Luxembourg
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Luxembourg Geography Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km AreaŃcomparative: 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 floodplain in the southeast Elevation extremes: lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Burgplatz 559 m Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited) Land use: arable land: 24% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 21% other: 34% Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: NA EnvironmentŃcurrent issues: air and water pollution in urban areas EnvironmentŃinternational agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea GeographyŃnote: landlocked People Population: 425,017 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 39,565; female 37,824) 15-64 years: 67% (male 145,060; female 139,628) 65 years and over: 15% (male 25,449; female 37,491) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 1.02% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 11.12 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 9.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 8.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.04 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.49 years male: 74.41 years female: 80.68 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.63 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg Ethnic groups: Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, and European (guest and worker residents) Religions: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3% Languages: Luxembourgian, German, French, English Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.) Government Country name: conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand-Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg Data code: LU Government type: constitutional monarchy National 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: chief of state: Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke JEAN, born 16 April 1955) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the sovereign, responsible to the Chamber of Deputies elections: none; the grand duke is a hereditary monarch; prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the sovereign but are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies 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 12 June 1994 (next to be held by June 1999) election results: percent of vote by partyŃNA; seats by partyŃCSV 21, LSAP 17, DP 12, Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights 5, Greens 5 note: the Council of State or Conseil d'Etat, which has 21 members who are appointed for life, is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies Judicial branch: Superior Court of Justice or Cour Superieure de Justice, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke; Administrative Court or Tribunale Administratin, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke Political parties and leaders: Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Ben FAYOT]; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie Wurth POLFER]; Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights [Roby MEHLEN]; the Green Alternative [Abbes JACOBY]; other minor parties Political pressure groups and leaders: 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 International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, 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, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alphonse BERNS chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Clay CONSTANTINOU embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 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 EconomyŃoverview: The stable, prosperous economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified. During the past decades, 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 EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market. GDP: purchasing power parityŃ$13.48 billion (1997 est.) GDPŃreal growth rate: 3.6% (1997 est.) GDPŃper capita: purchasing power parityŃ$33,700 (1997 est.) GDPŃcomposition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 21% services: 74% (1995) Inflation rateŃconsumer price index: 2.3% (1995) Labor force: total: 213,100 (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 16%, other market services 18%, community, social, personal services 14%, construction 11%, finance, insurance, real estate, business services 9%, transport, storage, communications 8%, agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing 1%, electricity, gas, water 1% (1995 est.) Unemployment rate: 3.5% (1997) Budget: revenues: $5.46 billion expenditures: $5.44 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (1995 est.) ElectricityŃcapacity: 138,000 kW (1995) ElectricityŃproduction: 470 million kWh (1995) ElectricityŃconsumption per capita: 13,518 kWh (1995) AgricultureŃproducts: barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products Exports: total value: $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products partners: Germany 28%, France 18%, Belgium 15%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5% Imports: total value: $9.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods partners: Belgium 38%, Germany 25%, France 11%, Netherlands 4% DebtŃexternal: $NA Economic aid: donor: ODA, $50 million (1993) Currency: 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes; noteŃcentimes no longer in use Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1Ń37.459 (January 1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993); noteŃthe Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Telephones: 221,900 (1994 est.) Telephone system: 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 0, FM 6, shortwave 0 Radios: 230,000 (1993 est.) Television broadcast stations: 1 plus 1 direct-broadcast satellite link Televisions: 100,500 (1993 est.) Transportation Railways: total: 275 km standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (262 km electrified; 178 km double track) (1995) Highways: total: 5,160 km paved: 5,160 km (including 115 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.) Waterways: 37 km; Moselle Pipelines: petroleum products 48 km Ports and harbors: Mertert Merchant marine: total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 775,336 GRT/1,028,012 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 11, oil tanker 5, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 (1997 est.) Airports: 2 (1997 est.) AirportsŃwith paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.) AirportsŃwith unpaved runways: total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.) Military Military branches: Army, National Gendarmerie Military manpowerŃmilitary age: 19 years of age Military manpowerŃavailability: males age 15-49: 108,111 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃfit for military service: males: 88,807 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃreaching military age annually: males: 2,388 (1998 est.) Military expendituresŃdollar figure: $142 million (1995) Military expendituresŃpercent of GDP: 0.8% (1995) Transnational Issues DisputesŃinternational: none