|
Name |
Lýðveldið Ísland (The Republic of Iceland) |
|
Nationality |
Noun: Icelander(s); adjective: Icelandic |
|
Flag |
A red Nordic cross, outlined in white, on a blue background |
|
Type |
Republic |
|
Head of State |
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson |
|
Languages |
Icelandic |
|
Population |
309,699 in Apr 2007 |
|
Capital City |
Reykjavík (pop 170,000) |
|
People |
97% Icelanders |
|
Language |
Icelandic |
|
Religion |
95% Evangelical Lutheran, 3% other Protestant denominations, 1% Roman Catholic, & some followers of Ásatrú, an ancient Norse religion |
|
Currency |
Króna (Icelandic crown, ISK) |
|
Exchange rate |
USD 1 = ISK 63,00 (June 12 2006) |
|
Climate |
Temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
|
Area |
103,000 km2 / 39,758 sq. miles (Glaciers: 12.000 km2, lava 11.000 km2, lakes 3.000 km2, arable land 1.100 km2). |
|
Territorial sea |
12 nm Sea area (within 200 miles of fishery limits): 758.000 km2 |
|
Terrain |
Mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks and ice-fields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords. |
|
Environment |
Environment: Subject to earthquakes, avalanches and volcanic activity |
|
Natural resources |
Fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power, and diatomite. |
|
Land boundaries |
None |
|
Exports |
Cod and other fish products (80%) [with 11,3% of labor], Aluminum and industrial products (17%), Agricultural products (3%) [4,9% of labor] |
|
Electricity |
220V, 50 cycles |
|
Weights & measures |
Metric |
|
Tourism |
Over 400,000 visitors in 2006 - growing at 15% per year |
|
Time |
Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) throughout the year, and does not go on daylight saving time. When it is noon in Reykjavik during the summer, the time it 08:00 in New York City, 13:00 in London, 14:00 in Paris, 14:00 in Oslo, 14:00 in Luxembourg, 14:00 in Rome and 21:00 in Tokyo. |