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ICELAND
Map of ICELAND
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Location:
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Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK |
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Geographic coordinates:
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65 00 N, 18 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Kentucky |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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4,970 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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Climate:
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temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
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Terrain:
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mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier) |
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Natural resources:
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fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Total renewable water resources:
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170 cu km (2005) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.17 cu km/yr (34%/66%/0%)
per capita: 567 cu m/yr (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes and volcanic activity |
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Population:
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304,367 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic |
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Ethnic groups:
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homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6% |
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Religions:
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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.) |
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Languages:
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Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lydveldid Island
local short form: Island |
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Government type:
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constitutional republic |
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Capital:
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name: Reykjavik
geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland |
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Independence:
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1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Source: http://cia.gov
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