NA

Total renewable water resources:

170 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.17 cu km/yr (34%/66%/0%) per capita: 567 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography - note:

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

People
Iceland

Population:

304,367 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 21% (male 32,500/female 31,566) 15-64 years: 67% (male 103,231/female 100,545) 65 years and over: 12% (male 16,530/female 19,995) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 34.8 years male: 34.4 years female: 35.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.783% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

13.5 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.55 years male: 78.43 years female: 82.76 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.91 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

220 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups:

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

Religions:

Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2.4%,
Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other
Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other or
unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)

Languages:

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 18 years male: 17 years female: 19 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

7.6% of GDP (2004)

Government
Iceland

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydveldid Island local short form: Island

Government type:

constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Reykjavik geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence:

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution:

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

Legal system:

civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 36.6%, Social Democratic Alliance 26.8%, Progressive Party 11.7%, Left-Green Movement 14.3%, Liberal Party 7.3%, other 3.3%; seats by party - Independence Party 25, Social Democratic Alliance 18, Progressive Party 7, Left-Green Alliance 9, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:

Independence Party or IP [Geir H. HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement or
LGM [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon
KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Gudni AGUSTSSON]; Social
Democratic Alliance or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR] (includes
People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's
List)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Icelandic Psychiatric Human Rights Group

International organization participation:

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Albert JONSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: (202) 265-6653 FAX: (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: 562-9100 FAX: 562-9118

Flag description:

blue with a red cross outlined in white extending 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)

Economy
Iceland

Economy - overview:

Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 6% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Substantial foreign investment in the aluminum and hydropower sectors has boosted economic growth which, nevertheless, has been volatile and characterized by recurrent imbalances. Government policies include reducing the current account deficit, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. 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. The 2006 closure of the US military base at Keflavik had very little impact on the national economy; Iceland's low unemployment rate aided former base employees in finding alternate employment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12.19 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$20 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$40,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 5.2% industry: 25.7% services: 69.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

181,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 5.1% industry: 23% services: 71.8% (2005)

Unemployment rate:

1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line: