Iceland (2005)

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Iceland 2005 year


Administrative divisions	8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland
Age structure	0-14 years: 22.1% (male 33,302/female 32,257) 15-64 years: 66.2% (male 99,513/female 96,886) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,723/female 19,056) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish
Airports	98 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 93 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Kentucky
Background	Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Birth rate	13.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $4.154 billion expenditures: $4.058 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2004 est.)
Capital	Reykjavik
Climate	temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Coastline	4,988 km
Constitution	16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island
Death rate	6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$3.073 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Economic aid - donor	$NA
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 8% 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. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. 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. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007, slowly dropping until the end of the decade.
Electricity - consumption	7.692 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	8.271 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
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 signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Exchange rates	Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001), 78.616 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15 September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by parliament elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held 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 wins with 85.6% of the vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%
Exports	0 kWh (2002)
Exports	$2.902 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports	0 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite
Exports - partners	UK 19.1%, Germany 17.2%, Netherlands 11.5%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.8%, Denmark 4.6% (2004)
Fiscal year	calendar year
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)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 11.2% industry: 9.6% services: 79.2% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $31,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	1.8% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	65 00 N, 18 00 W
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
Highways	total: 13,004 km paved/oiled gravel: 4,331 km unpaved: 8,673 km (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	0 kWh (2002)
Imports	$3.307 billion (2004 est.)
Imports	15,470 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners	Germany 12.3%, US 9.9%, Norway 9.7%, Denmark 7.9%, UK 7.2%, Sweden 6.7%, Netherlands 6% (2004)
Independence	1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Industrial production growth rate	8.8% (2004 est.)
Industries	fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA sq km
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)
Labor force	158,100 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture, fishing and fish processing 10.3%, industry 18.3%, services 71.4% (2003)
Land boundaries	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)
Languages	Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Legal system	civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%, Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party - Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 80.19 years male: 78.13 years female: 82.34 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Map references	Arctic Region
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1 registered in other countries: 30 (2005)
Military - note	defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military branches	no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic Coast Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	0
National holiday	Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Nationality	noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic
Natural hazards	earthquakes and volcanic activity
Natural resources	fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Net migration rate	2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA
Population	296,737 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%
Population growth rate	0.91% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions	Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)
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: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: extensive domestic service domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Telephones - main lines in use	190,700 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	279,100 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Total fertility rate	1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	3.1% (2004 est.)

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