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| Common name | Iceland | | Local name |
{{#tag:ref|The country's official name is Iceland. Although many sources-including the CIA World Factbook, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the United Nations-give "Republic of Iceland" (or "Lýðveldið Ísland" in Icelandic) as the official name, this conventional long name is actually not the official name of the country. The word "republic" is used only descriptively of the country's form of government and is not part of the country's actual name. This has been explained in a letter from the Office of the Prime Minister of Iceland to Ari Páll Kristinsson, Associate Professor at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Please refer to this reference website in Icelandic: okkar?; or to its translation to English by Google Translate: country?|group=note}} | | Name |
{{#tag:ref|The country's official name is Iceland. Although many sources-including the CIA World Factbook, Encyclopedia Britannica, and the United Nations-give "Republic of Iceland" (or "Lýðveldið Ísland" in Icelandic) as the official name, this conventional long name is actually not the official name of the country. The word "republic" is used only descriptively of the country's form of government and is not part of the country's actual name. This has been explained in a letter from the Office of the Prime Minister of Iceland to Ari Páll Kristinsson, Associate Professor at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Please refer to this reference website in Icelandic: okkar?; or to its translation to English by Google Translate: country?|group=note}} | | Anthem | Lofsöngur
"Hymn" | | Capital | Reykjavík | | Largest city | capital | | Official languages | Icelandic | | Ethnic groups | 93% Icelandic,
7.0% other
(see demographics) | | Demonym | Icelander, Icelandic | | Government | Unitary parliamentary republic | | President | Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson | | Prime Minister | Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir | | Alþingi President | Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir | | Legislature | Alþing | | Establishment - Independence | Establishment - Independence | Free State of Iceland
See settlement of Iceland | 930 | | Unified with Norway | 1262 | | Norway enters Kalmar Union | 1388 | | Ceded to Denmark | 14 January 1814 | | Constitution granted, limited home rule | 5 January 1874 | | Home rule expanded | 1 February 1904 | Kingdom of Iceland, personal union
with Denmark | 1 December 1918 | | Fall of Denmark | 9 April 1940 | | Republic of Iceland | 17 June 1944 | | Total Area | 39770 sq mi (103004.3 km2) (108th) | | Water % | 2.7 | | Population Est. | 318,452 (175th) | | Density (pop.) | 2.9/km2 (232nd) (7.5/sq mi) | | GDP PPP | $11.818 billion (2010) | | GDP (PPP) per capita | $36,620 | | GDP (nominal) | $12.594 billion (2010) | | GDP (nominal) per capita | $39,025 | | Gini | 25.0 (2010) (low) (1st) | | HDI | (-) 0.869 (2010) (very high) (17th) | | Currency | Icelandic króna (ISK) | | Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | | - Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC) | | Drives on the | Right | | Internet TLD | .is | | Calling code | 354 |
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Iceland c-enaudio=en-us-Iceland.oggˈaɪslənd ( , -isˈislantIPA; see Names for Iceland), described as the Republic of Iceland, is a European island country in the north Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103000 km2 (103000000000 m2). The capital and the largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island. Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them slaves of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.
Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries, while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2010, it was ranked as the 17th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index, and the fourth most productive country per capita. In 2008, political unrest occurred as the nation's entire banking system systematically failed.
Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.
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