Luxembourg

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Introduction - Luxembourg:
Country	Luxembourg
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.
Location - Luxembourg:
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
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: 23.94% permanent crops: 0.39% other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)
Irrigated land	NA
Natural hazards	NA
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
Geography note	landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
People - Luxembourg:
Population	480,222 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure	0-14 years: 18.8% (male 46,478/female 43,656) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 161,466/female 158,261) 65 years and over: 14.7% (male 28,530/female 41,831) (2007 est.)
Median age	total: 38.9 years male: 37.9 years female: 39.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	1.207% (2007 est.)
Birth rate	11.84 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate	8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate	8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.065 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.682 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.03 years male: 75.76 years female: 82.52 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate	1.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.2% (2001 est.)
Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	less than 500 (2003 est.)
Hiv aids 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	Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (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.)
Government - Luxembourg:
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	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
Administrative divisions	3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Independence	1839 (from the Netherlands)
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
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) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 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: 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 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%, other 2.8%; 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 Prosecutors Office, administrative courts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are appointed for life by the monarch
Political parties and leaders	Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYEN]; Christian Social Peoples Party or CSV [Francois BILTGEN] (also known as Christian Social Party or PCS); Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left); 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)
International organization participation	ACCT, AsDB, 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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171/72 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
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
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 - Luxembourg:
Economy overview	This stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - 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 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, has suffered from the global economic slump, the country enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks second in the world.
Gdp purchasing power parity	$33.87 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp official exchange rate	$34.53 billion (2006 est.)
Gdp real growth rate	6.2% (2006 est.)
Gdp per capita ppp	$71,400 (2006 est.)
Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2005 est.)
Labor force	203,000 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2006 est.)
Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	4.1% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate consumer prices	2.6% (2006 est.)
Investment gross fixed	18.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $19.07 billion expenditures: $19.79 billion; including capital expenditures of $975.5 million (2006 est.)
Agriculture products	wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy products, livestock products
Industries	banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism
Industrial production growth rate	4.3% (2006 est.)
Electricity production	3.203 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity consumption	6.14 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity exports	2.346 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity imports	5.287 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil consumption	62,420 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil exports	283 bbl/day (2004)
Oil imports	61,070 bbl/day (2004)
Oil proved reserves	0 bbl
Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas consumption	1.361 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas exports	0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas imports	1.361 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance	$4.63 billion (2006 est.)
Exports	$19.55 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports commodities	machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
Exports partners	Germany 19.3%, France 15.5%, Italy 9.5%, UK 9.5%, Belgium 8.8%, Spain 5.3%, Netherlands 4.5% (2006)
Imports	$24.22 billion c.i.f. (2006 est.)
Imports commodities	minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Imports partners	Belgium 26.3%, Germany 20.1%, China 16.7%, France 8.5%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$232.2 million (August 2006 est.)
Economic aid donor	ODA, $235.59 million (2004)
Debt external	$NA
Currency code	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
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Communications - Luxembourg:
Fiscal year	calendar year
Telephones main lines in use	246,700 (2006)
Telephones mobile cellular	713,800 (2006)
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 broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Television broadcast stations	5 (1999)
Internet country code	.lu
Internet hosts	88,661 (2006)
Internet users	339,000 (2006)
Transportation - Luxembourg:
Airports	2 (2006)
Airports with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Airports with unpaved runways	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports	1 (2006)
Pipelines	gas 155 km (2006)
Railways	total: 275 km standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways	total: 5,227 km paved: 5,227 km (includes 147 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways	37 km (on Moselle River) (2007)
Merchant marine	total: 42 ships (1000 GRT or over) 557,636 GRT/792,069 DWT by type: bulk carrier 6, chemical tanker 16, container 7, liquefied gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 5 foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 9, Finland 4, France 14, Germany 10, Netherlands 2, US 3) (2006)
Ports and terminals	Mertert
Military - Luxembourg:
Military branches	Army
Military service age and obligation	17 years of age for voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions (2004)
Manpower available for military service	males age 17-49: 110,867 females age 17-49: 108,758 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	males age 17-49: 90,279 females age 17-49: 88,638 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 2,775 females age 17-49: 2,703 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures percent of gdp	0.9% (2005 est.)