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Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) - Luxembourg (2002)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) z Luxembourg (2002)
| British Virgin Islands (2008) | Luxembourg (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)
15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 43,634; female 41,164)
15-64 years: 67% (male 151,364; female 149,156) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 25,486; female 37,765) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products |
| Airports | 3 (2007) | 2 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke |
total: 2,586 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Rhode Island |
| Background | First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.06 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $204.7 million
expenditures: $180.4 million (2004) |
revenues: $5.5 billion
expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $760 million $NA (2002 est.) |
| Capital | name: Road Town
geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Luxembourg |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | modified continental with mild winters, cool summers |
| Coastline | 80 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 13 June 2007 | 17 October 1868, occasional revisions |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg |
| Currency | - | euro (EUR); Luxembourg franc (LUF)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
| Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $NA |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TERPELUK, Jr.
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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette CONZEMIUS-PACCOURD
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $160 million (1999) |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. | This stable, high-income economy features 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 22% 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 trans-border workers for 30% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the global economic slump, the country has maintained a fairly strong growth rate. |
| Electricity - consumption | 41.85 million kWh (2005) | 6.158 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 735 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 6.458 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 45 million kWh (2005) | 467.7 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 26% nuclear: 0% other: 17% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification |
| Ethnic groups | black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed) | Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kososvo) and European (guest and resident workers) |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Luxembourg francs per US dollar - 34.77 (January 1999), 36.299 (1998), 35.774 (1997) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)
head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor |
chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Lydie POLFER (since 7 August 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies note: government coalition - CSV and DP |
| Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $7.85 billion f.o.b. (2000) |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) | EU 84.7% (Germany 24.6%, France 19.6%, Belgium 12.3%), US 3.5% (2001) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | 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; design was based on the flag of France |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $20 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1.8%
industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 30% services: 69% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $44,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2002 est.) | 2.3% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 49 45 N, 6 10 E |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world, it is the smallest of the European Union member states |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2002) |
| Highways | - | total: 5,166 km
paved: 5,166 km (including 118 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering | - |
| Imports | 604.3 bbl/day (2004) | $10.25 billion c.i.f. (2000) |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) | EU 86.7% (Belgium 34.3%, Germany 25.1%, France 12.8%), US 5.8% (2001) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 1839 (from the Netherlands) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
4.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2005) | 1.6% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU | ACCT, Australia Group, Benelux, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 8 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | NA | 40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2 district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are appointed for life by the monarch |
| Labor force | 12,770 (2004) | 262,300 (of whom 87,400 are foreign cross-border workers primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 0.6%
industry: 40% services: 59.4% (2005) |
services 90%, industry 8%, agriculture 2% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005) |
arable land: 25%
permanent crops: 0% other: 75% (includes Belgium) (1998 est.) |
| Languages | English (official) | Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language) |
| Legal system | English law | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1 |
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held by June 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 29.79%, DP 21.58%, LSAP 23.75%, ADR 10.36%, Green Party 9.09%, the Left 3.77%; seats by party - CSV 19, DP 15, LSAP 13, ADR 6, Green Party 5, the Left 2 note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.86 years
male: 75.71 years female: 78.07 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.48 years
male: 74.2 years female: 80.97 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Western Europe, between France and Germany |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,487,752 GRT/2,123,579 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, chemical tanker 13, container 8, liquefied gas 19, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 6 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 21, Finland 3, France 8, Germany 10, Monaco 1, Netherlands 3, Norway 1, United Kingdom 9, United States 3 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | Army, Grand Ducal Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $147.8 million (FY01/02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.8% (FY01/02) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 113,557 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 93,429 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 19 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 2,565 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July (1956) | National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | NA |
| Natural resources | NEGL | iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land |
| Net migration rate | 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | petroleum products 48 km |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Robert MEHLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Erna HENNICOT-SCHOEPGES]; Democratic Party or DP [Lydie POLFER]; Green Party [Abbes JACOBY and Felix BRAS]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Jean ASSELBORN]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left trade union) |
| Population | 23,552 (July 2007 est.) | 448,569 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.923% (2007 est.) | 1.25% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Mertert |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
| Radios | - | 285,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified) (2001) |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991) | the greatest preponderance of the population is Roman Catholic with a very few Protestants, Jews, and Muslims
note: 1979 legislation forbids the collection of religious statistics |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007) |
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable international: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 11,700 (2002) | 314,700 (1999) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,000 (2002) | 215,741 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997) | 5 (1999) |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | 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 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% (1997) | 4.1% (2002 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 37 km (on the Moselle) |
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