Iceland{{otheruses}} The '''Republic of Iceland''' (Icelandic language|Icelandic: ''Lýðveldið Ísland)'' is an island nation in the northern Atlantic Ocean, located between Greenland, Scotland and Norway. {| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+<big>'''Lýðveldið Ísland'''</big> | align="center" colspan="2"| {| border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="background:#f9f9f9; text-align:center;" | width="130px"| image:Iceland flag large.png|125px|Flag of Iceland || align=center width=130px| Image:ISLcoat.gif|100px|Iceland: Coat of Arms |- | width="130px"| (Flag of Iceland|In Detail) |} |- | align=center colspan=2 | ''National motto: None'' |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background:#f9f9f9;" | image:LocationIceland.png|Location of Iceland |- |'''Official language''' || Icelandic language|Icelandic |- |'''Capital and largest city''' || Reykjavík |- |'''List of Presidents of Iceland|President''' || Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson |- |'''List of Prime Ministers of Iceland|Prime Minister''' || Halldór Ásgrímsson |- |'''Area'''  - Total  - % water |List of countries by area|Ranked 107th 1 E11 m2|103,125 km² 2.70% |- |'''Population'''  - Total (2004)  - Population density|Density |List of countries by population|Ranked 169th 293,291 2.84/km² |- |'''Independence'''  - Sovereignty  - Republic | 1 December 1918 17 June 1944 |- |'''Gross Domestic Product|GDP''' (2003)   - Total (PPP)   - Total   - GDP/capita (PPP)   - GDP/capita | $9 billion (List of countries by GDP (PPP)|127th) $15 billion (List of countries by GDP (nominal)|87th) $35,686 (List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|5th) $52,063 (List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|4th) |- |'''Currency''' || Icelandic Króna |- | '''Time zone'''  - in European Summer Time|summer | Greenwich Mean Time|GMT (Coordinated Universal Time|UTC+0) |- | '''National anthem''' || ''Lofsöngur'' |- | '''Top-level domain|Internet TLD''' || .is |- | '''List_of_country_calling_codes|Calling Code''' || +354 |} == History == ''Main article: History of Iceland'' Iceland remained one of the world's last larger islands uninhabited by humans, until it was first settled by Scandinavians, mainly Norway|Norwegians (Vikings), and their Celtic (Scotland|Scottish and Ireland|Irish) captives during the late 9th century|9th and 10th century. It boasts the world's oldest parliament, Alþingi (English: Althing), which was established in 930, although it has not run continuously since that date. Some literary evidence suggests that Irish monks may have been living in Iceland before the arrival of Nordic settlers but no archaelogical evidence backs this up. Iceland remained independent for over 300 years, and was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark, formally as a Norwegian crown colony until 1814 when the united kingdoms of Denmark and Norway were separated by the treaty of Kiel, and Iceland was kept by Denmark as a dependency. Limited home rule was granted by the Danish government in 1874, and protectorate-like independence and sovereignty over domestic matters followed in 1918, foreign relations and defense remained in the authority of the Danes until the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany in 1940 during World War II. The Danish king remained the ''De jure'' sovereign of the nation until 1944, when the current republic was founded in the absence of Danish authority. == Politics == ''Main article: Politics of Iceland'' The parliament, Alþingi, was founded in the mid-19th century as an advisory body to the Danish king. It was widely seen as a reestablishment of the assembly founded in 930 in the Icelandic Commonwealth|Commonwealth period and suspended in 1799. It has 63 members, each of whom is elected by the population every four years. The president of Iceland is a largely ceremonial office that serves as a diplomat, figurehead and head of state. The head of government is the prime minister, who, together with his cabinet, takes care of the executive part of government. The cabinet is appointed by the president after general elections to Alþingi; however, this process is usually conducted by the leaders of the political parties, who decide what parties will form the cabinet and how the seats are distributed (under the condition that it has a majority support in Alþingi). 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 never 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 Alþingi in 1941) did appoint a non-parliamentary government. The regent had, for all practical purposes, the position of a president, and Sveinn Björnsson actually went on to become the country's first president in 1944. The governments of Iceland have almost always been coalitions with two or more parties involved, since a single political party has never received a majority of seats in Alþingi. The extent of the political powers possessed by the office of the president are 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 otherwise. The president is elected every four years (last 2004), the cabinet is elected every four years (last 2003) and town council elections are held every four years too (last 2002). ''Related topics:'' *List of political parties in Iceland *Prime minister of Iceland *List of Presidents of Iceland == Administrative division == === Municipalities === ''Main article: Municipalities of Iceland'' There are 101 municipalities in Iceland that govern most local matters like schools, transportation and zoning. === Counties === ''Main article: Counties of Iceland'' The 23 counties are mostly a historic division. Today Iceland is split up between 26 Magistrates that are the highest authority over the local police (except in Reykjavík where there is a special office of police commissioner) and carry out administrative functions such as declaring bankruptcy and marrying people outside of the church. === District Courts === Iceland is split up into eight district court jurisdictions. According to a United Nations document on Iceland: ::The Law on the Separation of Judicial and Executive Powers at the District Level No. 92/1989 laid the foundation for a changed judicial system. The law established eight district courts, one in each electoral area of the country. These courts have jurisdiction in civil as well as criminal cases, issue bankruptcy decisions and resolve disputes which arise during magistrates' major proceedings. Judicial authorities also resolve all disputes concerning the extent of administrative powers. After 1 July 1992 district court judges perform only judicial functions. The judicial authority previously wielded by magistrates outside Reykjavik has now been transferred to the new district courts. '''List of District Courts''' #Reykjavík District Court #Reykjanes District Court #West District Court #Westfjords District Court #Northwest District Court #Northeast District Court #East District Court #South District Court === Constituencies === ''Main article: Constituencies of Iceland'' Until 2003, the constituencies for the parliament elections were the same as the district court jurisdictions but by an amendment to the constitution they were changed so that today there are only 6 constituencies. The 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 it still exists. Image:Ic-map.png|right|Map of Iceland == Geography == ''Main article: Geography of Iceland & List of settlements in Iceland'' Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, just south of the arctic circle, which passes through the small island Grimsey off the north coast of Iceland, but not through Iceland itself. Iceland is located on a geological Hotspot (geology)|hot spot on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The combination of being both on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and on a hot spot means that the island is extremely geologically active. It has many active volcanoes, notably Hekla. Around 10% of the island is glaciated. Iceland has many geysers (itself an Icelandic word) and the widespread availability of geothermal power means residents of most towns have hot water and home heat for a low price. (''See also'': Volcanoes of Iceland) Electricity is generally very cheap because of the many rivers and waterfalls which are also used for the generation of electrical power. (''See also'': Rivers of Iceland, Waterfalls of Iceland, Lakes of Iceland) The island itself has many fjords along the coastline, where also most towns are situated, because the island's interior, the Highlands of Iceland are a cold uninhabitable desert. The main towns are the capital Reykjavík, Keflavík, where the national airport is situated, and Akureyri. The island of Grímsey, on the Arctic Circle contains the northernmost habitation of Iceland. (''See also:'' Fjords of Iceland) Unlike neighbouring Greenland, Iceland is considered to be a part of Europe, not of The Americas|America. The island is the List of islands by size|world's 18th largest island. The island has four national parks: Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, Skaftafell National Park, Snæfellsnes National Park and Þingvellir. == Military == ''Main article: Military of Iceland'' The Republic of Iceland has no regular armed forces. Defense is provided by a predominantly U.S. manned NATO base in Keflavík. Iceland has a Coast Guard (Landhelgisgæslan) and a SWAT team which is called Sérsveitin (Task Force), commonly known as Víkingasveitin (Viking Squad), and is under the command of the Reykjavík chief of police. == Economy == ''Main article: Economy of Iceland'' The economics|economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides over 60% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant hydroelectricity|hydro-electric and geothermal power), Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to drops in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Although the Icelandic economy is heavily dependant on fishing it is constantly becoming less important as the travel industry, the technology industry and various other industries grow. The only natural resource conversion is the manufacture of cement. Most buildings are concrete with expensive imported wood used only sparingly and where necessary. The center-right government plans to continue its policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale-watching. Growth slowed between 2000 and 2002, but the economy expanded by 4.3% in 2003 and grew by 5.2% in 2004. The unemployment-rate of 2.5% (4th quarter 2004) is the second lowest in the European Economic Area after Liechtenstein. == Demographics == ''Main article: Demographics of Iceland'' The isolated location of Iceland has resulted in limited immigration and limited genetic inflow in its human population over hundreds of years. The resulting genetic similarity is being exploited today for genetics|genetic studies. The language spoken is Icelandic language|Icelandic, a Scandinavian language, and the religion is predominantly Lutheran Church|Lutheran. ==Religion== Icelanders enjoy freedom of religion. The Church of Iceland is the state church. A Lutheranism|Lutheran church, its membership includes most of the population. == Culture == ''Main article: Culture of Iceland'' Some famous Icelanders include pop singer Björk; avant-garde rock band Sigur Rós; and novelist Halldór Laxness, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1955. Also, the former world chess champion Bobby Fischer became an Icelandic citizen on March 21, 2005. Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy has been a citizen since 1972. Iceland's literacy rate is among the highest in the world, and the love of literature, chess, and other intellectual pursuits is widespread. Icelandic society and culture are very "woman friendly" with women in leadership positions in government and business, and women retain their names after marriage. Iceland has world renowned nightlife. Downtown Reykjavík has many clubs and pubs that often have live bands playing. Rampant alcoholism, and its effects on employment, toll on interpersonal relationships/violence, and marital/family issues, are continuing social problems. === Miscellaneous facts about Iceland === * Number of hot springs: 800 * It is mandatory to keep the headlights on while driving, even in daylight. * In 2004, United Kingdom|British citizens made up the single largest group of tourists to Iceland (60,000) followed by United States|Americans (48,000). * Over 99% of the country's electricity is produced from hydropower and geothermal energy. ===See also=== * Music of Iceland * List of Icelandic authors * Artists of Iceland == Miscellaneous topics == *List of Icelanders *Communications in Iceland *Geothermal power in Iceland *Transportation in Iceland *Military of Iceland *Foreign relations of Iceland *Stamps and postal history of Iceland *Icelandic name|Naming conventions of Iceland *List of universities in Iceland *Icelandic nationalism *Reporters without borders worldwide press freedom index 2002: rank 1 out of 139 countries (4 way tie) *Nightlife in Reykjav%EDk == External links == {{commons|Iceland}} *[http://iceland.is/ Official Gateway of Iceland] *[http://webcam.deili.info/en,1,37 Webcam in Iceland] *[http://www.islandsmyndir.is Picture gallery from www.islandsmyndir.is] *[http://www.althingi.is/vefur/upplens.html Alþingi's website in English] *[http://www.government.is The government's website in English] *[http://www.icetrade.is/english/default.htm The Trade Council of Iceland] *[http://www.karahnjukar.is/EN Kárahnjúkar dam, Iceland's largest hydroelectric project] *[http://www.vegagerdin.is/vefur2.nsf/pages/english.html Travel information from the Public Roads Administration] *[http://www.islenska.de Íslenska, a magazine in German about Iceland] *[http://www.iceland-forum.com Iceland-Forum, discussions about Iceland] *[http://www.icelandic.hi.is/coursetest.php University of Iceland: Icelandic online] (A free, online Course in Modern Icelandic Language and Culture.) *[http://ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/IcelandGreeceTurkey/ Iceland pictures from IanAndWendy.com] {{NATO}} {{EFTA}} {{Nordic_Council}} {{Europe}} Category:Iceland|! Category:Islands of Iceland Category:North Atlantic Islands  af:Ysland ang:Ísland bg:Исландия bs:Island ca:Islàndia cs:Island cy:Gwlad yr Iâ da:Island de:Island et:Island el:Ρέυκιαβικ es:Islandia eo:Islando fr:Islande gd:Innis Tile gl:Islandia hr:Island io:Islando id:Islandia is:Ísland it:Islanda he:איסלנד la:Islandia lv:Islande lt:Islandija li:Iesland hu:Izland ms:Iceland zh-min-nan:Peng-tē nl:IJsland nds:Island ja:アイスランド no:Island pl:Islandia pt:Islândia ro:Islanda ru:Исландия simple:Iceland sl:Islandija fi:Islanti sv:Island tl:Island uk:Ісландія zh:冰岛 First page | Prev | Next | Last page |

This article on Iceland is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Iceland".

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