Iceland

Iceland

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Lýðveldið Island/Republic of Iceland Area 103,000 sq km/39,768 sq mi Capital Reykjavik Language Icelandic (official) Religion Evangelical Lutheran about 90%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic about 4% Time difference GMT +/-0 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 17 June, 25–26 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Holy Thursday, First Day of Summer, August Holiday Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Akureyri, Kópavogur, Hafnarjördur, Gardhabaer, Keflavik, Reykjanesbaer, Vestmannaeyjar Physical features warmed by the Gulf Stream; glaciers and lava fields cover 75% of the country; active volcanoes (Hekla was once thought the gateway to Hell), geysers, hot springs, and new islands created offshore (Surtsey in 1963); subterranean hot water heats 85% of Iceland's homes; Sidujokull glacier moving at 100 metres a day Airports one international airport, ten major domestic airports, and 12 local airports; total passengers carried: 1.4 million (2002 est) Railways none Roads total road network: 12,998 km/8,077 mi, of which 31.5% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 656.7 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson from 1996 Head of government Geir H Haarde from 2006 Political system liberal democracy Political executive parliamentary Administrative divisions 23 counties and 14 independent towns Political parties Independence Party (IP), right of centre; Progressive Party (PP), radical socialist; People's Alliance (PA), socialist; Social Democratic Party (SDP), moderate, left of centre; Citizens' Party, centrist; Women's Alliance, women- and family-oriented Death penalty abolished in 1928 Armed forces no defence forces of its own; US forces under NATO are stationed there: 1,700 military personnel and a 130-strong coastguard (2006 est) Education spend (% GDP) 7.6 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 8.8 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency krona GDP (US$) 15 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 4 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 13.7 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 34,760 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 6.8% (2006 est) Unemployment 1.5% (2006 est) Labour force 6.3% agriculture, 22.4% industry, 71.3% services (2004) Major trading partners Germany, UK, the Netherlands, USA, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Japan, Sweden Resources aluminium, diatomite, hydroelectric and thermal power, fish Industries mining, fish processing, processed aluminium, fertilizer, construction, cement Exports aluminium, ferrosilicon, diatomite, fish and fish products, fertilizer, agricultural products. Principal market: UK 17.8% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, industrial supplies, motor vehicles, petroleum and petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles. Principal source: Germany 11.7% (2003) Arable land 0.07% (2006 est) Agricultural products hay, potatoes, turnips; fishing industry, dairy products and livestock (lamb)


POPULATION

Population 297,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.9% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 3 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 93 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 22%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 16% (2005 est) Ethnic groups most of the population is descended from Norwegians and Celts Life expectancy 80 (men); 83 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 3 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 11 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 34.7 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 7.6 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.2 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 65.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 103.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 1,075 (1999 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 345 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 48.3 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 87.8 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

7th century Iceland discovered by Irish seafarers. 874 First Norse settler, Ingólfr Arnarson, founded colony at Reykjavik. c. 900 Norse settlers came in larger numbers, mainly from Norway. 930 Settlers established annual parliament, the Althing, to make laws and resolve disputes. 985 Eric the Red left Iceland to found settlement in Greenland. 1000 Icelanders adopted Christianity. 1263 Icelanders recognized authority of king of Norway after brief civil war. 1397 Norway and Iceland united with Denmark and Sweden under single monarch. 15th century Norway and Iceland increasingly treated as appendages of Denmark, especially after Swedish secession in 1449. 1783 Poisonous volcanic eruption caused great loss of life. 1814 Norway passed to Swedish crown; Iceland remained under Danish rule. 1845 Althing re-established in modernized form. 1874 New constitution gave Iceland limited autonomy. 1918 Iceland achieved full self-government under Danish crown. 1940 British forces occupied Iceland after Germany invaded Denmark; US troops took over in 1941. 1944 Iceland became independent republic. 1949 Joined NATO. 1958 Introduction of exclusive fishing limit led to first ‘Cod War’, when Icelandic patrol boats clashed with British fishing boats. 1972–73 Iceland extended its fishing limit, renewing confrontation with Britain. 1975–76 Further extension of fishing limit caused third ‘Cod War’ with UK. 1985 Iceland declared itself nuclear-free zone. 1996 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson elected president. 2002 Iceland readmitted to International Whaling Commission despite controversial plans to resume hunting. 2004 Prime Minister David Oddsson stepped down after 13 years in office; replaced by Halldor Asgrimsson. 2006 Geir Haarde took over as premier. 2007 Haarde formed new conservative-social democrat coalition following elections.


© RM 2009. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.