Iceland

republicIndependence 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

Iceland as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalReykjavik
Area103,000 km2
1991

Every edition of Iceland

Populationas each edition published it
259,742 people July 1991 · 257,023 in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 0.88% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 34 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 78.69 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.2 children per woman 1991 · 2.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 7 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $17,400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition -3.3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields
Total area
103,000km2
land area: 100,250 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky

Coastline

  • 4,988 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
  • Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes

Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)

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

Natural resources

fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power, diatomite

Land use

  • arable land NEGL%;
  • permanent crops 0%;
  • meadows and pastures 23%;
  • forest and woodland 1%;
  • other 76%

Environment

subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity

Note

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country

People

14 fields
Population
259,742
(July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
17Death
7Net migration
0

Religion(1988)

Evangelical Lutheran 96%other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%none 1% (1988)
Literacy
100%
(male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth

75 years male, 80 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality

noun--Icelander(s); adjective--Icelandic

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts

Language

Icelandic

Labor force

134,429; commerce, finance, and services 55.4%, other manufacturing 14.3%., agriculture 5.8%, fish processing 7.9%, fishing 5.0% (1986)

Organized labor

60% of labor force

Government

Republic

16 fields

Long-form name

Republic of Iceland

Type

republic

Capital

Reykjavik

Administrative divisions

23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla) and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular--kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla, Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vestmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla

Independence

17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

Constitution

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944

National holiday

Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Althingi with an Upper House (Efri Deild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court (Haestirettur) Chief of State--President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980);
  • Head of Government--Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991) Independence (conservative), David ODDSSON;
  • Progressive, Steingrimur HERMANNSSON;
  • Social Democratic, Jon Baldvin HANNIBALSSON;
  • People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON;
  • Citizens Party (conservative nationalist), Julius SOLNES;
  • Women's List

Suffrage

  • universal at age 20 President--last held on 29 June 1980 (next scheduled for June 1992);
  • results--there were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was unopposed;
  • Althing--last held on 20 April 1991 (next to be held by April 1995);
  • results--Independence 38.6%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.13%, Liberals 1.2%, other 3.27% seats--(63 total) Independence 26, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 9, Womens List 5

Communists

less than 100 (est.), some of whom participate in the People's Alliance

Member of

BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • Ambassador Tomas A. TOMASSON;
  • Chancery at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
  • telephone (202) 265-6653 through 6655;
  • there is an Icelandic Consulate General in New York;
  • US--Ambassador Charles E. COBB, Jr.;
  • Embassy at Laufasvegur 21, Box 40, Reykjavik (mailing address is FPO New York 09571-0001);
  • telephone [354] (1) 29100

Flag

  • blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends 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's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$4.2billion
per capita $16,300; real growth rate 0% (1990)
External debt
$3billion
(1990)

Budget

Revenues
$1.58 billionExpenditures
$1.66 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)

Overview

Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export earnings. In the absence of other natural resources, Iceland's economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices.

As a result of climbing fish prices in 1990 and a noninflationary labor agreement, Iceland is pulling out of a recession, which began in mid-1988 with a sharp decline in fish prices and an imposition of quotas on fish catches to conserve stocks. Inflation was down sharply from 20% in 1989 to 8% in 1990.

Exports

  • $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
  • commodities--fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, diatomite;
  • partners--EC 67.7% (UK 25.3%, FRG 12.7%), US 9.9%, Japan 6%

Imports

  • $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
  • commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, textiles;
  • partners--EC 49.8% (FRG 12.4%, Denmark 8.6%, UK 8.1%), US 14.4%, Japan 5.6%

Industrial production

growth rate - 0.8% (1988 est.); accounts for 22% of GDP

Electricity

1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced, 20,780 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production, hydropower

Agriculture

  • accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing);
  • fishing is most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings;
  • principal crops--potatoes and turnips;
  • livestock--cattle, sheep;
  • self-sufficient in crops;
  • fish catch of about 1.4 million metric tons in 1989

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million

Currency

krona (plural--kronur); 1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar

Exchange rates

Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--55.216 (January 1991), 58.284 (1990), 57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677 (1987), 41.104 (1986), 41.508 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 16 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 8refrigerated cargo 2container 1roll-on/roll-off cargo 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 1chemical tanker 1bulk 116 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,409 GRT/73,279 DWT

Airports, 99 total, 92 usable

permanent-surface runways
4runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
1runways 1,220-2,439 m
14

Highways

  • 12,343 km total;
  • 166 km bitumen and concrete;
  • 1,284 km bituminous treated and gravel;
  • 10,893 km earth

Ports

Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Siglufjordhur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor ports

Civil air

20 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • adequate domestic service, wire and radio communication system;
  • 135,000 telephones;
  • stations--10 AM, 17 (43 relays) FM, 14 (132 relays) TV;
  • 2 submarine cables;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

No armed forces; State Criminal Police, Coast Guard; Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik

3 fields

Branches

  • no armed forces;
  • State Criminal Police, Coast Guard;
  • Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik

Manpower availability

  • males 15-49, 69,644;
  • 62,248 fit for military service;
  • no conscription or compulsory military service

Central Intelligence Agency. “Iceland.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/iceland/1991.

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