Luxembourg
Grand Duchy of LuxembourgGrand-Duche de Luxembourg
constitutional monarchyIndependence 1839
Luxembourg as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 99 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Western Europe, between France and Germany
18 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 floodplain in the southeast
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
- signed, but not ratified:
- Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 18% (male 39,565; female 37,824)
- 15-64 years:
- 67% (male 145,060; female 139,628)
- 65 years and over:
- 15% (male 25,449; female 37,491) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, and European (guest and worker residents)
Government
Constitutional monarchy; Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
21 fieldsLegislature, 60 seats, elected 12 June 1994one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- conventional short form:
- Luxembourg
- local long form:
- Grand-Duche de Luxembourg
- local short form:
- Luxembourg
Executive branch
- 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 Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the sovereign, responsible to the Chamber of Deputies
- elections:
- none;
- the grand duke is a hereditary monarch;
- prime minister and vice prime minister appointed by the sovereign but are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies
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 12 June 1994 (next to be held by June 1999)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-CSV 21, LSAP 17, DP 12, Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights 5, Greens 5
note: the Council of State or Conseil d'Etat, which has 21 members who are appointed for life, is an advisory body whose views are considered by the Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch
- Superior Court of Justice or Cour Superieure de Justice, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke;
- Administrative Court or Tribunale Administratin, judges are appointed for life by the Grand Duke
Political parties and leaders
- Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES];
- Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Ben FAYOT];
- Democratic Party or DP [Lydie Wurth POLFER];
- Action Committee for Democracy and Pension Rights [Roby MEHLEN];
- the Green Alternative [Abbes JACOBY];
- other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders
- group of steel companies representing iron and steel industry;
- Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers;
- Christian and Socialist labor unions;
- Federation of Industrialists;
- Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation
International organization participation
ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Alphonse BERNS
- chancery:
- 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 265-4171
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Clay CONSTANTINOU
- embassy:
- 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 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
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
The stable, prosperous economy features moderate | growth, low inflation, and low unemployment.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995)
Economy-overview
The stable, prosperous economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified. During the past decades, 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, is also closely connected economically to the Netherlands, and, as a member of the EU, enjoys the advantages of the open European market.
Labor force
- total:
- 213,100 (one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany)
- by occupation:
- trade, restaurants, hotels 20%, mining, quarrying, manufacturing 16%, other market services 18%, community, social, personal services 14%, construction 11%, finance, insurance, real estate, business services 9%, transport, storage, communications 8%, agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing 1%, electricity, gas, water 1% (1995 est.)
Industries
banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Exports
- total value:
- $7.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other industrial products
- partners:
- Germany 28%, France 18%, Belgium 15%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%
Imports
- total value:
- $9.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
- commodities:
- minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
- partners:
- Belgium 38%, Germany 25%, France 11%, Netherlands 4%
Exchange rates
- Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1-37.459 (January 1998), 35.774 (1997), 30.962 (1996), 29.480 (1995), 33.456 (1994), 34.597 (1993);
- note-the Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely in Luxembourg
Telephone system
highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
- domestic:
- nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable
- international:
- 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 32 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1997 est.)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Army, National Gendarmerie
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Luxembourg.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/luxembourg/1998.