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Iceland

Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland, pronounced [ˈistlant] )[d] is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is linked culturally and politically with Europe and is the region's most sparsely populated country.[12] Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 380,000 residents. The official language of the country is Icelandic.

This article is about the country. For other uses, see Iceland (disambiguation).

Iceland
Ísland (Icelandic)

9th century

930–1262

1262–1397

1397–1523

1523–1814

14 January 1814

5 January 1874

1 February 1904

17 June 1944

103,125[4] km2 (39,817 sq mi) (106th)

2.07 (as of 2015)[5]

376,248 (171st)

399,189[6]

3.66/km2 (9.5/sq mi) (240th)

2023 estimate

Increase $27.078 billion[7] (152nd)

Increase $69,833[7] (15th)

2023 estimate

Increase $30.570 billion[7] (109th)

Increase $78,836[7] (8th)

Positive decrease 23.2[8]
low

Steady 0.959[9]
very high (3rd)

dd.mm.yyyy

right

Located on a rift between tectonic plates, Iceland's geologic activity includes geysers and frequent volcanic eruptions.[13][14] The interior consists of a volcanic plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a latitude just south of the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.


According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island.[15] In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, immigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin.


The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the native parliament, the Althing, one of the world's oldest functioning legislative assemblies. Following a period of civil strife, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. In 1397, Iceland followed Norway's integration into the Kalmar Union along with the kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden, coming under de facto Danish rule following its dissolution in 1523. The Danish kingdom introduced Lutheranism by force in 1550,[16] and Iceland was formally ceded to Denmark in 1814 by the Treaty of Kiel.


Influenced by ideals of nationalism after the French Revolution, Iceland's struggle for independence took form and culminated in the Danish–Icelandic Act of Union in 1918, with the establishment of the Kingdom of Iceland, sharing through a personal union the incumbent monarch of Denmark. During the occupation of Denmark in World War II, Iceland voted overwhelmingly to become a republic in 1944, thus ending the remaining formal ties with Denmark. Although the Althing was suspended from 1799 to 1845, the island republic nevertheless holds a claim to sustaining one of the longest-running parliaments in the world.


Until the 20th century, Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture. Industrialization of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity, and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. It became a part of the European Economic Area in 1994; this further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and manufacturing.


Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes, compared to other OECD countries,[17] as well as the highest trade union membership in the world.[18] It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[19] Iceland ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army, possessing only a lightly armed coast guard.[20]

and Reykjavík South (city regions);

Reykjavík North

(four non-contiguous suburban areas around Reykjavík);

Southwest

and Northeast (northern half of Iceland, split); and

Northwest

(southern half of Iceland, excluding Reykjavík and suburbs).

South

67.22% members of the ;

Church of Iceland

11.56% members of other denomination;

Christian

11.29% other religions and not specified;

6.69% unaffiliated;

1.19% members of groups (99% of them belonging to Ásatrúarfélagið);

Germanic Heathen

0.67% members of the ;

Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association

0.55% members of groups.

Zuist

Index of Iceland-related articles

Outline of Iceland

Greenland

Vikings

Gateway to Iceland

Government Offices of Iceland

Icelandic Government Information Center & Icelandic Embassies

 – the official Icelandic Tourist Board

Visit Iceland

entry at Encyclopædia Britannica

Iceland

at Curlie

Iceland

from BBC News

Iceland

Wikimedia Atlas of Iceland

Geographic data related to at OpenStreetMap

Iceland

 – slideshow by Life magazine

Incredible Iceland: Fire and Ice

Documentary produced by Prairie Public Television

A Photographer's View of Iceland

at Dartmouth College Library

Arason Steingrimur Writings on Iceland