Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/143.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 9.2 KB | 361 lines

@node Geography (Luxembourg)
@section Geography (Luxembourg)

@display

Location:
  Western Europe, between Belgium and Germany
Map references:
  Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  2,586 km2
 land area:
  2,586 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
  total 359 km, Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  none
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:
 arable land:
  24%
 permanent crops:   1%
 meadows and pastures:
  20%
 forest and woodland:
  21%
 other:
  34%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  deforestation
Note:
  landlocked



@end display

@node People (Luxembourg)
@section People (Luxembourg)

@display

Population:
  398,220 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.04% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  12.96 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  9.56 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  6.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  76.43 years
 male:
  72.71 years
 female:
  80.3 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.63 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Luxembourger(s)
 adjective:
  Luxembourg
Ethnic divisions:
  Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, and
  European (guest and worker residents)
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant and Jewish 3%
Languages:
  Luxembourgisch, German, French, English
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  100%
 male:   100%
 female:
  100%
Labor force:
  177,300 one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal,
  Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany
 by occupation:
  services 65%, industry 31.6%, agriculture 3.4% (1988)



@end display

@node Government (Luxembourg)
@section Government (Luxembourg)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
 conventional short form:
  Luxembourg
 local long form:
  Grand-Duche de Luxembourg
 local short form:
  Luxembourg
Digraph:
  LU
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, 23 June (1921) (public celebration of the Grand Duke's
  birthday)
Political parties and leaders:
  Christian Social Party (CSV), Jacques SANTER; Socialist Workers Party
  (LSAP), Jacques POOS; Liberal (DP), Colette FLESCH; Communist (KPL), Andre
  HOFFMANN; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean HUSS
Other political or pressure groups:
  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
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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%, other 4.1%;
  seats - (60 total) CSV 22, LSAP 18, DP 11, Greens 4, PAC 4, KPL 1
Executive branch:
  grand duke, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers
  (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Deputes); 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 Superieure 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); Vice Prime Minister
  Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)



@end display

@node Government (Luxembourg 2. usage)
@section Government (Luxembourg 2. usage)

@display

Member of:
  ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, EIB,
  FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD,
  PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Alphonse BERNS
 chancery:
  2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
 FAX:
  [phone]
 consulates general:
  New York and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Edward M. ROWELL
 embassy:
  22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City
 mailing address:
  PSC 11, APO AE 09132-5380
 telephone:
  [352] 460123
 FAX:
  [352] 461401
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



@end display

@node Economy (Luxembourg)
@section Economy (Luxembourg)

@display

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 to the
  Netherlands.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.5 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  2.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $21,700 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.6% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
  1.4% (1991)
Budget:
  revenues $3.5 billion; expenditures $3.5 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
  $6.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  finished steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass, aluminum, other
  industrial products
 partners:
  EC 76%, US 5%
Imports:
  $8.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
 partners:
  Belgium 37%, FRG 31%, France 12%, US 2%
External debt:
  $131.6 million (1989 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -0.5% (1990); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
  1,238,750 kW capacity; 1,375 million kWh produced, 3,450 kWh per capita
  (1990)
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
Illicit drugs:
  money-laundering hub
Economic aid:
  none
Currency:
  1 Luxembourg franc (LuxF) = 100 centimes



@end display

@node Economy (Luxembourg 2. usage)
@section Economy (Luxembourg 2. usage)

@display

Exchange rates:
  Luxembourg francs (LuxF) per US$1 - 33.256 (January 1993), 32.150 (1992),
  34.148 (1991), 33.418 (1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988); note - the
  Luxembourg franc is at par with the Belgian franc, which circulates freely
  in Luxembourg
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Luxembourg)
@section Communications (Luxembourg)

@display

Railroads:
  Luxembourg National Railways (CFL) operates 272 km 1.435-meter standard
  gauge; 178 km double track; 178 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:
  petroleum products 48 km
Ports:
  Mertert (river port)
Merchant marine:
  53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,570,466 GRT/2,614,154 DWT; includes
  2 cargo, 5 container, 5 roll-on/roll-off, 6 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3
  combination ore/oil, 8 liquefied gas, 2 passenger, 8 bulk, 6 combination
  bulk, 4 refrigerated cargo
Airports:
 total:
  2
 usable:
  2
 with permanent-surface runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried
  cables; 230,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; 3
  channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable; 1 direct-broadcast
  satellite earth station; nationwide mobile phone system



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Luxembourg)
@section Defense Forces (Luxembourg)

@display

Branches:
  Army, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 103,607; fit for military service 86,003; reach military age
  (19) annually 2,227 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1.2% of GDP (1992)



@end display