Compare Luxembourg (2008) - Iceland (2004)

Compare Luxembourg (2008) z Iceland (2004)

	Luxembourg (2008)	Iceland (2004)

Administrative divisions	3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg	8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland
Age structure	0-14 years: 18.8% (male 46,478/female 43,656) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 161,466/female 158,261) 65 years and over: 14.7% (male 28,530/female 41,831) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 22.5% (male 33,522; female 32,489) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 98,091; female 95,450) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,552; female 18,862) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	wine, grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy products, livestock products	potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish
Airports	2 (2007)	100 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)	total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	total: 93 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 2,586 sq km land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Rhode Island	slightly smaller than Kentucky
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.	Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Birth rate	11.84 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	13.83 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $14.29 billion expenditures: $13.92 billion (2007 est.)	revenues: $4.205 billion expenditures: $4.405 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2003)
Capital	name: Luxembourg geographic coordinates: 49 36 N, 6 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October	Reykjavik
Climate	modified continental with mild winters, cool summers	temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	4,988 km
Constitution	17 October 1868; occasional revisions	16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Country name	conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg	conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island
Currency	-	Icelandic krona (ISK)
Death rate	8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$2.6 billion (1999)
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	chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph WEYLAND chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171/72 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco	chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	none	Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) remains dormant; dispute with Denmark over the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 nm; disputes with Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $235.6 million (2004)	NA
Economy - overview	This stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - 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 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 first in the world. After two years of strong economic growth in 2006-07, Luxembourg's economy probably will slow in 2008 as a result of turmoil in the world financial markets, but growth will remain above the European average.	Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and inflation dropped back from 5% to 2%.
Electricity - consumption	6.315 billion kWh (2005 est.)	7.341 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	3.131 billion kWh (2005 est.)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	6.392 billion kWh (2005 est.)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	3.156 billion kWh (2005 est.)	7.894 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Moselle River 133 m highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
Environment - current issues	air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland	water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and resident workers)	homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)	Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 76.709 (2003), 91.6617 (2002), 97.4246 (2001), 78.6159 (2000), 72.3353 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 20 January 1995); Deputy Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004) 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 LSAP	chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15 September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by Parliament elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%
Exports	283 bbl/day (2004)	0 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass	fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite, ferrosilicon
Exports - partners	Germany 19.3%, France 15.5%, Italy 9.5%, UK 9.5%, Belgium 8.8%, Spain 5.3%, Netherlands 4.5% (2006)	Germany 17.4%, UK 17.4%, Netherlands 11.2%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.3%, Denmark 5%, Norway 4.5%, France 4% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
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; design was based on the flag of France	blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $8.678 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2005 est.)	agriculture: 9.2% (includes fishing 12%) industry: 26.7% services: 64.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $30,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5% (2007 est.)	2.6% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	49 45 N, 6 10 E	65 00 N, 18 00 W
Geography - note	landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world	strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
Heliports	1 (2007)	-
Highways	-	total: 12,955 km paved/oiled gravel: 3,863 km unpaved: 9,092 km (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	61,070 bbl/day (2004)	15,470 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods	machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners	Belgium 26.3%, Germany 20.1%, China 16.7%, France 8.5%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2006)	Germany 11.8%, Denmark 8%, US 7.5%, UK 7.5%, Norway 7%, Sweden 6.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, Italy 4.7% (2003)
Independence	1839 (from the Netherlands)	1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Industrial production growth rate	4.3% (2006 est.)	8.1% (2003 est.)
Industries	banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism	fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 4.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.67 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.1% (2007 est.)	2.1% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), 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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA	NA sq km
Judicial branch	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	Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)
Labor force	205,000 of whom 121,600 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany (2007 est.)	160,000 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2004 est.)	agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing 12.9%, construction 10.7%, services 59.5% (1999)
Land boundaries	total: 359 km border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 23.94% permanent crops: 0.39% other: 75.67% (includes Belgium) (2005)	arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)
Languages	Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)	Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Legal system	based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%, DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP 14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5 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	unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%, Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party - Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.03 years male: 75.76 years female: 82.52 years (2007 est.)	total population: 80.18 years male: 78.18 years female: 82.27 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA female: NA
Location	Western Europe, between France and Germany	Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Map references	Europe	Arctic Region
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	total: 45 ships (1000 GRT or over) 682,955 GRT/858,985 DWT by type: bulk carrier 7, chemical tanker 14, container 7, liquefied gas 2, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 7 foreign-owned: 44 (Belgium 9, France 14, Germany 10, Netherlands 1, UK 7, US 3) (2007)	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military branches	Army	no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	0
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.9% (2005 est.)	-
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 75,568 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 66,503 (2004 est.)
National holiday	National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June; note - the actual date of birth was 23 January 1896, but the festivities were shifted by five months to allow observance during a more favorable time of year	Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Nationality	noun: Luxembourger(s) adjective: Luxembourg	noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic
Natural hazards	NA	earthquakes and volcanic activity
Natural resources	iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land	fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Net migration rate	8.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	gas 155 km (2007)	-
Political parties and leaders	Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Robert MENLEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Francois BILTGEN] (also known as Christian Social Party or PCS); Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left); other minor parties	Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON]
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)	NA
Population	480,222 (July 2007 est.)	293,966 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	1.207% (2007 est.)	0.97% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)	AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways	total: 275 km standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2006)	-
Religions	Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000)	Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.065 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.682 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal and compulsory	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; market for mobile-cellular phones is virtually saturated with roughly 150 cellular phones per 100 persons international: country code - 352	general assessment: extensive domestic service domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Telephones - main lines in use	246,700 (2006)	190,700 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	713,800 (2006)	279,100 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	5 (1999)	14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
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	mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Total fertility rate	1.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	4.4% (2007 est.)	3.4% (2003 est.)
Waterways	37 km (on Moselle River) (2007)	-

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