The World Factbook (1990)/Luxembourg
Luxembourg
_Luxembourg.jpg)
See regional map V
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, FRG 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: 24% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 20% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 34% other
Environment: deforestation
Note: landlocked
People
Population: 383,813 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1989)
Birth rate: 12 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 9 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1990)
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: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Protestant and Jewish
Language: Luxembourgish, German, French; many also speak English
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 161,000; one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and FRG; 48.9% services, 24.7% industry, 13.2% government, 8.8% construction, 4.4% agriculture (1984)
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 Députés); 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 Supérieure de 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); Deputy 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), René Urbany; 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%, others 4%; seats—(60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1, others 4
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: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, 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 Jean B. S. GERARD; 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 with the
Netherlands.
GDP: $6.3 billion, per capita $17,200; real growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)
Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products; partners—EC 75%, US 6%
Imports: $5.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods; partners—FRG 40%, Belgium 35%, France 15%, US 3%
External debt: $131.6 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989 est.)
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
Aid: none
Currency: Luxembourg franc (plural—francs); 1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1—35.468 (January 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: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,138 GRT/9,373 DWT; includes 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker
Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways less than 1,220 m; 1 with runways over 3,659 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
Military manpower: males 15-49, 99,734; 83,237 fit for military service; 2,368 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 1.2% of GDP, or $76 million (1989 est.)