% (2002 est.)

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

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports

1 (2002)

Highways

total: 5,166 km paved: 5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999)

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.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 48 km

Ports and harbors

Mertert

Railways

total: 274 km standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified) (2001)

Waterways

37 km (on the Moselle)