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Compare Iceland (2004) - West Bank (2006)

Compare Iceland (2004) z West Bank (2006)

 Iceland (2004)West Bank (2006)
 IcelandWest Bank
Administrative divisions 8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland -
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: 42.9% (male 541,110/female 515,202)


15-64 years: 53.7% (male 676,427/female 644,347)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 35,440/female 47,966) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports 100 (2003 est.) 3 (2006)
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: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
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.)
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Area total: 103,000 sq km


land: 100,250 sq km


water: 2,750 sq km
total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kentucky slightly smaller than Delaware
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 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993, provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. The DOP provided that Israel would retain responsibility during the transitional period for external and internal security and for public order of settlements and Israeli citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifada that broke out in September 2000. In April 2003 the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Longtime Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT died in November 2004 and Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA President in January 2005, bringing hope of a turning point in the conflict. Israel and the PA agreed in February 2005 to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments, focused on security issues, in an effort to move the peace process forward. Progress has been slow because of different interpretations of the verbal agreement by the two sides.
Birth rate 13.83 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 31.67 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $4.205 billion


expenditures: $4.405 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2003)
revenues: $964 million


expenditures: $1.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA; note - these budget data include Gaza Strip (2004)
Capital Reykjavik -
Climate temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline 4,988 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 -
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Iceland


conventional short form: Iceland


local long form: Lydhveldidh Island


local short form: Island
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: West Bank
Currency Icelandic krona (ISK) -
Death rate 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $2.6 billion (1999) $0; note - includes Gaza Strip (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
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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
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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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - donor NA -
Economic aid - recipient - $1.14 billion; note - includes Gaza Strip (2004 est.)
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%. The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA)- has experienced a general decline in economic growth and a degradation in economic conditions made worse since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of the Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and commodity market relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of much capital plant, the disruption of administrative structure, and widespread business closures. Including the Gaza Strip, the UN estimates that more than 100,000 Palestinians out of the 125,000 who used to work in Israeli settlements, or in joint industrial zones, have lost their jobs. International aid of $2 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities, due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally, stymied growth.
Electricity - consumption 7.341 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - production 7.894 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Environment - current issues water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
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% Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 76.709 (2003), 91.6617 (2002), 97.4246 (2001), 78.6159 (2000), 72.3353 (1999) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)
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%
-
Exports 0 bbl/day (2001) $270 million f.o.b.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Exports - commodities fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite, ferrosilicon olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
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) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)
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) -
GDP purchasing power parity - $8.678 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 9.2% (includes fishing 12%)


industry: 26.7%


services: 64.2% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 9%


industry: 28%


services: 63%


note: includes Gaza Strip (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $30,900 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 2.6% (2003 est.) 6.2% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 65 00 N, 18 00 W 32 00 N, 35 15 E
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 landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.)
Highways total: 12,955 km


paved/oiled gravel: 3,863 km


unpaved: 9,092 km (2003)
-
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) $1.952 billion c.i.f.; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles food, consumer goods, construction materials
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) Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2004)
Independence 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark) -
Industrial production growth rate 8.1% (2003 est.) NA%
Industries fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
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: 19.15 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.12 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.1% (2003 est.) 7% (includes Gaza Strip) (2003 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 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
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 160,000 (2003) 614,000 (April-June 2005)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing 12.9%, construction 10.7%, services 59.5% (1999) agriculture: 18.4%


industry: 24%


services: 57.6% (April-June 2005)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use arable land: 0.07%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.93% (2001)
arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
Languages Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
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: 80.18 years


male: 78.18 years


female: 82.27 years (2004 est.)
total population: 73.27 years


male: 71.5 years


female: 75.15 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.9% (1997 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.9%


male: 96.3%


female: 87.4% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references Arctic Region Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
none (landlocked)
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.)
-
Military - note defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik -
Military branches no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard -
Military expenditures - dollar figure 0 NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
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) -
Nationality noun: Icelander(s)


adjective: Icelandic
noun: NA


adjective: NA
Natural hazards earthquakes and volcanic activity droughts
Natural resources fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite arable land
Net migration rate 2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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] -
Political pressure groups and leaders NA -
Population 293,966 (July 2004 est.) 2,460,492


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 46% including Gaza Strip (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 0.97% (2004 est.) 3.06% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar -
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 20, shortwave 0 (2005)
Religions Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002) Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
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: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 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)
general assessment: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970
Telephones - main lines in use 190,700 (2003) 357,300 (includes Gaza Strip) (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 279,100 (2003) 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations 14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997) 8 (2005)
Terrain mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate 1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.4% (2003 est.) 19.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (January-September 2005)
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