n 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.

@Luxembourg:Geography

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 (landlocked)

Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Terrain: mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys;
uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to
Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Burgplatz 559 m

Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 21%
other: 34%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (including Belgium) (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in urban areas

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea

Geography - note: landlocked

@Luxembourg:People

Population: 437,389 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 42,375; female 40,109)
15-64 years: 67% (male 148,205; female 145,325)
65 years and over: 14% (male 24,446; female 36,929) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.27% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.45 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.91 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 9.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex r