Iceland

Country	Republic of Iceland
Capital	Reykjavik
Independence	1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement)
National holiday	Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Population	315,281 (July 2013 est.)
Sex ratio	1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Nationality	Icelander(s)
Religions	Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 80.7%, Roman Catholic 2.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.4%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other religions 3.6%, unaffiliated 3%, other or unspecified 6.2% (2006 est.)
Languages	Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Literacy	Age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 99% Male: 99% Female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom
Geographic coordinates	65 00 N, 18 00 W
Map references	Arctic Region
Area	total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	4,970 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate	temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain	mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
Natural resources	Fish, Hydropower, Geothermal power, Diatomite
Exports - commodities	Fish and fish products 40%, Aluminum, Animal products, Ferrosilicon, Diatomite
Imports - commodities	Machinery and equipment, Petroleum products, Foodstuffs, Textiles
Land use	arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2005)
Irrigated land	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 volcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (elev. 1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (elev. 1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar
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