You are here: Travel Guides >

Luxembourg travel guides

Luxembourg - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Military
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Luxembourg

The capital of Luxembourg is Luxembourg.

Major cities of Luxembourg are:
Luxembourg.

Geography

Location:	Western Europe, between France and Germany
Coordinates:	49 45 N, 6 10 E
Area:	total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area Comparative:	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 flood plain in the southeast
Elevation Extremes:	lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
Natural Resources:	iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
Land Use:	arable land: 23.28% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% (includes Belgium) (2001)
Irrigated Land:	40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.)
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
Note:	landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world

People

Population:	462,690 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 38.3 years male: 37.4 years female: 39.3 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	1.28% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	12.21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	8.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 78.58 years male: 75.31 years female: 82.07 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	0.2% (2001 est.)
People Living HIV:	less than 500 (2003 est.)
HIV Deaths:	less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg
Ethnic Groups:	Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and resident workers)
Religions:	87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims (2000)
Languages:	Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg
Government Type:	constitutional monarchy
Capital:	Luxembourg
Administrative Divisions:	3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Independence:	1839 (from the Netherlands)
National Holiday:	National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June
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 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 Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004) 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 LSAP
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 2004 (next to be held by June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%, DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP 14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5 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
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
Political Parties Leaders:	Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYOEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties
Political Pressure Groups 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)
International Organization Participation:	ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic in US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette CONZEMIUS-PACCOURD 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 from 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
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

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 more than 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 and enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $25.01 billion (2003 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	1.2% (2003 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $55,100 (2003 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 0.5% industry: 16.6% services: 82.9% (2002 est.)
Investment:	20.7% of GDP (2003)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	2% (2003 est.)
Labor Force:	200,000 (of whom 87,400 are foreign cross-border workers primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2003)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture 1.9%, industry 8%, services 90.1% (1999 est.)
Unemployment Rate:	3.6% (2003 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $11.82 billion expenditures: $12.06 billion, including capital expenditures of $760 million (2003 est.)
Agriculture Products:	barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products
Industries:	banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Industry Production Growth Rate:	1.7% (2003 est.)
Electricity Production:	457 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	6.07 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	744 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	6.389 billion kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	50,650 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	634 bbl/day (2001)
Oil Imports:	50,700 bbl/day (2001)
Natural Gas Production:	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Consumption:	865 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Exports:	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Imports:	867 million cu m (2001 est.)
Exports:	$8.571 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports Commodities:	machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
Exports Partners:	Germany 23.3%, France 19%, Belgium 10.4%, UK 9.1%, Italy 6.8%, Spain 4.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (2003)
Imports:	$11.61 billion c.i.f. (2002)
Imports Commodities:	minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Imports Partners:	Belgium 29%, Germany 22.9%, France 11.4%, China 10.9%, Netherlands 4.8% (2003)
Currency:	euro (EUR) 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
Exchange Rates:	euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	355,400 (2002)
Mobile Cellular:	473,000 (2002)
Telephone System:	general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
Radio Stations:	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Television Stations:	5 (1999)
Internet Code:	.lu
Internet Hosts:	28,214 (2003)
Internet Users:	165,000 (2002)

Military

Military Branches:	Army
Military Age Obligation:	17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2001)
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 115,721 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 95,107 (2004 est.)
Reaching Military Age Annually:	males: 2,601 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$231.6 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	0.9% (2003)