LUXEMBOURG
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 2,586 km2; land area: 2,586 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: 359 km total; Belgium 148 km, France 73 km,
Germany 138 km
Coastline: none--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
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited)
Land use: arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
20%; forest and woodland 21%; other 34%
Environment: deforestation
Note: landlocked
PEOPLE
Population: 388,017 (July 1991), growth rate 1.1% (1991)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 8 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Luxembourger(s); adjective--Luxembourg
Ethnic divisions: Celtic base, with French and German blend; also
guest and worker residents from Portugal, Italy, and European countries
Religion: Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
Literacy: 100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force: 169,600; one-third of labor force is foreign workers,
mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; services 50%,
industry 23.2%, government 14.4%, construction 9%, agriculture 3.4%
(1987)
Organized labor: 100,000 (est.) members of four confederated
trade unions
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Luxembourg
Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher,
Luxembourg
Independence: 1839
Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand
Duke's birthday), 23 June (1921)
Executive branch: grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des
Deputes); 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)
Leaders:
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 Jacques SANTER (since 21 July
1984); Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER;
Socialist Workers Party (LSAP), Jacques POOS;
Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH;
Communist (KPL), Andre HOFFMANN;
Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
Chamber of Deputies--last held on 18 June 1989 (next to be held
by June 1994);
results--CSV 31.7%, LSAP 27.2%, DP 16.2%, Greens 8.4%, PAC 7.3%,
KPL 5.1%, other 4.1%;
seats--(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1
Communists: 500 party members (1982)
Other political or pressure groups: group of steel industries
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, Benelux, CCC, CE, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at
2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
265-4171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San
Francisco;
US--Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL; Embassy at 22 Boulevard
Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York
09132); telephone 352 460123
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 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 and is also closely connected
economically to the Netherlands.
GDP: $6.9 billion, per capita $18,000; real growth rate 2.5%
(1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.3% (1990 est.)
Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including
capital expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products,
glass, aluminum, other industrial products;
partners--EC 75%, US 5%
Imports: $6.2 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods;
partners--Belgium 37%, FRG 31%, France 12%, US 2%
External debt: $131.6 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1% (1990 est.); accounts for
25% of GDP
Electricity: 1,500,000 kW capacity; 1,163 million kWh produced,
3,170 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals,
metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Agriculture: accounts for less than 3% of GDP (including forestry);
principal products--barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes;
cattle raising widespread
Economic aid: none
Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural--francs);
1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1--31.102 (January
1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987), 44.672
(1986), 59.378 (1985); note--the Luxembourg franc is at par with the
Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 270 km
1.435-meter standard gauge; 162 km double track; 162 km electrified
Highways: 5,108 km total; 4,995 km paved, 57 km gravel, 56 km
earth; about 80 km limited access divided highway
Inland waterways: 37 km; Moselle River
Pipelines: refined products, 48 km
Ports: Mertert (river port)
Merchant marine: 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,731 GRT/2,460 DWT
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications: adequate and efficient system, mainly buried
cables; 230,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 4 FM, 6 TV; 2 communication
satellite earth stations operating in EUTELSAT and domestic systems
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 100,476; 83,724 fit for
military service; 2,297 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: $90 million, 1.2% of GDP (1990)