Iceland
Basic information
Capital: Reykjavik
Population: 297,000
Religions: Lutheran Church of Iceland, other Christian
Languages: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages
Climate: Icelands climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream. Summers are mild and winters rather cold. The colourful Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) appear from the end of August. From the end of May to the beginning of August, there are nearly 24 hours of perpetual daylight in Reykjavík, while in the northern part of the country the sun barely sets at all. Winds can be strong and gusty at times and there is the occasional dust storm in the interior. Snow is not as common as the name of the country would seem to suggest and, in any case, does not lie for long in Reykjavík; it is only in northern Iceland that skiing conditions are reasonably certain. However, the weather is very changeable at all times of the year, and in Reykjavík there may be rain, sunshine, drizzle and snow in the same day. The air is clean and free of pollution.
Currency: Icelandic krona (ISK)
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Exact population: 299,388 (July 2006 est.)
Literacy: Total population: 99.9% (1997 est.); male: NA%; female: NA%
Ethnicities: Homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Area: Total: 103,000 sq km; land: 100,250 sq km; water: 2,750 sq km
Land boundaries: 0 km
Terrain: Mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Extremes: Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
Imports: Germany 12.6%, US 10.1%, Norway 9.5%, Denmark 7.6%, UK 6.8%, Sweden 6.3%, Netherlands 5.7% (2004)
Exports: UK 19.1%, Germany 17.3%, Netherlands 10.7%, US 9.3%, Spain 7%, Denmark 4.8%, France 4.1% (2004)
Industries: Fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Source: CIA World Factbook
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