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Compare West Bank (2008) - Luxembourg (2004)

Compare West Bank (2008) z Luxembourg (2004)

 West Bank (2008)Luxembourg (2004)
 West BankLuxembourg
Administrative divisions - 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 19% (male 45,422; female 42,638)


15-64 years: 66.4% (male 155,519; female 151,891)


65 years and over: 14.5% (male 26,981; female 40,239) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products
Airports 3 (2007) 2 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
total: 2,586 sq km


land: 2,586 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Background The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008. 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 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 12.21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.149 billion


expenditures: $2.31 billion


note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
revenues: $11.82 billion


expenditures: $12.06 billion, including capital expenditures of $760 million (2003 est.)
Capital - Luxembourg
Climate temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - 17 October 1868, occasional revisions
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
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)


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 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $NA NA
Diplomatic representation from the US - 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 - 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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region none
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $147 million (2002)
Economic aid - recipient $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) -
Economy - overview The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance. 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 more than 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 and enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 6.07 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 744 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 6.389 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 457 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m


highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment 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-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
Ethnic groups Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and resident workers)
Exchange rates new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003) euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Executive branch - 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 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
Exports $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 634 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) Germany 23.3%, France 19%, Belgium 10.4%, UK 9.1%, Italy 6.8%, Spain 4.6%, Netherlands 4.3% (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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $25.01 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8%


industry: 13%


services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
agriculture: 0.5%


industry: 16.6%


services: 82.9% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $55,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) 1.2% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 49 45 N, 6 10 E
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
Heliports - 1 (2003 est.)
Highways - total: 5,189 km


paved: 5,189 km (including 114 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 50,700 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) Belgium 29%, Germany 22.9%, France 11.4%, China 10.9%, Netherlands 4.8% (2003)
Independence - 1839 (from the Netherlands)
Industrial production growth rate 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 1.7% (2003 est.)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum
Infant mortality rate total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 4.88 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.84 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006) 2% (2003 est.)
International organization participation - ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) 40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.)
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
Labor force 605,000 (2006) 200,000 (of whom 87,400 are foreign cross-border workers primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (2003)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 18%


industry: 15%


services: 67% (2006)
agriculture 1.9%, industry 8%, services 90.1% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
total: 359 km


border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land: 23.28%


permanent crops: 0.4%


other: 76.32% (includes Belgium) (2001)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language)
Legal system - based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - 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 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%; 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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 73.46 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
total population: 78.58 years


male: 75.31 years


female: 82.07 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.4%


male: 96.7%


female: 88% (2004 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 100%


male: 100%


female: 100% (2000 est.)
Location Middle East, west of Jordan Western Europe, between France and Germany
Map references Middle East Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 652,454 GRT/805,101 DWT


by type: chemical tanker 11, container 8, liquefied gas 4, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 7


foreign-owned: Belgium 7, Denmark 1, Finland 3, France 3, Germany 10, Monaco 1, Netherlands 5, Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 7, United States 3


registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches - Army
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $231.6 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 0.9% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 115,721 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 95,107 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 2,601 (2004 est.)
National holiday - National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June
Nationality noun: NA


adjective: NA
noun: Luxembourger(s)


adjective: Luxembourg
Natural hazards droughts NA
Natural resources arable land iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
Net migration rate 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 155 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYOEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party DEI LENK (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties
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); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left trade union)
Population 2,535,927


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
462,690 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 46% (2007 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.985% (2007 est.) 1.28% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Mertert
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008) AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Railways - total: 274 km


standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified) (2003)
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% 87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims (2000)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female


total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970 (2004)
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables


domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable


international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America)
Telephones - main lines in use 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 355,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 473,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 30 (2008) 5 (1999)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east 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 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 18.6% (2006) 3.6% (2003 est.)
Waterways - 37 km (on Moselle River) (2003)
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