LUXEMBOURG - BASIC FACTS

Area: 2 586 sq. km.
Cities: Capital - Luxembourg City (pop. 83 800). Other cities - Esch-sur-Alzette (pop. 29 100), Differdange (pop. 20 100), Dudelange (pop. 18 000). (2007 figures from STATEC.)
Terrain: Continuation of Belgian Ardennes in the north, heavily forested and slightly mountainous; extension of French Lorraine plateau in the south, with open, rolling countryside.
Climate: Modified continental, rainy, with mild summers and moderate snowfall in winter.

People

Nationality: Noun - Luxembourger. Adjective - Luxembourgian, Luxembourgish.
Population (2007): 480 222.
Annual growth rate (2007): 1,2%.
Ethnic groups: Celtic base with French and German blend; large communities of ethnic Portuguese, Italians, French, Belgians, and Germans.
Religion: Historically and predominantly Roman Catholic. However, Luxembourgian law forbids the collection of data on religious practices.
Official languages: Luxembourgish, French, and German; English is widely spoken.
Education: Years compulsory - 9. Attendance - 100%. Literacy - 99%.
Health: Life expectancy (2007) - Avg. 79,03 years; males 75,76 years; females 82,52 years. Infant mortality rate (2007) – 4,68/1 000.
Labour force (2006): 203 000, of which 121 600 commute from neighbouring countries. European Union institutions employ 8 300. Services (non-financial) - 53%, (financial) - 11%; commerce - 14%; industrial and manufacturing - 11%; construction - 10%; agriculture - 1%.
Unemployment rate (2006): 4,1%, up from 3,9% in 2004 (but down from 4,2% in 2005).