Luxembourg
Grand Duchy of LuxembourgGrand Duche de Luxembourg
constitutional monarchyIndependence 1839 (from the Netherlands)
Luxembourg as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Western Europe, between France and Germany
20 fieldsLand useshare of 2,586 sq km
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
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.06 cu km/yr (42%/45%/13%)
- per capita:
- 121 cu m/yr (1999)
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
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2000 census)
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.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
fewer than 500 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Languages
Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Government
Constitutional monarchy; Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 20 January 1995)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes, 60 seats, elected 7 June 2009one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- conventional short form:
- Luxembourg
- local long form:
- Grand Duche de Luxembourg
- local short form:
- 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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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;
- the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)
Economy
This stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment.
50 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2007 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
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
Central bank discount rate
3% (31 December 2008) · 5% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 107 note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
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 domestic credit
$369.6 billion (31 December 2008) · $100.9 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 22
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
Current account balance
$2.979 billion (2008 est.) · $4.928 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$397.8 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $205.5 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Debt - external
$2.02 trillion (31 December 2008); $NA (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 10
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 45 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Army (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary 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)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Luxembourg.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/luxembourg/2009.