Military expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2006; 1.23% 2007 est.)

Transnational Issues
Lithuania

Disputes - international:

Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006
in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia
in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a
simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the
Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as
a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to
strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not
ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily
due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons; as of January 2007,
ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and
mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

Illicit drugs:

transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy,
and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and
neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality
amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines;
susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking
legislation

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Luxembourg

Introduction
Luxembourg

Background:

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.

Geography
Luxembourg

Location:

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Geographic coordinates:

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 2,586 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:

total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlo