Country	Iceland
Capital	Reykjavik
Continent	Europe
Currency	Icelandic króna(ISK)
Languages	Icelandic

Locaion

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom

Geographic Co ordinates

65 00 N, 18 00 W

Land Boundries

0 km

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

Population

308,910 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:178

Nationality

Noun:Icelander(s)
Adjective:Icelandic

Ethnic groups

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

Religions

Lutheran Church of Iceland 80.7%, Roman Catholic Church 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

Country Name

Conventional long form:Republic of Iceland
Conventional short form:Iceland
Local long form:Lydveldid Island
Local short form:Island

Government Type

constitutional republic

Capital

Name:Reykjavik
Geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

Legal system

civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996)
Head of government:Prime Minister Johanna SIGURDARDOTTIR (since 1 February 2009);
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president, a largely ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held on 28 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2012); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually the prime minister
note: the presidential election of 28 June 2008 was not held because Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON had no challengers; he was sworn in on 1 August 2008
2004 election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON elected president; percent of vote - Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%;

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections:last held on 25 April 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
Election results:percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Alliance 29.8%, Independence Party 23.7%, Left-Green Movement 21.7%, Progressive Party 14.8%, Citizens' Movement 7.2%, other 2.8%; seats by party - Social Democratic Alliance 20, Independence Party 16, Left-Green Alliance 14, Progressive Party 9, Citizens' Movement 4
note: the Citizens' Movement disintegrated in September 2009; three of its former MPs are now represented under the banner of The Movement and the fourth former MP is an independent

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)

Political Parties and Leaders

Independence Party or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON, Jr.]; Left-Green Movement or LGM [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance or SDA [Johanna SIGURDARDOTTIR]; The Movement [Birgitta JONSDOTTIR]

International organization participation

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador Hjalmar W. HANNESSON
Chancery: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW #509, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone:[1] (202) 265-6653
FAX:[1] (202) 265-6656
Consulate(s) general:New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Samuel WATSON
Embassy:Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik
Mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640
Telephone:[354] 562-9100
FAX:[354] 562-9118

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); the colors represent three of the elements that make up the island: red is for the island's volcanic fires, white recalls the snow and ice fields of the island, and blue is for the surrounding ocean

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