NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Grand-Duche de Luxembourg
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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
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Location:
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Western Europe, between France and Germany |
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Geographic coordinates:
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49 45 N, 6 10 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 2,586 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Rhode Island |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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modified continental with mild winters, cool summers |
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Terrain:
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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 |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m |
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Natural resources:
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iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (includes Belgium) (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world, it is the smallest of the European Union member states |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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448,569 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18.9% (male 43,634; female 41,164)
15-64 years: 67% (male 151,364; female 149,156) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 25,486; female 37,765) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.25% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.48 years
female: 80.97 years (2002 est.) male: 74.2 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.16% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg |
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Ethnic groups:
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Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European (guest and resident workers) |
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Religions:
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the greatest preponderance of the population is Roman Catholic with a very few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims
note: 1979 legislation forbids the collection of religious statistics |
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Languages:
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Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.) |