Part 118
Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left); Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; other minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); Greenpeace (environment protection); LCGP (center-right trade union); Mouvement Ecologique (protection of ecology); OGBL (center-left trade union)
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Paul SENNINGER
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 through 72
FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ann WAGNER
embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City
mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail)
telephone: [352] 46 01 23
FAX: [352] 46 14 01
Flag description:
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; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)
Economy ::Luxembourg
Economy - overview:
This stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - has historically featured 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 28% 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 cross-border workers for about 60% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, suffered from the global economic slump in the early part of this decade, the country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks third in the world, after Liechtenstein and Qatar. After two years of strong economic growth in 2006-07, turmoil in the world financial markets trimmed Luxembourg's economy in 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$39.47 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 $39.84 billion (2007 est.)
$37.87 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$54.97 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205 5.2% (2007 est.)
6.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$81,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 3 $83,000 (2007 est.)
$79,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 13.6%
services: 86% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
206,000 of whom 125,400 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 17.2%
services: 80.6% (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 4.4% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
26 (2005) country comparison to the world: 126
Investment (gross fixed):
20.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Budget:
revenues: $22.42 billion
expenditures: $21 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
10.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 6.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 2.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 107 5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Stock of money:
$NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders
Stock of quasi money:
$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$369.6 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 22 $100.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 41 $166.1 billion (31 December 2007)
$79.52 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy products, livestock products
Industries:
banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.7% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - production:
2.696 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Electricity - consumption:
6.525 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - exports:
2.483 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
6.83 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Oil - consumption:
59,140 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 93
Oil - exports:
168 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Oil - imports:
60,030 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - consumption:
1.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 160
Natural gas - imports:
1.255 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Current account balance:
$2.979 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 38 $4.928 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$21.43 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $18.26 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
Exports - partners:
Germany 21.8%, France 17.4%, Belgium 10%, Italy 6.9%, UK 6.5%, Netherlands 6%, Spain 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$27.73 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 66 $23.09 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Belgium 28%, Germany 24%, China 18.9%, France 10%, Netherlands 4.8% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$397.8 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $205.5 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.02 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Luxembourg
Telephones - main lines in use:
260,600 (2008) country comparison to the world: 118
Telephones - mobile cellular:
707,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 149
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated
international: country code - 352 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
5 (1999)
Internet country code:
.lu
Internet hosts:
220,107 (2009) country comparison to the world: 62
Internet users:
387,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 113
Transportation ::Luxembourg
Airports:
2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 208
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 155 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 275 km country comparison to the world: 125 standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 5,227 km country comparison to the world: 152 paved: 5,227 km (includes 147 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways:
37 km (on Moselle River) (2008) country comparison to the world: 106
Merchant marine:
total: 45 country comparison to the world: 74 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 3, chemical tanker 15, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 9
foreign-owned: 44 (Belgium 7, Denmark 1, France 17, Germany 5, Netherlands 2, UK 8, US 4)
registered in other countries: 1 (Ukraine 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Mertert
Military ::Luxembourg
Military branches:
Army (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
17-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; soldiers under 18 are not deployed into combat or with peacekeeping missions; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 116,305
females age 16-49: 114,566 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 95,840
females age 16-49: 94,641 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 3,170
female: 2,995 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Transnational Issues ::Luxembourg
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Macau (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Macau
Background:
Colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century, Macau was the first European settlement in the Far East. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and Portugal on 13 April 1987, Macau became the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be practiced in Macau, and that Macau would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.
Geography ::Macau
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
22 10 N, 113 33 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 28.2 sq km country comparison to the world: 235 land: 28.2 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
less than one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 0.34 km
regional border: China 0.34 km
Coastline:
41 km
Maritime claims:
not specified
Climate:
subtropical; marine with cool winters, warm summers
Terrain:
generally flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Coloane Alto 172 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)
Geography - note:
essentially urban; an area of land reclaimed from the sea measuring 5.2 sq km and known as Cotai now connects the islands of Coloane and Taipa; the island area is connected to the mainland peninsula by three bridges
People ::Macau
Population:
559,846 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 47,853/female 42,019)
15-64 years: 76.2% (male 199,593/female 227,010)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 20,245/female 23,126) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.2 years
male: 35.9 years
female: 34.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.995% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Birth rate:
8.88 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
Death rate:
3.5 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 213
Net migration rate:
14.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 5
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 219 male: 3.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 84.36 years country comparison to the world: 1 male: 81.39 years
female: 87.47 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
0.91 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 223
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Chinese
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 94.3%, other 5.7% (includes Macanese - mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry) (2006 census)
Religions:
Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none or other 35% (1997 est.)
Languages:
Cantonese 85.7%, Hokkien 4%, Mandarin 3.2%, other Chinese dialects 2.7%, English 1.5%, Tagalog 1.3%, other 1.6% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.3%
female: 87.8% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 16 years
female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.4% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 160
Government ::Macau
Country name:
conventional long form: Macau Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Macau
local long form: Aomen Tebie Xingzhengqu (Chinese); Regiao Administrativa Especial de Macau (Portuguese)
local short form: Aomen (Chinese); Macau (Portuguese)
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 20 December 1999 is celebrated as Macau Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution:
Basic Law, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system
Suffrage:
direct election 18 years of age for some non-executive positions, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Edmund HO Hau-wah (since 20 December 1999)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of 1 government secretary, 3 legislators, 4 businessmen, 1 pro-Beijing unionist, and 1 pro-Beijing educator
elections: chief executive chosen by a 300-member Election Committee for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 26 July 2009 (next to be held on in July 2014)
election results: Edmund HO Hau-wah reelected with 296 votes in 2004 election; Fernando CHUI Sai-on elected in 2009 with 282 votes, takes office on 20 December 2009
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (29 seats; 12 members elected by popular vote, 10 by indirect vote, and 7 appointed by the chief executive; serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 September 2005 (next to be held on 20 September 2009)
election results: percent of vote - New Democratic Macau Association 18.8%, Macau United Citizens' Association 16.6%, Union for Development 13.3%, Union for Promoting Progress 9.6%, Macau Development Alliance 9.3%, others 32.4%; seats by political group - New Democratic Macau Association 2, Macau United Citizens' Association 2, Union for Development 2, Union for Promoting Progress 2, Macau Development Alliance 1, New Hope 1, Convergence for Development 1, General Union for the Good of Macau 1; 10 seats filled by professional and business groups; seven members appointed by chief executive
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
New Hope [Jose Maria Pereira COUTINHO]; Development Union [KWAN Tsui-hang]; Macau Development Alliance [Angela LEONG On-kei]; Macau United Citizens' Association [CHAN Meng-kam]; New Democratic Macau Association [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]; Union for Promoting Progress [LEONG Heng-teng]
note: there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Civic Power [Agnes LAM Lok-fong]; Macau Society of Tourism and Entertainment or STDM [Stanley HO]; Macau Worker's Union [HO Heng-kuok]; Roman Catholic Church; Union for Democracy Development [Antonio NG Kuok-cheong]
International organization participation:
IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), ISO (correspondent), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCO, WFTU, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US has no offices in Macau; US Consulate General in Hong Kong is accredited to Macau
Flag description:
light green with a lotus flower above a stylized bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in the center of the arc and two smaller on either side; the lotus is the floral emblem of Macau, the three petals represent the peninsula and two islands that make up Macau; the five stars echo those on the flag of China
Economy ::Macau
Economy - overview:
Macau's economy has enjoyed strong growth in recent years on the back of its expanding tourism and gaming sectors. After opening up its locally-controlled casino industry to foreign competition in 2001, the territory attracted tens of billions of dollars in foreign investment, transforming Macao into the world's largest gaming center. By 2006, Macau's gaming revenue surpassed that of the Las Vegas strip, and gaming-related taxes accounted for 75% of total government revenue. In 2008, government revenue from gaming was set to double 2006 collections. The expanding casino sector, and China's decision beginning in 2002 to relax travel restrictions, reenergized Macau's tourism industry. This city of just over 500,000 hosted more than 30 million visitors in 2008. Almost 60% came from mainland China despite increasing restrictions on travel to the SAR. Macau's traditional manufacturing industry has been in a slow decline since the termination of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005. In 2008, exports of textiles and garments generated only $1.1 billion, compared to $13.7 billion in gross gaming receipts. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Macau and mainland China that came into effect on 1 January 2004 offers many Macau-made products tariff-free access to the mainland. Macau's currency, the Pataca, is closely tied to the Hong Kong dollar, which is also freely accepted in the territory.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.14 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 127 $12.5 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$22.04 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
15% (2008) country comparison to the world: 2 16.6% (2006)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,000 (2007) country comparison to the world: 45 $28,400 (2006)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 2.8%
services: 97.1% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
337,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 7.4%, construction 12.6%, transport and communications 5%, wholesale and retail trade 12.5%, restaurants and hotels 12.7%, gambling 14%, public sector 6%, financial services 2.1%, other services and agriculture 27.7% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3% (2008) country comparison to the world: 33 3.1% (2006)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $6.2 billion
expenditures: $2.9 billion (2008)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.2% (December 2008) country comparison to the world: 105 7.2% (2006)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.43% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$1.591 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 77 $1.16 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$22.15 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 41 $21.91 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$11.5 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 $NA (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$NA (31 December 2007)
$413.1 million (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
only 2% of land area is cultivated, mainly by vegetable growers; fishing, mostly for crustaceans, is important; some of the catch is exported to Hong Kong
Industries:
tourism, gambling, clothing, textiles, electronics, footwear, toys
Industrial production growth rate:
NA
Electricity - production:
1.106 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - consumption:
3.311 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
2.215 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Oil - imports:
5,027 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Oil - proved reserves: