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Compare Iceland (2004) - Guernsey (2003)
Compare Iceland (2004) z Guernsey (2003)
| Iceland (2004) | Guernsey (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 22.5% (male 33,522; female 32,489)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 98,091; female 95,450) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,552; female 18,862) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 5,216; female 5,061)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 21,433; female 21,835) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 4,705; female 6,568) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle |
| Airports | 100 (2003 est.) | 2 (2002) |
| 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.) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
| 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 |
total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Kentucky | about one-half the size of Washington, DC |
| 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. | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. |
| Birth rate | 13.83 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 9.43 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $4.205 billion
expenditures: $4.405 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2003) |
revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Capital | Reykjavik | Saint Peter Port |
| Climate | temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast |
| Coastline | 4,988 km | 50 km |
| Constitution | 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island |
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
| Currency | Icelandic krona (ISK) | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound |
| Death rate | 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 9.84 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $2.6 billion (1999) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
| 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 |
none (British crown dependency) |
| 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 |
none (British crown dependency) |
| Disputes - international | Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) remains dormant; dispute with Denmark over the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 nm; disputes with Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm | none |
| Economic aid - donor | NA | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $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 12% 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 inflation dropped back from 5% to 2%. | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates. |
| Electricity - consumption | 7.341 billion kWh (2001) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production | 7.894 billion kWh (2001) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier) |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment | NA |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation |
- |
| Ethnic groups | homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6% | UK and Norman-French descent |
| Exchange rates | Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 76.709 (2003), 91.6617 (2002), 97.4246 (2001), 78.6159 (2000), 72.3353 (1999) | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound |
| 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); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999) cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch |
| Exports | 0 bbl/day (2001) | $NA |
| Exports - commodities | fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite, ferrosilicon | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables |
| Exports - partners | Germany 17.4%, UK 17.4%, Netherlands 11.2%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.3%, Denmark 5%, Norway 4.5%, France 4% (2003) | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
| Fiscal year | calendar 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) | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $8.678 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 9.2% (includes fishing 12%)
industry: 26.7% services: 64.2% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $30,900 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.6% (2003 est.) | 5.7% (1999 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 65 00 N, 18 00 W | 49 28 N, 2 35 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 | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port |
| Highways | total: 12,955 km
paved/oiled gravel: 3,863 km unpaved: 9,092 km (2003) |
total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | 15,470 bbl/day (2001) | $NA |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment |
| Imports - partners | Germany 11.8%, Denmark 8%, US 7.5%, UK 7.5%, Norway 7%, Sweden 6.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, Italy 4.7% (2003) | UK (regarded as internal trade) |
| Independence | 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark) | none (British crown dependency) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8.1% (2003 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism | tourism, banking |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (2003 est.) | 3.99% (2000 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 | none |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 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) | Royal Court |
| Labor force | 160,000 (2003) | 31,322 (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing 12.9%, construction 10.7%, services 59.5% (1999) | - |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
| Languages | Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts |
| Legal system | civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court |
| 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 |
unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.18 years
male: 78.18 years female: 82.27 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 80.04 years
male: 77.04 years female: 83.14 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA female: NA |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France |
| Map references | Arctic Region | Europe |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 1 registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Military branches | no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | 0 | - |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 75,568 (2004 est.) | - |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 66,503 (2004 est.) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 17 June (1944) | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
| Nationality | noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic |
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes and volcanic activity | NA |
| Natural resources | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite | cropland |
| Net migration rate | 2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON] | none; all independents |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
| Population | 293,966 (July 2004 est.) | 64,818 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.97% (2004 est.) | 0.34% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar | Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | - | 5 km |
| Religions | Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002) | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist |
| 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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 190,700 (2003) | 44,000 (1996) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 279,100 (2003) | 12,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords | mostly level with low hills in southwest |
| Total fertility rate | 1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.37 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% (2003 est.) | 0.5% (1999 est.) |
| Waterways | - | none |
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