CAPITAL CITY OF Luxembourg: Luxembourg
LANGUAGE OF Luxembourg: German
CURRENCY OF Luxembourg: Euro (EUR)
COMMENTS ABOUT Luxembourg: Luxembourg is a landlocked country in Western Europe in between Belgium, France and Germany Cities : Luxembourg (capital), Mertert, Echternach Electricity 230V/50Hz (European plug) Calling Code +352 Time Zone UTC+1 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.
CLIMATE OF Luxembourg: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
RELIGION OF Luxembourg: 87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims (2000)
POPULATION OF Luxembourg: 462,690 (July 2004 est.)>>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Luxembourg: This stable, high-income economy features 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 22% 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 trans-border workers for more than 30% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the global economic slump, the country has maintained a fairly strong growth rate and enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living.