Luxembourg

Internet country code

.lu

Internet hosts

220,107 (2009) country comparison to the world: 62

Internet users

387,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 113

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated international: country code - 352 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

260,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 118

Telephones - mobile cellular

707,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 149

Television broadcast stations

5 (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $22.42 billion expenditures: $21 billion (2008 est.)

Central bank discount rate

3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 107 5% (31 December 2007) 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

$2.979 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $4.928 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.02 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $NA (31 December 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26 (2005) country comparison to the world: 126

Economy - overview

This 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. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 60% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, suffered from the global economic slump in the early part of this decade, the country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks third in the world, after Liechtenstein and Qatar. After two years of strong economic growth in 2006-07, turmoil in the world financial markets trimmed Luxembourg's economy in 2008.

Electricity - consumption

6.525 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

Electricity - exports

2.483 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

6.83 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

2.696 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)

Exports

$21.43 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $18.26 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Germany 21.8%, France 17.4%, Belgium 10%, Italy 6.9%, UK 6.5%, Netherlands 6%, Spain 4.9% (2008)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$54.97 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$39.47 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 $39.84 billion (2007 est.) $37.87 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 0.4% industry: 13.6% services: 86% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$81,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $83,000 (2007 est.) $79,800 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205 5.2% (2007 est.) 6.4% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$27.73 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 $23.09 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods

Imports - partners

Belgium 28%, Germany 24%, China 18.9%, France 10%, Netherlands 4.8% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

1.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

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)

3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 2.3% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

20.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Labor force

206,000 of whom 125,400 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2.2% industry: 17.2% services: 80.6% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 41 $166.1 billion (31 December 2007) $79.52 billion (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - consumption

1.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 160

Natural gas - imports

1.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167

Oil - consumption

59,140 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Oil - exports

168 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Oil - imports

60,030 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

10.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 6.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$397.8 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $205.5 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81

Stock of domestic credit

$369.6 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 22 $100.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$NA 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 and quasi money circulating within their own borders

Stock of quasi money

$NA

Unemployment rate

4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 4.4% (2007 est.)

Area

total: 2,586 sq km country comparison to the world: 178 land: 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

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-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)

total: 0.06 cu km/yr (42%/45%/13%) per capita: 121 cu m/yr (1999)

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography - note

landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

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

Land use

arable land: 27.42% permanent crops: 0.69% other: 71.89% (includes Belgium) (2005)

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)

Administrative divisions

3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Capital

name: Luxembourg geographic coordinates: 49 36 N, 6 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 Ann WAGNER 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 Jean-Paul SENNINGER chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 through 72 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco

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 20 January 1995); Deputy Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch elections: 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 LSAP

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, 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, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, 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 are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 7 June 2009 (next to be held by June 2014) 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

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 [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left); 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

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 116,305 females age 16-49: 114,566 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 95,840 females age 16-49: 94,641 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 3,170 female: 2,995 (2009 est.)

Military branches

Army (2009)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

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 (2008)

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) (2009 est.)

Birth rate

11.73 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 170

Death rate

8.44 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95

Education expenditures

3.4% of GDP (1999) country comparison to the world: 131

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.) country comparison to the world: 96

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

fewer than 500 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 152

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 199 male: 4.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.33 years country comparison to the world: 31 male: 76.07 years female: 82.81 years (2009 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 39.2 years male: 38.2 years female: 40.2 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg

Net migration rate

8.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 10

Population

491,775 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Population growth rate

1.172% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 160

Urbanization

urban population: 82% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 208

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports

1 (2009)

Merchant marine

total: 45 country comparison to the world: 74 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 3, chemical tanker 15, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 9 foreign-owned: 44 (Belgium 7, Denmark 1, France 17, Germany 5, Netherlands 2, UK 8, US 4) registered in other countries: 1 (Ukraine 1) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 155 km (2008)

Ports and terminals

Mertert

Railways

total: 275 km country comparison to the world: 125 standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways

total: 5,227 km country comparison to the world: 152 paved: 5,227 km (includes 147 km of expressways) (2004)

Waterways

37 km (on Moselle River) (2008) country comparison to the world: 106