Head of state: Grand Duke Henri Prime minister: Jean-Claude Juncker
Population
6,086,495
509,074
Life Expectancy
62.860 years
79.750 years
Capital City
Luxembourg
Largest city
Asmara (population: 563,930)
Luxembourg (population: 76,684)
Human Development Index
0.442
0.956
GDP per capita
$81,100 US
Literacy Rate
58.6%
100%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6
8.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
22%
23.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
5.900%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Abolished
Political System
transitional government note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
1839 (from the Netherlands)
Religions
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000)
Languages
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Exports
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
External Debt
$2,146,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Western Europe, between France and Germany
Area
117,600 km sq
2,586 km sq
Coastline
2,234 km
0 km
Climate
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
