Long-form name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Luxembourg

Administrative divisions: 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg

Independence: 1839

Constitution: 17 October 1868, occasional revisions

Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day (public celebration of the Grand Duke's birthday), 23 June (1921)

Branches: parliamentary democracy; executive--Council of Government, composed of president and seven ministers, is responsible to the unicameral legislature (Chamber of Deputies); the Council of State, appointed for indefinite term, exercises some powers of an upper house; judicial power exercised by independent courts; coalition governments are usual

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--Grand Duke JEAN (since 12 November 1964); Heir Apparent Prince HENRI (son of Grand Duke Jean, born 16 April 1955); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Jacques SANTER (since 21 July 1984); Deputy Prime Minister Jacques F. POOS (since 21 July 1984)

Suffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18

Elections: every five years for entire Chamber of Deputies; last election 17 June 1984

Political parties and leaders: Christian Social Party (CSV), Jean Spautz; Socialist Workers Party (POSL), Ben Fayot; Liberal (DP), Colette Flesch; Communist (KPL), Rene Urbany; Independent Socialists, Jean Gremling; Green Alternative (GAP), Jean Huss

Voting strength: (1984) Chamber of Deputies--Christian Social Party, 25; Socialist Workers Party, 21; Liberals, 14; Communists, 2; Green Alternative, 2

Communists: 500 party members (1982)

Other political or pressure groups: group of steel industries representing iron and steel industry, Centrale Paysanne representing agricultural producers; Christian and Socialist labor unions; Federation of Industrialists; Artisans and Shopkeepers Federation

Member of: Benelux, BLEU, CCC, Council of Europe, EC, EIB, EMS, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Andre PHILIPPE; Chancery at 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-4171; there are Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Jean B. S. GERARD; Embassy at 22 Boulevard Emmanuel-Servais, 2535 Luxembourg City (mailing address is APO New York 09132); telephone Õ352å 460123

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Luxembourg on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Luxembourg Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Luxembourg Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.