Topic: Photos of Lesotho

Topic: Introduction
Background: Paramount chief MOSHOESHOE I consolidated what would become Basutoland in the early 19th century and made himself king in 1822. Continuing encroachments by Dutch settlers from the neighboring Orange Free State caused the king to enter into an 1868 agreement with the UK by which Basutoland became a British protectorate, and after 1884, a crown colony. Upon independence in 1966, the country was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho. The Basotho National Party ruled the country during its first two decades. King MOSHOESHOE II was exiled in 1990, but returned to Lesotho in 1992 and was reinstated in 1995 and subsequently succeeded by his son, King LETSIE III, in 1996. Constitutional government was restored in 1993 after seven years of military rule. In 1998, violent protests and a military mutiny following a contentious election prompted a brief but bloody intervention by South African and Batswana military forces under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community. Subsequent constitutional reforms restored relative political stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections were held in 2002, but the National Assembly elections in 2007 were hotly contested and aggrieved parties disputed how the electoral law was applied to award proportional seats in the Assembly. In 2012, competitive elections involving 18 parties saw Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas THABANE form a coalition government - the first in the country's history - that ousted the 14-year incumbent, Pakalitha MOSISILI, who peacefully transferred power the following month. MOSISILI returned to power in snap elections in February 2015 after the collapse of THABANE’s coalition government and an alleged attempted military coup. In June 2017, THABANE returned to become prime minister.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Southern Africa, an enclave of South Africa
Geographic coordinates: 29 30 S, 28 30 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 30,355 sq km

land: 30,355 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: total: 1,106 km

border countries (1): South Africa 1,106 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly highland with plateaus, hills, and mountains
Elevation: highest point: Thabana Ntlenyana 3,482 m

lowest point: junction of the Orange and Makhaleng Rivers 1,400 m

mean elevation: 2,161 m
Natural resources: water, agricultural and grazing land, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Land use: agricultural land: 76.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.5% (2018 est.)

other: 22.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km): Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)
Population distribution: relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Geography - note: landlocked, an enclave of (completely surrounded by) South Africa; mountainous, more than 80% of the country is 1,800 m above sea level
Map description: Lesotho map showing major population centers of this landlocked country surrounded by South Africa.Lesotho map showing major population centers of this landlocked country surrounded by South Africa.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 2,193,970 (2022 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly taken into account the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Nationality: noun: Mosotho (singular), Basotho (plural)

adjective: Basotho
Ethnic groups: Sotho 99.7%, Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%
Languages: Sesotho (official) (southern Sotho), English (official), Zulu, Xhosa
Religions: Protestant 47.8% (Pentecostal 23.1%, Lesotho Evangelical 17.3%, Anglican 7.4%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, other Christian 9.1%, non-Christian 1.4%, none 2.3% (2014 est.)
Demographic profile: Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. More than half of its population lives below the property line, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 17% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.Lesotho faces great socioeconomic challenges. More than half of its population lives below the property line, and the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is the second highest in the world. In addition, Lesotho is a small, mountainous, landlocked country with little arable land, leaving its population vulnerable to food shortages and reliant on remittances. Lesotho’s persistently high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates have been increasing during the last decade, according to the last two Demographic and Health Surveys. Despite these significant shortcomings, Lesotho has made good progress in education; it is on-track to achieve universal primary education and has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa.Lesotho’s migration history is linked to its unique geography; it is surrounded by South Africa with which it shares linguistic and cultural traits. Lesotho at one time had more of its workforce employed outside its borders than any other country. Today remittances equal about 17% of its GDP. With few job options at home, a high rate of poverty, and higher wages available across the border, labor migration to South Africa replaced agriculture as the prevailing Basotho source of income decades ago. The majority of Basotho migrants were single men contracted to work as gold miners in South Africa. However, migration trends changed in the 1990s, and fewer men found mining jobs in South Africa because of declining gold prices, stricter immigration policies, and a preference for South African workers.Although men still dominate cross-border labor migration, more women are working in South Africa, mostly as domestics, because they are widows or their husbands are unemployed. Internal rural-urban flows have also become more frequent, with more women migrating within the country to take up jobs in the garment industry or moving to care for loved ones with HIV/AIDS. Lesotho’s small population of immigrants is increasingly composed of Taiwanese and Chinese migrants who are involved in the textile industry and small retail businesses.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.3% (male 309,991/female 306,321)

15-24 years: 19.26% (male 181,874/female 197,452)

25-54 years: 38.86% (male 373,323/female 391,901)

55-64 years: 4.98% (male 52,441/female 45,726)

65 years and over: 5.6% (2020 est.) (male 57,030/female 53,275)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 59.2

youth dependency ratio: 51.3

elderly dependency ratio: 7.9

potential support ratio: 12.7 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 24.7 years

male: 24.7 years

female: 24.7 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.76% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 23.15 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 11.05 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: relatively higher population density in the western half of the nation, with the capital of Maseru, and the smaller cities of Mafeteng, Teyateyaneng, and Leribe attracting the most people as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 29.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 202,000 MASERU (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.74 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.9 years (2014 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio: 544 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 48.44 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 54 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 42.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.57 years

male: 57.57 years

female: 61.64 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.92 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 64.9% (2018)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 95.7% of population

rural: 77.2% of population

total: 82.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 4.3% of population

rural: 22.8% of population

total: 17.4% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 11.3% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.47 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 93.6% of population

rural: 62.4% of population

total: 71.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 6.4% of population

rural: 37.6% of population

total: 28.6% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 21.1% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 280,000 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,700 (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 16.6% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 24.3% (2020 est.)

male: 43.1% (2020 est.)

female: 5.4% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.5% (2018)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 1%

women married by age 18: 16.4%

men married by age 18: 1.9% (2018 est.)
Education expenditures: 7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 79.4%

male: 70.1%

female: 88.3% (2015)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2017)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 35.5%

male: 31.2% NA

female: 41.5% (2019 est.) NA

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: population pressure forcing settlement in marginal areas results in overgrazing, severe soil erosion, and soil exhaustion; desertification; Highlands Water Project controls, stores, and redirects water to South Africa
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 27.78 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 2.51 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 2.56 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: temperate; cool to cold, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Land use: agricultural land: 76.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 65.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 1.5% (2018 est.)

other: 22.4% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 29.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 3.34% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Food insecurity: severe localized food insecurity: due to loss of income-generating activities -  the number of people facing "Crisis" levels of food insecurity between January and March 2022 is estimated at 338,000, reflecting the effects of a slow economic recovery that has impinged on households’ economic capacity to access food (2022)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 73,457 tons (2006 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km): Orange river source (shared with South Africa and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 3.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 3.022 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Lesotho

conventional short form: Lesotho

local long form: Kingdom of Lesotho

local short form: Lesotho

former: Basutoland

etymology: the name translates as "Land of the Sesotho Speakers"
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Capital: name: Maseru

geographic coordinates: 29 19 S, 27 29 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: in the Sesotho language the name means "[place of] red sandstones"
Administrative divisions: 10 districts; Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing, Thaba-Tseka
Independence: 4 October 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 October (1966)
Constitution: history: previous 1959, 1967; latest adopted 2 April 1993 (effectively restoring the 1967 version)

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including fundamental rights and freedoms, sovereignty of the kingdom, the office of the king, and powers of Parliament, requires a majority vote by the National Assembly, approval by the Senate, approval in a referendum by a majority of qualified voters, and assent of the king; passage of amendments other than those specified provisions requires at least a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2011
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King LETSIE III (since 7 February 1996); note - King LETSIE III formerly occupied the throne from November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile

head of government: Prime Minister Moeketsi MAJORO (since 20 May 2020); note - Prime Minister Thomas THABANE resigned on 19 May 2020

cabinet: consists of the prime minister, appointed by the King on the advice of the Council of State, the deputy prime minister, and 26 other ministers

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary, but under the terms of the constitution that came into effect after the March 1993 election, the monarch is a "living symbol of national unity" with no executive or legislative powers; under traditional law, the College of Chiefs has the power to depose the monarch, to determine next in line of succession, or to serve as regent in the event that a successor is not of mature age; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the Assembly automatically becomes prime minister
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (33 seats; 22 principal chiefs and 11 other senators nominated by the king with the advice of the Council of State, a 13-member body of key government and non-government officials; members serve 5-year terms)
National Assembly (120 seats; 80 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 40 elected through proportional representation; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: Senate - last nominated by the king on 11 July 2017 (next in late July 2022)
National Assembly - last held on 3 June 2017 (next to be held on 30 September 2022)

election results: Senate - percent of votes by party - NA, seats by party - NA; composition - men 26, women 7, percent of women 21.2%
National Assembly - percent of votes by party - ABC 40.5%, DC 25.8%, LCD 9%, AD 7.3%, MEC 5.1%, BNP 4.1, PFD 2.3%, other 5.9%; seats by party - ABC 51, DC 30, LCD 11, AD 9, MEC 6, BNP 5, PFD 3, other 5; composition - men 87, women 28, percent of women 23.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 22.9%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, such number of justices of appeal as set by Parliament, and the Chief Justice and the puisne judges of the High Court ex officio); High Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of puisne judges as set by Parliament); note - both the Court of Appeal and the High Court have jurisdiction in constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal president and High Court chief justice appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; puisne judges appointed by the monarch on advice of the Judicial Service Commission, an independent body of judicial officers and officials designated by the monarch; judges of both courts can serve until age 75

subordinate courts: Magistrate Courts; customary or traditional courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders: All Basotho Convention or ABC [Moeketsi MAJORO]
Alliance of Democrats or AD [Monyane MOLELEKI]
Basotho Action Party or BAP [Ngosa MAHAO]
Basotho National Party or BNP [Thesele MASERIBANE]
Democratic Congress or DC [Mathibeli MOKHOTHU]
Democratic Party of Lesotho or DPL [Limpho TAU]
Lesotho Congress for Democracy or LCD [Mothetjoa METSING]
Movement of Economic Change or MEC [Selibe MOCHOBOROANE]
National Independent Party or NIP [Kimetso MATHABA]
Popular Front for Democracy of PFD [Lekhetho RAKUOANE]
Reformed Congress of Lesotho or RCL [Keketso RANTSO]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Masopha Phoofolo Moses KAO, Counselor (28 May 2021)

chancery: 2511 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 797-5533

FAX: [1] (202) 234-6815

email address and website: lesothoembassy@verizon.net

https://www.gov.ls/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Maria E. BREWER (since 10 March 2022)

embassy: 254 Kingsway Avenue, Maseru

mailing address: 2340 Maseru Place, Washington DC  20521-2340

telephone: [266] 22312666

FAX: [266] 22310116

email address and website:
USConsularMaseru@state.gov

https://ls.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: three horizontal stripes of blue (top), white, and green in the proportions of 3:4:3; the colors represent rain, peace, and prosperity respectively; centered in the white stripe is a black Basotho hat representing the indigenous people; the flag was unfurled in October 2006 to celebrate 40 years of independence
National symbol(s): mokorotio (Basotho hat); national colors: blue, white, green, black
National anthem: name: "Lesotho fatse la bo ntat'a rona" (Lesotho, Land of Our Fathers)

lyrics/music: Francois COILLARD/Ferdinand-Samuel LAUR

note: adopted 1967; music derives from an 1823 Swiss songbook
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 1 (mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Maloti-Drakensberg Park

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue. About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability.   Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 85% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa in mines, on farms, and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 26% of total GDP in 2016; however, SACU revenues are volatile and expected to decline over the next 5 years. Lesotho also gains royalties from the South African Government for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers.   The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for about 26% of GDP in 2017. The government remains Lesotho's largest employer; in 2016, the government wage bill rose to 23% of GDP – the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and accounted for nearly 35% of total exports in 2015. Lesotho managed steady GDP growth at an average of 4.5% from 2010 to 2014, dropping to about 2.5% in 2015-16, but poverty remains widespread around 57% of the total population.Small, mountainous, and completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho depends on a narrow economic base of textile manufacturing, agriculture, remittances, and regional customs revenue. About three-fourths of the people live in rural areas and engage in animal herding and subsistence agriculture, although Lesotho produces less than 20% of the nation's demand for food. Agriculture is vulnerable to weather and climate variability. Lesotho relies on South Africa for much of its economic activity; Lesotho imports 85% of the goods it consumes from South Africa, including most agricultural inputs. Households depend heavily on remittances from family members working in South Africa in mines, on farms, and as domestic workers, though mining employment has declined substantially since the 1990s. Lesotho is a member of the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), and revenues from SACU accounted for roughly 26% of total GDP in 2016; however, SACU revenues are volatile and expected to decline over the next 5 years. Lesotho also gains royalties from the South African Government for water transferred to South Africa from a dam and reservoir system in Lesotho. However, the government continues to strengthen its tax system to reduce dependency on customs duties and other transfers. The government maintains a large presence in the economy - government consumption accounted for about 26% of GDP in 2017. The government remains Lesotho's largest employer; in 2016, the government wage bill rose to 23% of GDP – the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Lesotho's largest private employer is the textile and garment industry - approximately 36,000 Basotho, mainly women, work in factories producing garments for export to South Africa and the US. Diamond mining in Lesotho has grown in recent years and accounted for nearly 35% of total exports in 2015. Lesotho managed steady GDP growth at an average of 4.5% from 2010 to 2014, dropping to about 2.5% in 2015-16, but poverty remains widespread around 57% of the total population.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.88 billion (2020 est.)

$5.49 billion (2019 est.)

$5.51 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: -1.6% (2017 est.)

3.1% (2016 est.)

2.5% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $2,300 (2020 est.)

$2,600 (2019 est.)

$2,600 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.462 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.3% (2019 est.)

3.8% (2018 est.)

5.1% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: B (2019)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 5.8% (2016 est.)

industry: 39.2% (2016 est.)

services: 54.9% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 69.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 26.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 31.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -13.4% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 40.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -54.4% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, potatoes, maize, vegetables, fruit, beef, game meat, mutton, beans, wool
Industries: food, beverages, textiles, apparel assembly, handicrafts, construction, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 12.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 930,800 (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 86%

industry and services: 14% (2002 est.)

note: most of the resident population is engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Unemployment rate: 28.1% (2014 est.)

25% (2008 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 35.5%

male: 31.2% NA

female: 41.5% (2019 est.) NA
Population below poverty line: 49.7% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 44.9 (2017 est.)

56 (1986-87)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1%

highest 10%: 39.4% (2003)
Budget: revenues: 1.09 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 1.255 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 33.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

36.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 39.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Current account balance: -$102 million (2017 est.)

-$201 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $900 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.09 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.25 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: United States 29%, Belgium 26%, South Africa 25%, Switzerland 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities: diamonds, clothing and apparel, low-voltage protection equipment, wheat products, footwear (2019)
Imports: $1.96 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.2 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.39 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: South Africa 85%, China 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, clothing and apparel, packaged medicines, delivery trucks, poultry meats (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $657.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$925.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $868 million (2019 est.)

$834 million (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: maloti (LSL) per US dollar -

14.48 (2017 est.)

14.71 (2016 est.)

14.71 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 36% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 63% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 26% (2019)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 74,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 912.8 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports: 541.7 million kWh (2019 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 129.9 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 99.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 5,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 5,118 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas: production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 736,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 736,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 7.823 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 11,574 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 1,562,648 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: until late 2020, Lesotho’s telecom regulator maintained a market duopoly between the privatized national operator, Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL), which is focused on fixed-line services, and Vodacom Lesotho, which dominates the mobile sector; competition between the two was insufficient to promote effective price reductions for consumers, while the regulator had no mechanisms in place to monitor the telcos to ensure quality of service and fair pricing for consumers; the small size of the country’s population provided little incentive for new players to enter the market; legal wrangling between the regulator and the telcos are ongoing; both telcos were fined in late 2020, though Vodacom has the more troubled relationship with the regulator; this culminated in the regulator having attempted to revoke Vodacom Lesotho’s operating license, a process which was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court after the company appealed; a positive outcome for consumers was the deployment in early 2021 of a service to monitor traffic and billing; this ended the practice whereby the regulator was dependent on telcos submitting data about their performance, billing, and other matters; the regulator has also turned its attention to addressing multiple SIM ownership and stem incidences of crimes committed using unregistered SIMs; in May 2022, it instructed the country’s MNOs to begin registering SIM cards on their networks from the following month; Vodacom was the first operator to introduce mobile broadband services in the country, supplemented with a WiMAX network; this was followed by fixed-wireless 5G trials in early 2019 based on a trial 3.5GHz license. Vodacom Lesotho was among the first network operators in the region to conduct such trials; the crucial nature of telecom services. (2022)

domestic: fixed-line is less than 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile-cellular service subscribership nearly 73 per 100 persons; rudimentary system consisting of a modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system (2020)

international: country code - 266; Internet accessibility has improved with several submarine fiber optic cables that land on African east and west coasts, but the country's land locked position makes access prices expensive; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station and 2 state-owned radio stations; government controls most private broadcast media; satellite TV subscription service available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters obtainable (2019)
Internet country code: .ls
Internet users: total: 921,168 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 43% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 5,060 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 7P
Airports: total: 24 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3

over 3,047 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 21

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 16 (2021)
Roadways: total: 5,940 km (2011)

paved: 1,069 km (2011)

unpaved: 4,871 km (2011)

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Lesotho Defense Force (LDF): Army (includes Air Wing) (2022)

note: the Lesotho Mounted Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Minister of Police and Public Safety
Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $60 million)

2.1% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $65 million)

2.2% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $70 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 2,000 personnel (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the LDF has a small inventory of older equipment from a variety of countries; since 2010, it has received only small quantities of second hand equipment from France (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women can serve as commissioned officers (2021)
Military - note: Lesotho's declared policy for its military is the maintenance of the country's sovereignty and the preservation of internal security; in practice, external security is guaranteed by South Africa

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Lesotho-South Africa: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration  Lesotho-South Africa: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration
Trafficking in persons: current situation: Lesotho is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking and for men subjected to forced labor; Basotho women and children are subjected to domestic servitude and children, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation within Lesotho and South Africa; some Basotho women willingly migrate to South Africa seeking work in domestic service only to be forced into prostitution; some Basotho men who voluntarily migrate to South Africa for work become victims of forced labor in agriculture and mining or are coerced into committing crimes

tier rating: Tier 3 — Lesotho does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore it was downgraded to Tier 3; positive steps included partnering with an NGO and an international organization in awareness-raising activities, participating in a regional data collection tool, and training 27 diplomats on trafficking in persons; however, authorities did not investigate, prosecute, or convict any traffickers or officials complicit in trafficking and did not investigate concerns of official complicity in trafficking crimes restricted law enforcement actions; fewer victims were identified and received no protective services; no standard operating procedures for victim identification or implementation of the national referral mechanism; the government did not finance  the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund or the Child and Gender Protection Unit; front-line responders to trafficking crimes are inadequately trained; penalties for human trafficking are not stringent enough to serve as a deterrent (2020)


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens exercise normal precautions in Australia. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport is valid at the date of their entering the country. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is required. US citizens will need to get in touch with the country’s embassy or nearest consulate to obtain a visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) prior to visiting the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: [61] (02) 6214-5600; US Embassy in Canberra, Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600, Australia; https://au.usembassy.gov/; AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov
Telephone Code: 61
Local Emergency Phone: 000 (112 on cell phone)
Vaccinations: An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. See WHO recommendations.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Currency (Code): Dollars (AUD)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): I

Major Languages: English 72.7%, other minority languages
Major Religions: Protestant 23.1%, Roman Catholic 22.6%, other Christian 4.2%, other minority religions
Time Difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October, ends first Sunday in April; Australia has four time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+10:30) UTC +8, +9, +10
Potable Water: Yes
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Left
Tourist Destinations: Sydney (includes Opera House & Harbour Bridge); Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (aka Ayers Rock-the Olgas); Blue Mountains National Park; Bondi Beach; Daintree National Park; Fraser Island; Kakadu National Park; Darling Harbour; Australian National Maritime Museum; the Outback; Port Campbell National Park
Major Sports: Australian football
Cultural Practices: Australians often greet each other with "G' day," or "G' day, mate," but if a foreigner were to use this phrase it might come across as patronizing.
Tipping Guidelines: Restaurant prices are required by law to include tax and service charges. Rounding up the bill to the nearest $5-10 (AUD) would be appropriate for exceptional service. Try to leave cash, since it is common for servers not to receive credit card tips. Round up the fare for taxi driver's tip.
Souvenirs: Boomerangs and other indigenous carved items, stuffed toy native animals (such as kangaroo, koala, wombat, and platypus), jewelry, woolen goods, vegemitePlease visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Monday, April 18, 2022


Topic: Photos of Luxembourg

Topic: Introduction
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. In 1867, Luxembourg attained full independence under the condition that it promise perpetual neutrality. 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 EEC (later the EU), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency zone.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: 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; about half the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 327 km

border countries (3): Belgium 130 km; France 69 km; Germany 128 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: highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m

lowest point: Moselle River 133 m

mean elevation: 325 m
Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 24% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 33.5% (2018 est.)

other: 15.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Population distribution: most people live in the south, on or near the border with France
Natural hazards: occasional flooding
Geography - note: landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world
Map description: Luxembourg map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 650,364 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s)

adjective: Luxembourg
Ethnic groups: Luxembourger 52.9%, Portuguese 14.5%, French 7.6%, Italian 3.7%, Belgian 3%, German 2%, Spanish 1.3%, Romania 1%, other 14% (2022 est.)

note: data represent population by nationality
Languages: Luxembourgish (official administrative and judicial language and national language (spoken vernacular)) 55.8%, Portuguese 15.7%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 12.1%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 3.1%, Italian 2.9%, English 2.1%, other 8.4% (2011 est.)
Religions: Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.6%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.4%, unaffiliated 26.7% (2020 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.73% (male 54,099/female 51,004)

15-24 years: 11.78% (male 37,946/female 36,061)

25-54 years: 43.93% (male 141,535/female 134,531)

55-64 years: 12.19% (male 39,289/female 37,337)

65 years and over: 15.37% (2020 est.) (male 43,595/female 52,984)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 42.8

youth dependency ratio: 22.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.5

potential support ratio: 4.9 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 39.5 years

male: 38.9 years

female: 40 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.64% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 11.61 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 7.21 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 12.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: most people live in the south, on or near the border with France
Urbanization: urban population: 91.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 31 years (2020 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.25 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.65 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.98 years

male: 80.52 years

female: 85.58 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.63 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 98.6% of population

total: 99.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 1.4% of population

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 5.4% (2019)
Physicians density: 3.01 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 4.3 beds/1,000 population (2019)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 99.9% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0.1% of population

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,200 (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2018 est.) <100
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 22.6% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 21.1% (2020 est.)

male: 22.4% (2020 est.)

female: 19.8% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2018 est.)
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 14 years (2019)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 23.2%

male: 24.8%

female: 21.3% (2020 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapes
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 8.99 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.61 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
Land use: agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 24% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 33.5% (2018 est.)

other: 15.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 91.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 356,000 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 100,997 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2015 est.)
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 43.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 1.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 400,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

conventional short form: Luxembourg

local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg

local short form: Luxembourg

etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the surrounding city and then to the country itself
Government type: constitutional monarchy
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

etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the city that grew around the fortress
Administrative divisions: 12 cantons (cantons, singular - canton); Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange, Remich, Vianden, Wiltz
Independence: 1839 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday: National Day (birthday of Grand Duke HENRI), 23 June; note - this date of birth is not the true date of birth for any of the Royals, but the national festivities were shifted in 1962 to allow observance during a more favorable time of year
Constitution: history: previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1868

amendments: proposed by the Chamber of Deputies or by the monarch to the Chamber; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Chamber in two successive readings three months apart; a referendum can be substituted for the second reading if approved by more than a quarter of the Chamber members or by 25,000 valid voters; adoption by referendum requires a majority of all valid voters; amended many times, last in 2020
Legal system: civil law system
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: limited to situations where the parents are either unknown, stateless, or when the nationality law of the parents' state of origin does not permit acquisition of citizenship by descent when the birth occurs outside of national territory

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Luxembourg

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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 Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Francois BAUSCH (since 11 October 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Daniel KERSCH (since 4 February 2020)

cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies
Legislative branch: description: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - a 21-member Council of State appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies

elections: last held on 14 October 2018 (next to be held by 31 October 2023)

election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 35%, LSAP 16.7%, DP 20%, Green Party 9%, ADR 6.7%, Pirate Party 3.3%, The Left 3.3%; seats by party - CSV 21, DP 12, LSAP 10, Green Party 9, ADR 4, Pirate Party 2, The Left 2; composition (as of September 2021) - men 40, women 20, percent of women 33.3%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office: judges of both courts appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts: Court of Accounts; district and local tribunals and courts
Political parties and leaders: Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Fred KEUP]
Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Claude WISELER]
Democratic Party or DP [Corinne CAHEN]
Green Party [Djuna BERNARD, Meris SEHOVIC]
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Yves CRUCHTEN]
The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee]
Pirate Party
International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nicole BINTNER-BAKSHIAN (since 19 August 2021)

chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171

FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270

email address and website:
washington.amb@mae.etat.lu

https://washington.mae.lu/en.html

consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas M. BARRETT (since 10 February 2022)

embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

mailing address: 5380 Luxembourg Place, Washington DC  20521-5380

telephone: [352] 46-01-23-00

FAX: [352] 46-14-01

email address and website:
Luxembourgconsular@state.gov

https://lu.usembassy.gov/
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; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)
National symbol(s): red, rampant lion; national colors: red, white, light blue
National anthem: name: "Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William)

lyrics/music: Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown

note: "Ons Heemecht," adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while "De Wilhelmus," adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Luxembourg City Old Quarters and Fortifications

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in the world, is a landlocked country in northwestern Europe surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Despite its small landmass and small population, Luxembourg is the fifth-wealthiest country in the world when measured on a gross domestic product (PPP) per capita basis. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position, with a 2017 surplus of 0.5% of GDP, and the lowest public debt level in the region.   Since 2002, Luxembourg’s government has proactively implemented policies and programs to support economic diversification and to attract foreign direct investment. The government focused on key innovative industries that showed promise for supporting economic growth: logistics, information and communications technology (ICT); health technologies, including biotechnology and biomedical research; clean energy technologies, and more recently, space technology and financial services technologies. The economy has evolved and flourished, posting strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2017, far outpacing the European average of 1.8%.   Luxembourg remains a financial powerhouse – the financial sector accounts for more than 35% of GDP - because of the exponential growth of the investment fund sector through the launch and development of cross-border funds (UCITS) in the 1990s. Luxembourg is the world’s second-largest investment fund asset domicile, after the US, with $4 trillion of assets in custody in financial institutions.   Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure, as well as the "LuxLeaks" scandal, which revealed advantageous tax treatments offered to foreign corporations. In 2015, the government’s compliance with EU requirements to implement automatic exchange of tax information on savings accounts - thus ending banking secrecy - has constricted banking activity. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce has cut Luxembourg’s sales tax revenues, requiring the government to raise additional levies and to reduce some direct social benefits as part of the tax reform package of 2017. The tax reform package also included reductions in the corporate tax rate and increases in deductions for families, both intended to increase purchasing power and increase competitiveness.This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in the world, is a landlocked country in northwestern Europe surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Despite its small landmass and small population, Luxembourg is the fifth-wealthiest country in the world when measured on a gross domestic product (PPP) per capita basis. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position, with a 2017 surplus of 0.5% of GDP, and the lowest public debt level in the region. Since 2002, Luxembourg’s government has proactively implemented policies and programs to support economic diversification and to attract foreign direct investment. The government focused on key innovative industries that showed promise for supporting economic growth: logistics, information and communications technology (ICT); health technologies, including biotechnology and biomedical research; clean energy technologies, and more recently, space technology and financial services technologies. The economy has evolved and flourished, posting strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2017, far outpacing the European average of 1.8%. Luxembourg remains a financial powerhouse – the financial sector accounts for more than 35% of GDP - because of the exponential growth of the investment fund sector through the launch and development of cross-border funds (UCITS) in the 1990s. Luxembourg is the world’s second-largest investment fund asset domicile, after the US, with $4 trillion of assets in custody in financial institutions. Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure, as well as the "LuxLeaks" scandal, which revealed advantageous tax treatments offered to foreign corporations. In 2015, the government’s compliance with EU requirements to implement automatic exchange of tax information on savings accounts - thus ending banking secrecy - has constricted banking activity. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce has cut Luxembourg’s sales tax revenues, requiring the government to raise additional levies and to reduce some direct social benefits as part of the tax reform package of 2017. The tax reform package also included reductions in the corporate tax rate and increases in deductions for families, both intended to increase purchasing power and increase competitiveness.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $69.72 billion (2020 est.)

$70.64 billion (2019 est.)

$69.06 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 2.31% (2019 est.)

3.14% (2018 est.)

1.81% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $110,300 (2020 est.)

$113,900 (2019 est.)

$113,600 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $71.089 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2019 est.)

1.5% (2018 est.)

1.7% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1989)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1994)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 12.8% (2017 est.)

services: 86.9% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 30.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 16.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 16.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 230% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -194% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, beef, grapes, rapeseed, oats
Industries: banking and financial services, construction, real estate services, iron, metals, and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation and logistics, chemicals, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 476,000 (2020 est.)

note: data exclude foreign workers; in addition to the figure for domestic labor force, about 150,000 workers commute daily from France, Belgium, and Germany
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.1%

industry: 20%

services: 78.9% (2013 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.36% (2019 est.)

5.46% (2018 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 23.2%

male: 24.8%

female: 21.3% (2020 est.)
Population below poverty line: 17.5% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 34.9 (2017 est.)

26 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5%

highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)
Budget: revenues: 27.75 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 26.8 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): 1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 23% of GDP (2017 est.)

20.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Taxes and other revenues: 44.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: $3.254 billion (2019 est.)

$3.296 billion (2018 est.)
Exports: $137.09 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$133.59 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$136.11 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: Germany 23%, France 13%, Belgium 12%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities: iron and iron products, tires, cars, broadcasting equipment, clothing and apparel  (2019)
Imports: $110.1 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$108.29 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$110.28 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: Belgium 27%, Germany 24%, France 11%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, scrap iron, aircraft (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $878 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$974 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $4,266,792,000,000 (2019 est.)

$4,581,617,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 1.899 million kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 6.188 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports: 1.079 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 6.543 billion kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 156 million kWh (2020 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 13.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 14.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 27.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 36.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 65,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 74,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 63,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 59,020 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Natural gas: production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 776.022 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 772.624 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 11.308 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 149,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 9.564 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 1.594 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 310.068 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 268,090 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 890,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 142 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Luxembourg has a small telecom sector dominated by state-owned POST Luxembourg; there remains some pressure from regulatory measures, though no further reductions to fixed and mobile interconnection tariffs have been imposed through to 2024; POST Luxembourg is extending the footprint of its 1Gb/s service in line with a government program to make Luxembourg the first fully fiber country in Europe; by early 2021 about 72% of premises could access such a service; investment in infrastructure is geared towards fulfilling these ambitions;  the level of investment as a proportion of revenue has fallen in recent years, largely as a response to the completion of major projects, there was an increase in investment in 2020, partly due to the spectrum auction held during the year, as also to the continuing shift by POST Luxembourg to an all-IP platform and the rollout of fiber infrastructure; high mobile penetration has slowed subscriber growth in the mobile market since 2005, though a recent law requiring SIM card registration has not had an adverse effect on the number of mobile subscribers despite network operators deactivating unregistered cards. (2021)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity about 43 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated with about 142 per 100 mobile-cellular (2020)

international: country code - 352

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL Group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL Group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services available
Internet country code: .lu
Internet users: total: 624,115 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 99% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 235,155 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 66

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,099,102 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,323,040,000 (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: LX
Airports: total: 2 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Heliports: 1 (2021)
Pipelines: 142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013)
Railways: total: 275 km (2014)

standard gauge: 275 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified)
Roadways: total: 2,875 km (2019)
Waterways: 37 km (2010) (on Moselle River)
Merchant marine: total: 153

by type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 23, oil tanker 3, other 122 (2021)
Ports and terminals: river port(s): Mertert (Moselle)

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Luxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2022)
Military expenditures: 0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

0.6% of GDP (2020)

0.5% of GDP (2019) (approximately $420 million)

0.5% of GDP (2018) (approximately $380 million)

0.5% of GDP (2017) (approximately $370 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 900 active personnel (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the inventory of Luxembourg's Army is a small mix of Western-origin equipment; since 2010, it has received equipment from several European countries (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 1969); Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2021)

note: as of 2019, women made up about 8% of the military's full-time personnel
Military - note: Luxembourg is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949
 in 2015, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed an agreement to conduct joint air policing of their territories; under the agreement, which went into effect in January of 2017, the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces trade responsibility for patrolling the skies over the three countriesin 2015, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed an agreement to conduct joint air policing of their territories; under the agreement, which went into effect in January of 2017, the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces trade responsibility for patrolling the skies over the three countries

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none identifiednone identified
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 6,263 (Ukraine) (as of 16 August 2022)

stateless persons: 194 (mid-year 2021)


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens exercise increased caution in Liberia due to crime and civil unrest. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport is valid at the date of their entering the country. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for each entry stamp/visa that will be required. A visa is required. US citizens will need to get in touch with the country’s embassy or nearest consulate to obtain a visa prior to visiting the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: +(231) 77-677-7000; US Embassy Monrovia, 502 Benson Street, Monrovia, Liberia; ACSMonrovia@state.gov;

https://lr.usembassy.gov/
Telephone Code: 231
Local Emergency Phone: 911 (cell phone only)
Vaccinations: An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for all travelers. See WHO recommendations.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers
Currency (Code): Liberian dollars (LRD)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 120 V, 220 V / 60 Hz / plug types(s): A, B, C, F

Major Languages: English, some 20 ethnic group languages few of which can be written or used in correspondence
Major Religions: Christian 85.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Traditional 0.6%
Time Difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Mount Nimba; Monkey Island; Waterside Market, Monrovia; Sapo National Park
Major Sports: Soccer, basketball, track and field
Cultural Practices: Communication in Liberia typically involves more physical contact than in America. It is not uncommon for a speaker to rest their hand on your shoulder.
Tipping Guidelines: Some restaurants add a service charge to the bill, if not, a 10% tip is customary. Hotel service staff appreciate small amounts for good service.Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Tuesday, March 22, 2022


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens DO NOT TRAVEL to Peru due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Peru due to crime and terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport will not expire for at least 6 months after they enter the country even if they do not intend to stay that long. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is required, but US citizens may obtain the visa upon entering the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: [51] (1) 618-2000; US Embassy in Lima, Avenida La Encalada cdra. 17 s/n, Surco, Lima 33, Peru; LimaACS@state.gov;

https://pe.usembassy.gov/
Telephone Code: 51
Local Emergency Phone: 011, 5114
Vaccinations: An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. See WHO recommendations.

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
Currency (Code): Nuevo sol (PEN)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 220 V / 60 Hz / plug types(s): A, C

Major Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Ashaninka
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Christian 14.6% (includes evangelical 11.1%, other 3.5%)
Time Difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested; additionally, if you plan to drive in Peru, you will need an Inter-American Driving Permit issued by the AAA
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Machu Picchu; Cusco's architectural treasures; Lake Titicaca; Colca Canyon; Lima; Nazca Lines; Qhapaq Nan/Andean Road System
Major Sports: Soccer, volleyball, tennis
Cultural Practices: Slapping the bottom of one elbow with the open palm of the other hand means someone is cheap.
Tipping Guidelines: Most restaurant and bar bills will include a 10% gratuity. It is customary to add an extra 10% tip if the service has been satisfactory. Tipping is not expected for taxis and fares are negotiated beforehand. One Nuevo sol per bag for porters is appreciated.Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Thursday, April 07, 2022


Topic: Photos of Guernsey

Topic: Introduction
Background: Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. The Bailiwick of Guernsey consists of the main island of Guernsey and a number of smaller islands including Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, and Lihou. The Bailiwick is a self-governing British Crown dependency that is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 49 28 N, 2 35 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 78 sq km

land: 78 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands
Area - comparative: about one-half the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 50 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Terrain: mostly flat with low hills in southwest
Elevation: highest point: Le Moulin on Sark 114 m

lowest point: English Channel 0 m
Natural resources: cropland
Irrigated land: NA
Natural hazards: very large tidal variation and fast currents can make local waters dangerous
Geography - note: large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port
Map description: Guernsey map showing the islands that make up this British crown dependency in the English Channel.  Guernsey map showing the islands that make up this British crown dependency in the English Channel.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 67,491 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Channel Islander(s)

adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups: Guernsey 53.1%, UK and Ireland 23.9%, Portugal 2.2%, Latvia 1.5%, other Europe 2.8%, other 4.4%, unspecified 11.4% (2020 est.)

note: data represent population by country of birth; the native population is of British and Norman-French descent
Languages: English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Religions: Protestant (Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist), Roman Catholic
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.5% (male 5,008/female 4,712)

15-24 years: 10.58% (male 3,616/female 3,476)

25-54 years: 40.73% (male 13,821/female 13,492)

55-64 years: 13.96% (male 4,635/female 4,728)

65 years and over: 20.23% (2020 est.) (male 6,229/female 7,335)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 49

youth dependency ratio: 22.3

elderly dependency ratio: 26.7

potential support ratio: 3.7 (2020 est.)

note: data represent Guernsey and Jersey
Median age: total: 44.3 years

male: 43 years

female: 45.6 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.23% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 9.75 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 31.1% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Guernsey and Jersey
Major urban areas - population: 16,000 SAINT PETER PORT (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.36 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.85 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 83.23 years

male: 80.52 years

female: 86.07 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.58 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water source: improved: total: 94.2% of population

unimproved: total: 5.9% of population (2017 est.)

note: includes data for Jersey
Current Health Expenditure: NA
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 98% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 1.2% of population (2017)

note: data represent Guernsey and Jersey
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy: total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: coastal erosion, coastal flooding; declining biodiversity due to land abandonment and succession to scrub or woodland
Climate: temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast
Urbanization: urban population: 31.1% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

note: data include Guernsey and Jersey
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 178,933 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 50,871 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2016 est.)

note: data include combined totals for Guernsey and Jersey.

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey

conventional short form: Guernsey

former: Norman Isles

etymology: the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root "Guern(s)" is uncertain; the "-ey" ending means "island"
Government type: parliamentary democracy (States of Deliberation)
Dependency status: British crown dependency
Capital: name: Saint Peter Port

geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: Saint Peter Port is the name of the town and its surrounding parish; the "port" distinguishes this parish from that of Saint Peter on the other side of the island
Administrative divisions: none (British Crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale

note: two additional parishes for Guernsey are sometimes listed - Saint Anne on the island of Alderney and Saint Peter on the island of Sark - but they are generally not included in the enumeration of parishes
Independence: none (British Crown dependency)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution: history: unwritten; includes royal charters, statutes, and common law and practice

amendments: new laws or changes to existing laws are initiated by the States of Deliberation; passage requires majority vote; many laws have been passed; in 2019, 60 laws were passed
Legal system: customary legal system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law
Citizenship: see United Kingdom
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant-Governor Vice Admiral Ian CORDER (since 14 March 2016)

head of government: Chief Minister Peter FERBRACHE (since 16 October 2020); Bailiff Richard MCMAHON (since 11 May 2020); note - the chief minister is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee and is the de facto head of government; the Policy and Resources Committee, elected by the States of Deliberation, functions as the executive; the 5 members all have equal voting rights

cabinet: none

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch; chief minister, who is the president of the Policy and Resources Committee indirectly elected by the States of Deliberation for a 4-year term; last held on 6 May 2016 (next to be held in June 2020)

election results: Gavin ST PIER (independent) elected president of the Policy and Resources Committee and chief minister
Legislative branch: description: unicameral States of Deliberation (40 seats; 38 People's Deputies and 2 representatives of the States of Alderney; members directly elected by majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - non-voting members include the bailiff (presiding officer), attorney-general, and solicitor-general

elections: last held on 7 October 2020 (next to be held in June 2025)

election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 38; composition - men 32, women 8, percent of women 20%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Guernsey Court of Appeal (consists of the Bailiff of Guernsey, who is the ex-officio president of the Guernsey Court of Appeal, and at least 12 judges); Royal Court (organized into 3 divisions - Full Court sits with 1 judge and 7 to 12 jurats acting as judges of fact, Ordinary Court sits with 1 judge and normally 3 jurats, and Matrimonial Causes Division sits with 1 judge and 4 jurats); note - appeals beyond Guernsey courts are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office: Royal Court Bailiff, Deputy Bailiff, and Court of Appeal justices appointed by the British Crown and hold office at Her Majesty's pleasure; jurats elected by the States of Election, a body chaired by the Bailiff and a number of jurats

subordinate courts: Court of Alderney; Court of the Seneschal of Sark; Magistrates' Court (includes Juvenile Court); Contracts Court; Ecclesiastical Court; Court of Chief Pleas
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
International organization participation: UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: none (British crown dependency)
Flag description: white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross; the red cross represents the old ties with England and the fact that Guernsey is a British Crown dependency; the gold cross is a replica of the one used by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in 1066
National symbol(s): Guernsey cow, donkey; national colors: red, white, yellow
National anthem: name: "Sarnia Cherie" (Guernsey Dear)

lyrics/music: George DEIGHTON/Domencio SANTANGELO

note: adopted 1911; serves as a local anthem; as a British crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Financial services accounted for about 21% of employment and about 32% of total income in 2016 in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Construction, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, professional services, tourism, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular offshore financial center.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.465 billion (2015 est.)

$3.451 billion (2014 est.)

$3.42 billion (2013 est.)

note: data are in 2015 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 0.4% (2015 est.)

1.2% (2014 est.)

4.2% (2012 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $52,500 (2014 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.742 billion (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (June 2006 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 3% (2000)

industry: 10% (2000)

services: 87% (2000)
Agricultural products: tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle
Industries: tourism, banking
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Labor force: 31,470 (March 2006)
Unemployment rate: 1.2% (2016 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Budget: revenues: 563.6 million (2005)

expenditures: 530.9 million (2005 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): 1.2% (of GDP) (2005)
Taxes and other revenues: 20.6% (of GDP) (2005)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Exports: NANA
Exports - commodities: tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables
Imports: NANA
Imports - commodities: coal, gasoline, oil, machinery, and equipment
Debt - external: NANA
Exchange rates: Guernsey pound per US dollar

0.7836 (2017 est.)

0.738 (2016 est.)

0.738 (2015)

0.6542 (2014)

0.607 (2013)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 33,940 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 54 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 43,824 (2009 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 79 (2009 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: high performance global connections with quality service; connections to major cities around the world to rival and attract future investment and future needs of islanders and businesses (2018)

domestic: fixed-line 54 per 100 and mobile-cellular 114 per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 44; landing points for Guernsey-Jersey, HUGO, INGRID, Channel Islands -9 Liberty and UK-Channel Islands-7 submarine cable to UK and France (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress towards 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Broadcast media: multiple UK terrestrial TV broadcasts are received via a transmitter in Jersey with relays in Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney; satellite packages are available; BBC Radio Guernsey and 1 other radio station operating
Internet country code: .gg
Internet users: total: 54,726 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 84% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 25,336 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) (registered in UK)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 9 (registered in UK)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 2
Airports: total: 2 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways: total: 260 km (2017)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Braye Bay, Saint Peter Port

Topic: Military and Security
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: nonenone


US State Dept Travel Advisory: The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens exercise increased caution in Morocco due to terrorism. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html
Passport/Visa Requirements: US citizens should make sure their passport is valid at the date of their entering the country. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp and or visa that will be required. A visa is required, but US citizens may obtain the visa upon entering the country.
US Embassy/Consulate: [212] 537 637 200; US Embassy Rabat, Km 5.7, Avenue Mohamed VI, Souissi, Rabat 10170, Morocco; ACSCasablanca@state.gov; https://ma.usembassy.gov/
Telephone Code: 212
Local Emergency Phone: Ambulance: 15; Fire: 15; Police: 19
Vaccinations: See WHO recommendations

http://www.who.int/
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Currency (Code): Moroccan dirhams (MAD)
Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, E

Major Languages: Arabic, Berber languages (Tamazight, Tachelhit, Tarifit), French
Major Religions: Muslim 99% (virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i)
Time Difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: +1 hour, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October
Potable Water: Opt for bottled water
International Driving Permit: Suggested
Road Driving Side: Right
Tourist Destinations: Marrakesh (includes Medina, Majorelle & Secret Gardens, Museum); Hassan II Mosque (Casablanca); Rabat (includes Royal Palace, Udayas Kasbah, Hassan Tower); Fes el Bali; Tangier; Chefchaouen; Volubilis; Atlas Mountains; Ouzoud Waterfalls; Ait Benhaddou
Major Sports: Soccer, kickboxing
Cultural Practices: Using the index finger to ask someone to approach is considered impolite.
Tipping Guidelines: In restaurants, if a service charge has not been added, leave 20-30 dirhams or 10% of the bill. Tipping the bellhop 10-20 dirhams is reasonable. Round up taxi fares. Leave 5-10 dirhams per day for housekeeping.Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.

World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.

US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.

To obtain an international driving permit (IDP). Only two organizations in the US issue IDPs:
American Automobile Association (AAA) and American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA)

How to get help in an emergency?
Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate, or call one of these numbers:
from the US or Canada - 1-888-407-4747 or from Overseas - +1 202-501-4444

Page last updated: Monday, April 18, 2022