- Iceland
Infobox Country
native_name = "Lýðveldið Ísland"
conventional_long_name = Republic of Iceland
common_name = Iceland
map_caption = Location of Iceland (red) inEurope (white)
national_motto =
national_anthem = "Lofsöngur "
official_languages = Icelandic
capital =Reykjavík
latd=64 |latm=08 |latNS=N |longd=21 |longm=56 |longEW=W
largest_city = Reykjavík
government_type =Parliamentary republic
leader_title1 = President
leader_name1 =Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
leader_title2 = Prime Minister
leader_name2 =Geir Haarde
leader_title3 = Althing President
leader_name3 =Sturla Böðvarsson
area_rank = 107th
area_magnitude = 1 E11
area_km2 = 103,000
area_sq_mi = 39,770
percent_water = 2.7
population_estimate = 320,169smallsup|1
population_estimate_rank = 172nd
population_estimate_year = 1 October 2008
population_census = 229,187
population_census_year = December 1980
population_density_km2 = 3,1
population_density_sq_mi = 7.5
population_density_rank = 233rd
GDP_PPP = $12.172 billion
GDP_PPP_rank = 132nd
GDP_PPP_year = 2006
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $42,058 [ [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=30&pr.y=11&sy=2004&ey=2008&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=193%2C158%2C122%2C542%2C124%2C137%2C156%2C138%2C423%2C196%2C128%2C142%2C172%2C182%2C132%2C576%2C134%2C961%2C174%2C184%2C532%2C144%2C176%2C146%2C178%2C528%2C436%2C112%2C136%2C111&s=NGDP_RPCH%2CNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CPPPSH&grp=0&a=] ]
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 5th
GDP_nominal = $16.579 billion
GDP_nominal_rank = 93rd
GDP_nominal_year = 2006
GDP_nominal_per_capita = $63,875 [ [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=30&pr.y=11&sy=2004&ey=2008&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=193%2C158%2C122%2C542%2C124%2C137%2C156%2C138%2C423%2C196%2C128%2C142%2C172%2C182%2C132%2C576%2C134%2C961%2C174%2C184%2C532%2C144%2C176%2C146%2C178%2C528%2C436%2C112%2C136%2C111&s=NGDP_RPCH%2CNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CPPPSH&grp=0&a=] ]
GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 4th
sovereignty_type =Independence
sovereignty_note = fromDenmark
state_religion =National Church of Iceland
established_event1 = Home rule
established_date1 = 1 February 1904
established_event2 = Sovereignty
established_date2 = 1 December 1918
established_event3 = Republic
established_date3 = 17 June 1944
HDI = increase 0.968
HDI_rank = 1st
HDI_year = 2007
HDI_category = high
Gini = 25.0 smallsup|2
Gini_year = 2005
Gini_rank = 4th
Gini_category = low
currency =Icelandic króna
currency_code = ISK
country_code =
time_zone = GMT
utc_offset = +0
time_zone_DST = not observed
utc_offset_DST =
cctld =.is
calling_code = 354
demonym = Icelander
footnote1 = cite web |title=Statistics Iceland:Key figures |publisher=www.statice.is |date=1 October 2007 |url=http://www.statice.is/?PageID=1390
footnote2 = cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Factbook -- Field Listing - Distribution of family income - Gini index |publisher=United States Government |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html#Govt |accessmonthday=14 September |accessyear=2008Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland (Audio-IPA|en-us-Iceland.ogg| [ˈaɪslənd] ) ( _is. Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
names of Iceland ); IPA2|ˈistlant), is anisland country inNorthern Europe , located in theNorth Atlantic Ocean between mainlandEurope andGreenland .cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Fact book -- Iceland |work=Government |publisher=United States Government |date=20 July 2006 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html#Govt |accessmonthday=6 August |accessyear=2006] It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km².cite web |authorlink=Statistics Iceland |title=Statistics Iceland|work=Government |publisher=The National Statistical Institute of Iceland |date=14 September 2008 |url=http://www.statice.is#Govt |accessmonthday=14 September |accessyear=2008] Itscapital and largest city isReykjavík .Located on the
Mid-Atlantic Ridge , Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape in various ways. The interior mainly consists of aplateau characterized by sand fields,mountain s andglacier s, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Warmed by theGulf Stream , Iceland has atemperate climate relative to itslatitude and provides a habitable environment and nature.The
settlement of Iceland began in 874 when, according to "Landnámabók ", the Norwegian chieftainIngólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. [ [http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~Marc-Carlson/history/grontime.html History of Medieval Greenland] ] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic and Scottish origin settled in Iceland. Until the twentieth century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. In the twentieth century, Iceland's economy andwelfare system developed quickly. In recent decades, Iceland has implemented free trade in theEuropean Economic Area and diversified from fishing to new economic fields in services,finance , and variousindustries .Today, Iceland has some of the world's highest levels of economic and civil freedoms. [ [http://www.invest.is/news/30/default.aspx Iceland: One of the world´s most free economies] , Invest in Iceland Agency] In 2007, Iceland was ranked as the most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index. [ [http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf untitled ] ] It is also the fourth most productive country per capita, and one of the most
egalitarian , as rated by the Gini coefficient. [ [http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/data/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2006&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=%2C&br=1&pr1.x=20&pr1.y=14&c=512%2C941%2C914%2C446%2C612%2C666%2C614%2C668%2C311%2C672%2C213%2C946%2C911%2C137%2C193%2C962%2C122%2C674%2C912%2C676%2C313%2C548%2C419%2C556%2C513%2C678%2C316%2C181%2C913%2C682%2C124%2C684%2C339%2C273%2C638%2C921%2C514%2C948%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C522%2C692%2C622%2C694%2C156%2C142%2C624%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C283%2C228%2C853%2C924%2C288%2C233%2C293%2C632%2C566%2C636%2C964%2C634%2C182%2C238%2C453%2C662%2C968%2C960%2C922%2C423%2C714%2C935%2C862%2C128%2C716%2C611%2C456%2C321%2C722%2C243%2C965%2C248%2C718%2C469%2C724%2C253%2C576%2C642%2C936%2C643%2C961%2C939%2C813%2C644%2C199%2C819%2C184%2C172%2C524%2C132%2C361%2C646%2C362%2C648%2C364%2C915%2C732%2C134%2C366%2C652%2C734%2C174%2C144%2C328%2C146%2C258%2C463%2C656%2C528%2C654%2C923%2C336%2C738%2C263%2C578%2C268%2C537%2C532%2C742%2C944%2C866%2C176%2C369%2C534%2C744%2C536%2C186%2C429%2C925%2C178%2C746%2C436%2C926%2C136%2C466%2C343%2C112%2C158%2C111%2C439%2C298%2C916%2C927%2C664%2C846%2C826%2C299%2C542%2C582%2C443%2C474%2C917%2C754%2C544%2C698&s=NGDPDPC&grp=0&a= Report for Selected Countries and Subjects ] ] [ [http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/145.html Human Development Report 2007/2008 - Inequality measures, ratio of richest 10% to poorest 10% ] ] Icelanders have a rich culture and heritage, such as cuisine and poetry, and the medievalIcelandic Sagas are internationally renowned. Iceland is a member of theUN ,NATO , EFTA, EEA andOECD , but not of theEuropean Union . The country is a candidate for a non-permanent seat at theUN Security Council .Geography
Topography
Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the
Arctic Circle , which passes through the small island ofGrímsey off Iceland's northern coast, but not through mainland Iceland. Unlike neighbouringGreenland , Iceland is considered to be a part ofEurope , not of North America, though geologically the island belongs to both continents. Because of cultural, economic and linguistic similarities, Iceland in many contexts is also included inScandinavia . The closest bodies of land are Greenland (287 km) and theFaroe Islands (420 km). The closest distance to the mainland of Europe is 970 km (to Norway).Iceland is the world's 18th largest island, and Europe's second largest island following
Great Britain . The country is 103,000 km² (39,768.5 sq mi) in size, of which 62.7% isMany
fjord s punctuate its extensive coastline, which is also where most settlements are situated because the island's interior, theHighlands of Iceland , is a cold and uninhabitable combination of sand and mountains. The major towns are the capitalReykjavík ,Kópavogur ,Hafnarfjörður ,Reykjanesbær , where the internationalairport is located, andAkureyri . The island ofGrímsey on theArctic Circle contains the northernmost habitation of Iceland.cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Factbook -- Iceland |work=Geography |publisher=United States Government |date=20 July 2006 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html#Geo |accessmonthday=6 August |accessyear=2006]Iceland has four national parks:
Jökulsárgljúfur National Park ,Skaftafell National Park ,Snæfellsjökull National Park , and Þingvellir National Park.Geological activity
A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the
Iceland hotspot and theMid-Atlantic Ridge , which runs right through it. This combined location means that geologically the island is extremely active, having manyvolcano es, notablyHekla ,Eldgjá ,Herðubreið andEldfell . Iceland is one of two places on Earth where amid-ocean ridge rises above sealevel and is therefore the perfect place to study thegeology of a mid ocean ridge which makes it a dream place for geologists. The volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783–1784 caused afamine that killed nearly a quarter of the island's population; [ [http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/ice/lec19/holocene.htm Late Holocene climate] ] the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts ofAsia andAfrica for several months after the eruption.There are also many
geyser s in Iceland, includingGeysir , from which the English word is derived, as well as the famousStrokkur which erupts every 5-10 minutes. After a phase of inactivity,Geysir started erupting again after a series ofearthquake s in the year 2000.
With this widespread availability ofgeothermal power , and because many rivers andwaterfall s are harnessed forhydroelectricity , most residents have inexpensive hot water and home heat. The island itself is composed primarily ofbasalt , a low-silica lava associated with effusive volcanism likeHawaii . But Iceland has various kinds of volcanoes, many of which produce more evolved lavas such asrhyolite andandesite .Iceland controls
Surtsey , one of the youngest islands in the world. Named afterSurtr , god of fire, it rose above the ocean in a series of volcanic eruptions between 8 November 1963 and 5 June 1968. Only scientists researching the growth of new life are allowed to visit the island. [ [http://iceland.vefur.is/iceland_nature/Volcanoes_in_Iceland/surtsey.htm Surtsey Volcano] ]Climate
[
Eyjafjallajökull glacier] The climate of Iceland's coast is subpolar oceanic. The warmNorth Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similarlatitude in the world. The winters are mild andwind y while the summers are damp and cool. Regions in the world with similar climate include theAleutian Islands ,Alaska Peninsula andTierra del Fuego although these regions are closer to the equator. Despite its proximity to the Arctic, the island's coasts remain ice-free through the winter. Ice incursions are rare, the last having occurred on the north coast in 1969. [Climate, History and the Modern World; Lamb H., 1995, Longman Publ.]There are some variations in the climate between different parts of the island. Very generally speaking, the south coast is warmer, wetter and windier than the north. Low-lying inland areas in the north are the most arid. Snowfall in winter is more common in the north than the south. The Central Highlands are the coldest part of the country.
The highest air temperature recorded was 30.5 °C (86.9 °F) on 22 June 1939 at Teigarhorn on the south-eastern coast. The lowest was -38 °C (-36.4 °F) on 22 January 1918 at Grímsstaðir and Möðrudalur in the northeast hinterland. The temperature records for
Reykjavík are 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) on 30 July 2008, and -24.5 °C (-12.1 °F) on 21 January 1918.Flora and fauna
Few plants and animals have migrated to the island or evolved locally since the last
ice age , 10,000 years ago. There are around 1,300 known species ofinsects in Iceland, which is a rather low number compared with other countries (over one million species have been described worldwide). The only native landmammal whenhuman s arrived was thearctic fox , which came to the island at the end of the ice age, walking over the frozen sea. There are no nativereptile s oramphibian s on the island.Phytogeographically, Iceland belongs to the Arctic province of the
Circumboreal Region within theBoreal Kingdom . According to the WWF, the territory of Iceland belongs to the ecoregion ofIceland boreal birch forests and alpine tundra . Approximately three-quarters of the island are barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly ofgrassland which is regularly grazed bylivestock . The onlytree native to Iceland is the northern birch "Betula pubescens ", which formerly formed forest over much of southern Iceland. Permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem of thin, volcanic soils and limited species diversity. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber. Deforestation caused a loss of critical topsoil due toerosion , greatly reducing the ability of birches to grow back. Today, only a few small birch stands exist in isolated reserves. The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but does not compare to the original forests. Some of the planted forests include newforeign species .The animals of Iceland include the
Icelandic sheep , cattle, chicken, goat and the sturdyIcelandic horse . Many varieties offish live in the ocean waters surrounding Iceland, and the fishing industry is a main contributor to Iceland’s economy, accounting for more than half of its total exports. Wild mammals include thearctic fox ,mink , mice,rat s,rabbit s andreindeer .Polar bear s occasionally visit the island, traveling on icebergs from Greenland. In May 2008 two polar bears came only two weeks apart.Bird s, especially sea birds, are a very important part of Iceland's animal life.Puffins ,skua s, andkittiwakes nest on its sea cliffs. Though Iceland no longer has a commercial whaling fleet (as of August, 2007) it still allows scientific whale hunts, which are not supported by the Scientific Committee of theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC).seealso|Whaling in Iceland "and"
The Botany of Iceland .History
ettlement and the establishment of the Commonwealth
The first people thought to have inhabited Iceland were Irish monks or
hermit s who came in the eighth century, but left with the arrival ofNorsemen , who systematically settled Iceland in the period circa AD 870-930. The first known permanent Norse settler wasIngólfur Arnarson , who built his homestead inReykjavík in 874. Ingólfur was followed by many other emigrant settlers, largely Norsemen and their Irish slaves. By 930, most arable land had been claimed and theAlthing , a legislative and judiciary parliament, was founded as the political hub of theIcelandic Commonwealth . Christianity was adopted in 1000. The Commonwealth lasted until 1262, when the political system devised by the original settlers proved unable to cope with the increasing power of Icelandic chieftains.Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era
The internal struggles and civil strife of the
Sturlung Era led to the signing of theOld Covenant , which brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown. Possession of Iceland passed toDenmark-Norway in the late 14th century when the kingdoms of Norway and Denmark were united in theKalmar Union . In the ensuing centuries, Iceland became one of the poorest countries in Europe. Infertile soil, volcanic eruptions, and an unforgiving climate made for harsh life in a society whose subsistence depended almost entirely on agriculture. TheBlack Death swept Iceland in 1402–1404 and 1494–1495, each time killing approximately half the population. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2279/is_n156/ai_20059971/pg_14 6th-10th century AD] ]Around the middle of the 16th century, King
Christian III of Denmark began to imposeLutheranism on all his subjects. The last Catholic bishop in Iceland was beheaded in 1550, along with two of his sons, and the country subsequently became fully Lutheran. Lutheranism has since remained the dominant religion. In the 1600s and 1700s, Denmark imposed harsh trade restrictions on Iceland, whilepirate s from England, Spain andAlgeria ("Turkish Abductions ") raided its coasts. A greatsmallpox epidemic in the 18th century killed around one-third of the population. [ [http://iceland.vefur.is/iceland_history/history.htm Iceland: Milestones in Icelandic History] ] [ [http://dannyreviews.com/h/Iceland.html The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson)] ] In 1783 theLaki volcano erupted, with devastating effects. The years following the eruption, known as the "Mist Hardships " (Icelandic: "Móðuharðindin"), saw the death of over half of all livestock in the country, with ensuingfamine in which around a quarter of the population died.Independence and recent history
In 1814, following the
Napoleonic Wars ,Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via theTreaty of Kiel . Iceland remained a Danish dependency. A new independence movement arose under the leadership ofJón Sigurðsson , inspired by the romantic and nationalist ideologies of mainland Europe. In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland home rule, which was expanded in 1904. The Act of Union, an agreement with Denmark signed on 1 December 1918, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state under the Danish king. During the last quarter of the 19th century many Icelanders emigrated toNorth America , largely Canada, in search of better living conditions.Iceland during World War II joined Denmark in asserting neutrality. After theGerman occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Iceland's parliament declared that the Icelandic government should assume the Danish king's authority and take control over foreign affairs and other matters previously handled by Denmark on behalf of Iceland. A month later, British military forces occupied Iceland, violating Icelandic neutrality. In 1941, responsibility for the occupation was taken over by theUnited States Army . Allied occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war.On 31 December 1943, the Act of Union agreement expired after 25 years. Beginning on 20 May 1944, Icelanders voted in a four-day plebiscite on whether to terminate the union with Denmark and establish a republic. [ Id. at p.48 ] The vote was 97% in favour of ending the union and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with
Sveinn Björnsson as the first President. The Allied occupation force left in 1946. Iceland became a member ofNATO on 30 March 1949, amid domestic controversy and riots and on 5 May 1951, a defence agreement was signed with the United States. American troops returned to Iceland and remained throughout theCold War until autumn 2006.The immediate post-war period was followed by substantial economic growth, driven by industrialization of the fishing industry and
Marshall aid andKeynesian government management of the economies of Europe, all of which promoted trade. The 1970s were marked by theCod Wars ndash several disputes with the United Kingdom over Iceland's extension of its fishing limits. The economy was greatly diversified and liberalized following Iceland's joining of theEuropean Economic Area in 1992.Government
Iceland is a
representative democracy and aparliamentary republic . The modern parliament, called "Alþingi" (English:Althing ), was founded in 1845 as an advisory body to the Danish king. It was widely seen as a reestablishment of the assembly founded in 930 in the Commonwealth period and suspended in 1799. It currently has sixty-three members, each of whom is elected every four years.The
president of Iceland is a largely ceremonial office that serves as adiplomat , figurehead andhead of state , but who can also block a law voted by the parliament and put it to a national referendum. The current president isÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson . Thehead of government is theprime minister , who, together with the cabinet, takes care of the executive part ofgovernment . The cabinet is appointed by the president after general elections to Althing; however, this process is usually conducted by the leaders of the political parties, who decide among themselves after discussions which parties can form the cabinet and how its seats are to be distributed, under the condition that it has a majority support in Althing. Only when the party leaders are unable to reach a conclusion by themselves in reasonable time does the president exercise this power and appoint the cabinet himself. This has not happened since the republic was founded in 1944, but in 1942 the regent of the country (Sveinn Björnsson , who had been installed in that position by the Althing in 1941) did appoint a non-parliamentary government. The regent had, for all practical purposes, the position of a president, and Sveinn in fact became the country's first president in 1944.The governments of Iceland have almost always been coalitions with two or more parties involved, due to the fact that no single political party has received a majority of seats in Althing in the republic period. The extent of the political powers possessed by the office of the president is disputed by legal scholars in Iceland; several provisions of the constitution appear to give the president some important powers but other provisions and traditions suggest differently. In 1980, Icelanders elected
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as president, the world's first directly elected female head of state. She retired from office in 1996.Elections for the office of town councils, parliament and presidency are each held every four years. The next elections are scheduled for 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively.
ubdivisions
Iceland is divided into
regions ,constituencies ,counties , andmunicipalities . There are eight regions which are primarily used for statistical purposes; the district courtjurisdiction s also use an older version of this division. Until 2003, the constituencies for the parliament elections were the same as the regions, but by an amendment to the constitution, they were changed to the current six constituencies::* "Reykjavík North" and "Reykjavík South" (city regions);:* "Southwest" (four geographically separate suburban areas around Reykjavík);:* "Northwest" and "Northeast" (north half of Iceland, split); and,:* "South" (south half of Iceland, excluding Reykjavík and suburbs).The redistricting change was made in order to balance the weight of different districts of the country, since a vote cast in the sparsely populated areas around the country would count much more than a vote cast in the Reykjavík city area. The imbalance between districts has been reduced by the new system, but still exists.
Iceland's twenty-three counties are, for the most part, historical divisions. Currently, Iceland is split up among twenty-six
magistrate s ("sýslumenn") that represent government in various capacities. Among their duties are tax collection, administering bankruptcy declarations, and performing civil marriages. After a police re-organization in 2007, which combined police forces in multiple counties, about half of them are in charge of police forces.There are seventy-nine municipalities in Iceland which govern local matters like schools, transportation and zoning. These are the actual second-level subdivisions of Iceland, as the constituencies have no relevance except in elections and for statistical purposes.
Reykjavík is by far the most populous municipality, about four times more populous thanKópavogur , the second one.Politics
Iceland has a left-right
multi-party system . The biggest party is the right wing Independence Party (’’Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn’’), while the second largest one is the social democratic Alliance (‘’Samfylkingin’’). Following the May 2007 parliamentary elections, these two formed a coalition, enjoying a strong majority in Althing, with 43 out of 63 members supporting it.Other political parties that have a seat in Althing are the centrist Progressive Party (‘’Framsóknarflokkurinn’’), which had been in government with the Independence Party for 12 years before the 2007 election, the
Left-Green Movement (‘’Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð’’), founded in 1999, and theCentre-right Liberal Party. Many other parties exist on the municipal level, most of which only run locally in a single municipality.Foreign relations
Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with practically all nations, but its ties with the
Nordic countries , Germany, the US, and the otherNATO nations are particularly close. Icelanders remain especially proud of the role Iceland played in hosting the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Reykjavík, which set the stage for the end of theCold War . Iceland's principal historicalinternational dispute s involved disagreements overfishing rights . Conflict with Britain led to a series of so-calledCod Wars in 1952-1956 as a result of the extension of Iceland's fishing zone from 3 to 4 nautical miles (6 to 7 km), 1958-1961 following a further extension to 12 nautical miles (22 km), 1972-1973 with another extension to convert|50|nmi|km and in 1975-1976: another extension to 200 nautical miles (370 km).Iceland has no standing army. The
U.S. Air Force maintained four to sixInterceptors at the Keflavík base, until 30 September 2006 when they were withdrawn. Iceland supported the2003 invasion of Iraq despite much controversy and condemnation in Iceland, deploying a Coast Guard EOD team to Iraq which was replaced later by members of theIcelandic Crisis Response Unit . Iceland has also participated in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia.Demographics
The original population of Iceland was of Nordic and
Celt ic origin. This is evident from literary evidence dating from the settlement period as well as from later scientific studies such asblood type and genetic analyses. One such genetics study has indicated that the majority of the male settlers were of Nordic origin while the majority of the women were of Celtic origin. [Helgason, Agnar et al. (2000). [http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/AJHG/journal/issues/v67n3/001900/001900.web.pdf Estimating Scandinavian and Gaelic Ancestry in the Male Settlers of Iceland] Dead link|date=June 2008. "American Journal of Human Genetics", 67:697–717, 2000. Institute of Biological Anthropology, University of Oxford.]Iceland has extensive genealogical records dating back to the late 1600s and fragmentary records extending back to the Age of Settlement. The biopharmaceutical company
deCODE Genetics has funded the creation of agenealogy database which attempts to cover all of Iceland's known inhabitants. It sees the database, called Íslendingabók, as a valuable tool for conducting research on genetic diseases, given the relative isolation of Iceland's population.The population of the island is believed to have varied from 40,000 to 60,000 in the period from initial settlement until the mid-19th century. During that time, cold winters, ashfall from volcanic eruptions, and
bubonic plague s adversely affected the population several times. The first census was carried out in 1703 and revealed that the population was then 50,358. After the destructive volcanic eruptions of theLaki volcano during 1783–1784 the population reached a low of about 40,000. Improving living conditions have triggered a rapid increase in population since the mid-19th century - from about 60,000 in 1850 to 320,000 in 2008.In December 2007, 33,678 people (13.5% of the total population) who were living in Iceland had been born abroad, including children of Icelandic parents living abroad. 19,000 people (6% of the population) held foreign citizenship. Poles make up the far largest minority nationality (see table on the right for more details), and still form the bulk of the foreign workforce. About 10,000 Poles now live in Iceland, 1,500 of them in Reyðarfjörður where they make up 75 percent of the workforce who are building the Fjarðarál aluminium plant. [ [http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35572 ICELAND: Migration Appears Here Too] ] The recent surge in immigration has been credited to a
labor shortage because of the booming economy while restrictions on the movement of people from the Eastern European countries that joined the EU/EEA in 2004 have been lifted. Large-scale construction projects in the east of Iceland (seeKárahnjúkar Hydropower Project ) have also brought in many people whose stay is expected to be temporary.The south-west corner of Iceland is the most densely populated region. It is also the location of the capital
Reykjavík , the northernmost capital in the world. The largest towns outside thegreater Reykjavík area areAkureyri andReykjanesbær , although the latter is relatively close to the capital.10 most populous towns in Iceland
List of ten most populous towns in Iceland. The population census is 1 July 2008 (estimate).columns
col1 =
*120,000Reykjavík
*pad|0.2em30,000Kópavogur
*pad|0.2em25,434Hafnarfjörður
*pad|0.2em17,390Akureyri
*pad|0.2em14,029Reykjanesbær
col2 =
*10,272Garðabær
*pad|0.2em8,479Mosfellsbær
*pad|0.2em7,817Árborg
*pad|0.2em6,549Akranes
*pad|0.2em5,033Fjarðabyggð Language
Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from
Old Norse . It has changed less from Old Norse than the other Nordic languages, has preserved more verb and nouninflection , and has to a considerable extent developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from English. It is the only living language to retain therunic letterÞ . The closest living language to Icelandic is Faroese. In education, the use ofIcelandic Sign Language for Iceland's deaf community is regulated by the "National Curriculum Guide".English is widely spoken as a secondary language, and many Icelanders speak it almost at a native level of proficiencyFact|date=August 2008. Danish is also widely understood. Studying both these languages is a mandatory part of the compulsory school curriculum. [Iceland Export Directory [http://www.icelandexport.is/english/about_iceland/icelandic_language/ ] Other commonly spoken languages are German, Norwegian and Swedish. Danish is mostly spoken in a way largely comprehensible to Swedes and Norwegiansndash it is often referred to as "Scandinavian" in Iceland.Fact|date=August 2008
Rather than using
family names as is the custom in all mainland European nations, the Icelanders usepatronymics . The patronymic follows the person's given name, e.g. "Ólafur Jónsson" ("Ólafur, son of Jón") or "Katrín Karlsdóttir" ("Katrín, daughter of Karl").Religion
[
Hallgrímskirkja "(Church of Hallgrímur)" in Reykjavík, Iceland.]Icelanders enjoy
freedom of religion under the constitution, though theNational Church of Iceland , a Lutheran body, is thestate church . The National Registry keeps account of the religious affiliation of every Icelandic citizen. In 2005, Icelanders divided into religious groups as follows:cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Factbook -- Iceland |work=Demographics |publisher=United States Government |date=20 July 2006 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html#People |accessmonthday=6 August |accessyear=2006]
* 80.7% members of the National Church of Iceland.
* 6.2% members of unregistered religious organisations or with no specified religious affiliation
* 4.9% members of the Free Lutheran Churches of Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður.
* 2.8% not members of any religious group.
* 2.5% members of theRoman Catholic Church , which has aDiocese of Reykjavík (see alsoBishop of Reykjavik (Catholic) )The remaining 2.9% is mostly divided between around 20–25 other Christian denominations and sects, and less than 1% belong to non-Christian religious organisations. The largest non-Christian denomination isÍslenska Ásatrúarfélagið , a neopagan group. [ [http://www.statice.is/?PageID=1180&src=/temp_en/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=MAN10001%26ti=Populations+by+religious+organizations+1990%2D2007++%26path=../Database/mannfjoldi/Trufelog/%26lang=1%26units=Number Statistics Iceland - Statistics » Population » Religious organisations] ]Religious attendance is relatively low, as in the other Nordic countries. The above statistics represent administrative membership of religious organizations and not the actual belief demographics of the population of Iceland. Fact|date=September 2008
Economy and infrastructure
Iceland is the fourth most productive country in the world by nominal gross domestic product per capita (54,858 USD), and the fifth most productive by GDP at
purchasing power parity (40,112 USD). Except for its abundant hydro-electric andgeothermal power , Iceland lacks natural resources; historically its economy depended heavily on thefishing industry, which still provides almost 40% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. The economy is vulnerable to declining fish stocks and drops in world prices for its main material exports: fish and fish products,aluminium , andferrosilicon .Whaling in Iceland has been historically significant. Although the Icelandic economy still relies heavily on fishing, its importance is diminishing as thetravel industry and other service, technology and various other industries grow. Economic growth slowed from 2000 to 2002, but the economy expanded by 4.3% in 2003 and 6.2% in 2004. The unemployment rate of ~1.0% (2007 est.) is among the lowest in theEuropean Economic Area .Fact|date=October 2008Although Iceland is a highly-developed country, it is still one of the most newly-industrialized in Europe. Until the 20th century, it was among the poorest countries in Western Europe. The strong economic growth that Iceland has experienced in recent decades has only just allowed for the modernization of
infrastructure . The government coalition plans to continue its generallyneo-liberal policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containinginflation , revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatising state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily due to Icelanders' concern about losing control over fishing resources.Fact|date=October 2008Iceland's economy has been diversifying into
manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, includingsoftware production,biotechnology , and financial services. Thetourism sector is expanding, with the recent trends inecotourism andwhale -watching. Iceland'sagriculture industry consists mainly ofpotato es, green vegetables (ingreenhouse s), mutton and dairy products.cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Factbook -- Iceland |work=Demographics |publisher=United States Government |date=20 July 2006 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html#Econ |accessmonthday=20 July |accessyear=2007] The financial centre isBorgartún in Reykjavik, hosting a large number of companies and threeinvestment bank s. Iceland'sstock market , theIceland Stock Exchange (ISE), was established in 1985.Fact|date=October 2008The primary currency of Iceland is the
Icelandic Króna (ISK). Iceland's then foreign ministerValgerður Sverrisdóttir said in an interview on 15 January 2007 that she seriously wished to look into whether Iceland can join theEuro without being a member of the EU. She believes it is difficult to maintain an independent currency in a small economy on the open European market. [cite news |first=Helena |last=Spongenberg |title=Slovenia celebrates full entry into euro club |url=http://euobserver.com/9/23252 |publisher= |date=2007-01-15 |accessdate=2007-01-16 ] An extensive poll, released on 11 september 2007, by Capacent Gallup showed that 53% of respondents were in favour of adopting theeuro , 37% opposed and 10% undecided. [cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSL1111656420070911|title=Euro support in Iceland hits five-year high |publisher=Reuters |date=2007-09-11 |accessdate=2008-01-02]Iceland ranked 5th in the
Index of Economic Freedom 2006 and 14th in 2008. Iceland has aflat tax system. The main personalincome tax rate is a flat 22.75 percent and combined with municipal taxes the total tax rate is not more than 35.72%, and there are many deductions. [http://www.heritage.org/index//country.cfm?id=Iceland Index of Economic Freedom 2008 - Iceland] ] Thecorporate tax rate is a flat 18 percent, one of the lowest in the world. Other taxes include avalue-added tax and a netwealth tax . Employment regulations are relatively flexible. Property rights are strong and Iceland is one of the few countries where they are applied to fishery management. Taxpayers pay various subsidies to each other, similar to European countries withwelfare state , but the spending is less than in most European countries. Despite low tax rates, overall taxation and consumption is still much higher than countries such asIreland . According to OECD, agricultural support is the highest among OECD countries and an impediment to structural change. Also, health care and education spending have relatively poor return by OECD measures. OECD "Economic survey of Iceland 2008" highlighted Iceland's challenges in currency and macroeconomic policy. [ [http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3343,en_2649_34569_40157540_1_1_1_1,00.html Economic survey of Iceland 2008] ] There was a currency crisis that started in the spring of 2008 and on the 6th October trading in Iceland's banks was suspended as the government battled to save the economy. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2008-04-01-iceland-banks_N.htm Bank default worries slam Iceland's currency] ]Iceland is the most developed society in the world, ranked first on the
United Nations ’Human Development Index . Icelanders are the second longest-living nation with a life expectancy at birth of 81.8 years. Iceland is one of the mostegalitarian countries in the world, according to the calculation provided by the Gini coefficient.Fact|date=October 20082008 economic crisis
Iceland is especially hard hit by the ongoing
2008 economic crisis , because the debts of its banks are many times its annual gross domestic product of 14 billion euros ($19 billion). [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1073990/Iceland-owes-world-116-000-man-woman-child-island--including-1bn-UK-councils.html] In October 2008, the Icelandic parliament passed emergency legislation to minimize the impact of the financial crisis. The Financial Supervisoral Authority of Iceland has used permission, granted by the emergency legislation, to take over the three largest commercial banks of Iceland, Glitnir,Landsbanki andKaupthing . [http://e24.no/spesial/finanskrisen/article2696518.ece] Icelandic officials, including central bank governorDavíð Oddsson , have stated that domestic operations of the banks will be separated from foreign operations and that the state does not intend to take over any of the banks' foreign debts or assets. The Icelandic economic crisis has been a matter of great concern in international media.Transport
and some towns it passes through: "1.
Reykjavík , 2.Borgarnes , 3.Blönduós , 4.Akureyri ,5.Egilsstaðir , 6.Höfn , 7.Selfoss.]The social structure of Iceland is very dependent upon the personal automobile. Icelanders have one of the highest levels of car ownership per capita: on average one car per inhabitant older than 17 years. [ [http://www.avant.is/einstaklingar/helpcenter/Frodleikur/pages/FrodleikurFaersla.aspx?EntryID=5954 Avant.is ] ] By tradition old or seldom used cars are often kept in laybys or turnoffs in rural areas. Most Icelanders travel by car to work, school or other activities.
The main mode of transport in Iceland is road. Iceland has 13,034 km of administered roads, of which 4,617 km are paved and 8,338 km are not. Until the second half of the 20th century, Iceland could only afford to pave roads near the biggest towns. Today, roads are being improved throughout the country and freeways are being built in and around Reykjavík. It should be remembered when travelling in Iceland that a great number of roads remain unpaved to this day. One must take particular care to notice and avoid potholes, not least because of the number of recent reports of deep pits indistinguishable from potholes having been dug by vandals.Fact|date=October 2008 Iceland currently has no railways.
Route 1 or the Ring Road (Icelandic: "Þjóðvegur 1" or "Hringvegur") is a main road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all inhabited parts (the interior of the island is uninhabited). The road is 1339 km long (840 miles). It has one lane in each direction, except near larger towns and cities and in the
Hvalfjörður Tunnel where it has more lanes. Most smaller bridges on it are single lane and made of wood and/or steel. Most of the road's length is paved withasphalt , in the east 5 km (3.1 miles) of road are currently being moved and aregravel but will paved soon (as of 29 September 2008).The main hub for international transport is
Keflavík International Airport , which serves Reykjavík and the country in general. It is 48km (30mi) to the west of Reykjavík. Domestic flights, flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands and business flights operate mostly out ofReykjavík Airport , which lies in the city centre. Most general aviation traffic is also in Reykjavik. There are 103 registered airports and airfields in Iceland; most of them are unpaved and located in rural areas. The biggest airport in Iceland isKeflavík International Airport and the biggest airfield is Geitamelur, a four-runway field around 100km (62mi) east of Reykjavik, dedicated exclusively to gliding.Energy
Renewable energy provides over 70% of the nation's primary energy. [http://www.statice.is/Uploads/files/LH06/L060701.xls Gross energy consumption by source 1987–2005] , " [http://www.statice.is/?PageID=583 Statistics Iceland] Dead link|date=June 2008", accessed 2007-05-14] Over 99% of the country's electricity is produced fromhydropower andgeothermal energy , and the country expects to be energy-independent by 2050. Iceland's largest geothermal power plant is located inNesjavellir , while the Kárahnjúkar dam will be the country's largest hydroelectric power plant.Nonetheless, Icelanders still emit 10.0
tonne s ofCO2 equivalent ofgreenhouse gas ses per capita, higher than France or Spain. This is due to the wide use of personal transport. Iceland is the only country that has filling stations dispensinghydrogen fuel for cars powered byfuel cell s. It is also one of a few countries currently capable of producing hydrogen in adequate quantities at a reasonable cost, because of Iceland's plentifulgeothermal energy .Education and science
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is responsible for the policies and methods that schools must use, and they issue the National Curriculum Guidelines. However, the playschools and the primary and lower secondary schools are funded and administered by the municipalities.
Nursery school or "leikskóli", is non-compulsory education for children younger than six years, and is the first step in the education system. The currentlegislation concerning playschools was passed in 1994. They are also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum is suitable so as to make the transition intocompulsory education as easy as possible.Compulsory education, or "grunnskóli", comprises primary and lower
secondary education , which often is conducted at the same institution. Education is mandatory by law for children aged from 6 to 16 years. The school year lasts nine months, and begins between 21 August and 1 September, ending between 31 May and 10 June. The minimum number of school days was once 170, but after a new teachers’ wage contract, it increased to 180. Lessons take place five days a week. TheProgramme for International Student Assessment , coordinated by theOECD , currently ranks the Icelandic secondary education as the 27th in the world, significantly below theOECD average. [http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/8/39700724.pdf]Upper secondary education or "framhaldsskóli" follows lower
secondary education . These schools are also known as gymnasia in English. It is not compulsory, but everyone who has had a compulsory education has the right to upper secondary education. This stage of education is governed by the Upper Secondary School Act of 1996. All schools in Iceland are mixed sex schools.Iceland is a very technologically advanced society. By 1999, 82.3% of Icelanders had access to a computer. [ [http://www.visindavefur.is/svar.asp?id=959 Vísindavefurinn: Hversu almenn er tölvueign Íslendinga? ] ] Iceland also had 1,007 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people in 2006, the 16th highest in the world. [cite web |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |title=CIA - The World Factbook -- Iceland |work=Demographics |publisher=
United States Government |date=15 November 2007 |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2151rank.html |accessmonthday=29 November |accessyear=2007]Iceland is home to the
European Mars Analog Research Station .Culture
Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions.
Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas andedda s which were written during the High andLate Middle Ages . Icelanders place relatively great importance onindependence andself-sufficiency ; in a European Commission public opinion analysis over 85% of Icelanders found independence to be "very important" contrasted with the EU25 average of 53%, and 47% for theNorwegians , and 49% for theDanes .cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |title=European Commission Eurobarometer Social values, Science and Technology analysis June 2005 p.35|format=PDF]Some traditional beliefs remain today; for example, some Icelanders either believe in
elves or are unwilling to rule out their existence. Inhabitants of mountainous areas still pay homage to these beliefs by constructing stone piles near roads and tracks. cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/international/europe/13elves.html?ex=1278907200&en=5e99759b563f81fe&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss |title=www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/international/europe/13elves.html?ex=1278907200&en=5e99759b563f81fe&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss ] Iceland ranks first on theHuman Development Index , and was recently ranked the fourth happiest country in the world. [cite web |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061113093726.htm |title=www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061113093726.htm ]Iceland is liberal in terms of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgendered (
LGBT ) matters. In 1996, Parliament passed legislation to createregistered partnership s for same-sex couples, covering nearly all the rights and benefits ofmarriage . In 2006, by unanimous vote of Parliament, further legislation was passed, granting same-sex couples the same rights as different-sex couples in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment.Literature and the arts
Iceland's best-known classical works of literature are the
Icelanders' sagas , prose epics set in Iceland's age of settlement. The most famous of these include "Njáls saga ", about an epic blood feud, and "Grœnlendinga saga " and "Eiríks saga", describing the discovery and settlement ofGreenland andVinland (modern Newfoundland). "Egils saga ", "Laxdæla saga ", "Grettis saga ", "Gísla saga " and "Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu " are also notable and popularIcelanders' sagas .A translation of the
Bible was published in the 16th century. Important compositions since the 15th to the 19th century include sacred verse, most famously thePassion Hymns ofHallgrímur Pétursson , and rímur,rhyme d epicpoem s with alliterative verse that consist in two to four verses per stanza, popular until the end of the 19th century. In recent times, Iceland has produced many great writers, the best-known of which is arguablyHalldór Laxness who received theNobel Prize for Literature in 1955.Steinn Steinarr was an influential modernist poet.The distinctive rendition of the Icelandic landscape by its painters can be linked to nationalism and the movement to home rule and independence, which was very active in this period.
Contemporary Icelandic painting is typically traced to the work of
Þórarinn Þorláksson , who, following formal training in art in the 1890s inCopenhagen , returned to Iceland to paint and exhibit works from 1900 to his death in 1924, almost exclusively portraying the Icelandic landscape. Several other Icelandic men and women artists learned in Denmark Academy at that time, includingÁsgrímur Jónsson , who together with Þórarinn created a distinctive portrayal of Iceland's landscape in a romantic naturalistic style. Other landscape artists quickly followed in the footsteps of Þórarinn and Ásgrímur. These included Jóhannes Kjarval andJúlíana Sveinsdóttir . Kjarval in particular is noted for the distinct techniques in the application of paint that he developed in a concerted effort to render the characteristicvolcanic rock that dominates the Icelandic environment.Einar Hákonarson is an expressionistic and figurative painter who brought the figure back into Icelandic painting.Icelandic architecture draws fromScandinavia n influences. The scarcity of native trees resulted in traditional houses being covered bygrass andturf .Music
Icelandic music is related to
Nordic music , and includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, including medieval music groupVoces Thules , alternative rock bandThe Sugarcubes , singersBjörk andEmiliana Torrini ; andSigur Rós . Thenational anthem of Iceland is "Lofsöngur ", written byMatthías Jochumsson , with music bySveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson . [cite web|title=The Icelandic National Anthem|work=musik og saga|accessmonthday=11 November |accessyear=2005|url=http://www.musik.is/Lof/E/lofe.html]Traditional Icelandic music is strongly religious.
Hallgrímur Pétursson wrote manyProtestant hymn s in the 17th century. Icelandic music was modernized in the 19th century, whenMagnús Stephensen broughtpipe organ s, which were followed byharmonium s.Other vital traditions of Icelandic music are epic alliterative and rhyming ballads called
rímur . Rímur are epic tales, usuallya cappella , which can be traced back toskaldic poetry , using complex metaphors and elaborate rhyme schemes. The best known rímur poet of the 19th century wasSigurður Breiðfjörð (1798-1846). A modern revitalization of the tradition began in 1929 with the formation of the organization Iðunn. [Cronshaw, pgs. 168-169]Icelandic contemporary music consists of a big group of bands, ranging from
pop-rock groups such asBang Gang ,Quarashi , Dust, andAmiina to solo ballad singers likeBubbi Morthens ,Megas andBjörgvin Halldórsson . The indie-scene is also very strong in Iceland, bands such asMúm ,Sigur Rós and the solo artistMugison are fairly well-known outside Iceland.Many Icelandic artists and bands have had great success internationally, most notably
Björk andSigur Rós but alsoQuarashi , Hera,Ampop ,Mínus andmúm . The main music festival is arguablyIceland Airwaves , a yearly event on the Icelandic music scene, where Icelandic bands along with foreign ones occupy the clubs ofReykjavík for a week.Media
Iceland’s largest
television station s are the state-runSjónvarpið and the privately ownedStöð 2 andSkjár einn . Smaller stations exist, many of them local.Radio is broadcast throughout the country, including some parts of the interior. The main radio stations areRás 1 ,Rás 2 andBylgjan . The dailynewspapers areMorgunblaðið ,Fréttablaðið and24 stundir . Icelanders are a very technologically advanced nation and a large proportion of them keep ablog . The most popular websites are the news sitesVísir andMbl.is . [ [http://www.visindavefur.hi.is/svar.php?id=5456 Vísindavefurinn: Hver er mest sótta heimasíðan á veraldarvefnum?] , accessed2007-11-29 ]Iceland is home to the television station
Nick Jr. 's animated program "LazyTown " (Icelandic: "Latibær"), a children's television program created byMagnús Scheving . It has become a very popular program for children and adults, and is shown in over 98 countries, including the UK,The Americas , Sweden. [cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2055496.ece|title=entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2055496.ece ] The LazyTown Studios are located inGarðabær . ActressAnita Briem who was inThe tudors and Journey to the Center of the Earth is from IcelandCuisine
Most national Icelandic foods are based around
fish , lamb anddairy products.Þorramatur is a national food consisting of many dishes and is usually consumed around the month of Þorri. Traditional dishes includeskyr , cured ramscrota , curedshark , singedsheep heads andblack pudding .The modern Icelandic diet is very diverse, and includes cuisines from all over the world. Like in other Western societies,
fast food restaurants are widespread.ports
Sport is an important part of the Icelandic culture. The main traditional sport in Iceland is "
Glíma ", a form of wrestling, thought to have originated in medieval times.Children and teenagers participate in various leisure activities. Popular sports are football, track and field, handball and
basketball . Others aregolf ,tennis ,swimming ,chess andhorseback riding onIcelandic horse s. Handball is often referred to as a national sport, Iceland's team is one of the top-ranked teams in the world, and Icelandic women are surprisingly good at football compared to the size of the country, the national team ranked the 18th best byFIFA . Iceland has excellent conditions for ice and rock climbing, althoughmountain climbing andhiking is preferred by the general public. Iceland also has the most Strongman competition wins.The oldest sport association in Iceland is the Reykjavik Shooting Association, founded 1867.
Rifle shooting became very popular in the 19th century and was heavily encouraged by politicians and others pushing for Icelandic independence.Shooting remains popular and all types of shooting with small arms is practised in the country. [cite web |title=Skotfélag Reykjavíkur |accessmonthday=2 September |accessyear=2007 |url=http://www.sr.is/Stofnun_og_saga_SR.htm]ee also
*
Hyperinflation
*List of basic Iceland topics
*List of Iceland-related articles
*Iceland and the European Union References
External links
* [http://iceland.is/ Gateway to Iceland]
* [http://www.government.is/ Government Offices of Iceland]
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*Wikia has awiki on this subject at :
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* New Iceland in Manitoba, CanadaTemplate group
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