domingo, 22 de marzo de 2009

The European Union


Luxembourg

Country Name
· Officially thez Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
· It is a small landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany.

Population
· Population of under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometers.
· 2007 estimate: 480,222.

Year Founded
· Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands.
· Full independence was attained in 1867.

Languages
· Three languages are recognized as official in Luxembourg: French, German, and Luxembourgish.

Ethnic Make-up
· The people of Luxembourg are called Luxembourgers.
· Luxembourger 63.1%, Portuguese 13.3%, French 4.5%, Italian 4.3%, German 2.3%, other EU 7.3%, other 5.2% (2000 census).

Government and politics
· Luxembourg is a parliamentary democracy headed by a constitutional monarch.
· Capital: Luxembourg

· Luxembourg is divided into 3 districts: Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg.
· Under the constitution of 1868:
Executive power is exercised by the Grand Duke and the cabinet, which consists of several other ministers.
­ Legislative power is vested in the Chamber of Deputies, a unicameral legislature of sixty members, who are directly elected to five-year terms from four constituencies.
­ Judicial power has three lower tribunals, two district tribunals and a Superior Court of Justice.

Year Entered the European Union
· In March 25, 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union).

Representative of the European Union (include party)
· BRAUN Christian: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative

· EISENBARTH Michèle: Deputy Permanent Representative

· PRANCHERE-TOMASSINI Michèle: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the WEU and PSC Representative.

Type of Economy
· Luxembourg's stable, high-income economy features moderate growth, low inflation, and low unemployment.

· The industrial sector, which was dominated until the 1960s by steel, has diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products.

· Services, especially banking and other financial exports, account for the majority of economic output.

· Luxembourg is the world's second largest investment fund center.

· Agriculture is based on small, family-owned farms.

· Luxembourg possesses the eighteenth highest Human Development Index, and the fourth highest rated in the quality of life index.

Currency
· Euro (€)

Current Exchange rate for American Currency
· 1 Euro = 1.3561 U.S. Dollars/ 19.2182 MXN (peso)

GDP
· Luxembourg possesses the highest GDP per capita in the world (US$87,995 as of 2006).

Percentage of Trade within the European Union
· Luxembourg has especially close trade and financial ties to Belgium and the Netherlands, and as a member of the EU it enjoys the advantages of the open European market.

Unemployment Rate
· As of March 2006, unemployment is 4.8% of the labor force.

Chief Exports
· Machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass.
· US$7.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000).

Key Imports
· Minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods.
· US$10 billion (c.i.f., 2000).

Major Religions
· Currently, religions covered by such arrangements are Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Russian Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Islam.

· It is estimated by the CIA Factbook that 87% of Luxembourgers are Catholics, the remaining 13% being made up of Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims and those of other or no religion.

Surrounding Countries
· To the east, Luxembourg borders the German Bundesländer of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and, to the south, it borders the French région of Lorraine.

· It borders the Belgian Walloon Region, to the west and to the north respectively.

Literacy Rate
· Age 15 and over can read and write:
· Total population: 100%
­ Male: 100%
­ Female: 100% (2000 est.)

One Interesting Fact
· It is one of the smallest countries in Europe as well as the world.


· Luxembourg is one of the founding members of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, Benelux and the Western European Union.


· Has three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish.


by: Carla Millán

1 comentario: