:Iceland Geography

Total area:
    103,000 km2
Land area:
    100,250 km2
Comparative area:
    slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries:
    none
Coastline:
    4,988 km
Maritime claims:
  Continental shelf:
    edge of continental margin or 200 nm
  Exclusive economic zone:
    200 nm
  Territorial sea:
    12 nm
Disputes:
    Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK
    (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate:
    temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp,
    cool summers
Terrain:
    mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply
    indented by bays and fiords
Natural resources:
    fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
    arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and
    woodland 1%; other 76%
Environment:
    subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
Note:
    strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European
    country

:Iceland People

Population:
    259,012 (July 1992), growth rate 0.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
    18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
    7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
    -2 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
    4 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
    76 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
    2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
    noun - Icelander(s); adjective - Icelandic
Ethnic divisions:
    homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions:
    Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none 1%
    (1988)
Languages:
    Icelandic
Literacy:
    100% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
Labor force:
    134,429; commerce, finance, and services 55.4%, other manufacturing 14.3%.,
    agriculture 5.8%, fish processing 7.9%, fishing 5.0% (1986)
Organized labor:
    60% of labor force

:Iceland Government

Long-form name:
    Republic of Iceland
Type:
    republic
Capital:
    Reykjavik
Administrative divisions:
    23 counties (syslar, singular - sysla) and 14 independent towns*
    (kaupstadhir, singular - kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla,
    Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla,
    Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla,
    Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*,
    Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la,
    Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*,
    Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla,
    Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla,
    Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
    Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence:
    17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Constitution:
    16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system:
    civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ
    jurisdiction
National holiday:
    Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Executive branch:
    president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
    unicameral Parliament (Althing)
Judicial branch:
    Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
Leaders:
  Chief of State:
    President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980)
  Head of Government:
    Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
    Independence Party (conservative), David ODDSSON; Progressive Party,
    Steingrimur HERMANNSSON; Social Democratic Party, Jon Baldvin HANNIBALSSON;
    People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON; Citizens Party
    (conservative nationalist), Julius SOLNES; Women's List
Suffrage:
    universal at age 20
Elections:
  President:
    last held on 29 June 1980 (next scheduled for June 1992); results - there
    were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was
    unopposed
  Althing:
    last held on 20 April 1991 (next to be held by April 1995); results -
    Independence Party 38.6%, Progressive Party 18.9%, Social Democratic Party
    15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.13%, Liberals 1.2%, other
    3.27% seats - (63 total) Independence 26, Progressive 13, Social Democratic
    10, People's Alliance 9, Womens List 5

:Iceland Government

Member of:
    BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
    ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO
    (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
    UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
    Ambassador Tomas A. TOMASSON; Chancery at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW,
    Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-6653 through 6655; there is an
    Icelandic Consulate General in New York
  US:
    Ambassador Charles E. COBB, Jr.; Embassy at Laufasvegur 21, Box 40,
    Reykjavik (mailing address is FPO AE 09728-0340); telephone [354] (1) 29100
Flag:
    blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the
    flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
    style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

:Iceland Economy

Overview:
    Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic,
    but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and comparatively
    even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on the fishing
    industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings. In the absence of
    other natural resources, Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world
    fish prices. The economic improvements resulting from climbing fish prices
    in 1990 and a noninflationary labor agreement probably will be reversed by
    tighter fish quotas and a delay in the construction of an aluminum smelting
    plant. The conservative government's economic priorities include reducing
    the budget and current account deficits, containing inflation, revising
    agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and tying the
    krona to the EC's European currency unit in 1993. The fishing industries -
    notably the shrimp industry - are experiencing a series of bankruptcies and
    mergers. Inflation has continued to drop sharply from 20% in 1989 to about
    7.5% in 1991 and possibly 3% in 1992, while unemployment is expected to
    increase to 2.5%. GDP is expected to contract by nearly 4% in 1992.
GDP:
    purchasing power equivalent - $4.2 billion, per capita $16,200; real growth
    rate 0.3% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
    7.5% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
    1.8% (1991)
Budget:
    revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital
    expenditures of $NA million (1991 est.)
Exports:
    $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
  commodities:
    fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, diatomite
  partners:
    EC 67.7% (UK 25.3%, FRG 12.7%), US 9.9%, Japan 6% (1990)
Imports:
    $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
  commodities:
    machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, textiles
  partners:
    EC 49.8% (FRG 12.4%, Denmark 8.6%, UK 8.1%), US 14.4%, Japan 5.6% (1990)
External debt:
    $3 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
    growth rate 1.75% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
    1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced, 20,780 kWh per capita
    (1991)
Industries:
    fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, hydropower
Agriculture:
    accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing); fishing is most important
    economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; principal
    crops - potatoes and turnips; livestock - cattle, sheep; self-sufficient in
    crops; fish catch of about 1.4 million metric tons in 1989
Economic aid:
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
Currency:
    krona (plural - kronur); 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar

:Iceland Economy

Exchange rates:
    Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1 - 57.277 (January 1992), 58.996 (1991),
    58.284 (1990), 57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677 (1987)
Fiscal year:
    calendar year

:Iceland Communications

Highways:
    12,343 km total; 166 km bitumen and concrete; 1,284 km bituminous treated
    and gravel; 10,893 km earth
Ports:
    Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur,
    Siglufjordhur, Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
    12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 37,969 GRT/57,060 DWT; includes 5
    cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum tanker, 1
    chemical tanker
Civil air:
    20 major transport aircraft
Airports:
    94 total, 89 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
    over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
    adequate domestic service; coaxial and fiber-optical cables and radio relay
    for trunk network; 135,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 19 AM, 30 (43
    repeaters) FM, 13 (132 repeaters) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
    INTELSAT earth station carries majority of international traffic

:Iceland Defense Forces

Branches:
    no armed forces; Police, Coast Guard; Iceland's defense is provided by the
    US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Manpower availability:
    males 15-49, 69,072; 61,556 fit for military service; no conscription or
    compulsory military service
Defense expenditures:
    none