Iceland
| Iceland (IS) | |||||
| Iceland (en) | |||||
| |||||
| National motto : Me Vegetables skal land byggja (The Nation is built on law.) | |||||
 | |||||
| Official language | Icelandic | ||||
| Capital | Reykjavk 64 15 'N, 21 95' W | ||||
| Largest city | Reykjavk | ||||
| Form of State | Republic | ||||
| - President - Prime Minister | lafur Ragnar Grmsson Johanna Sigurdardottir | ||||
| Area - Total - Water (%) | Ranked 106 th 103 125 km 2 2.7% | ||||
| Population - Total ( 2009 ) - Density | Ranked 170th 306 694 inhabitants. 3.01 inhabitants / km 2 | ||||
| Independence - Date | From Denmark 17 June 1944 | ||||
| Demonym | Icelandic Icelandic | ||||
| HDI ( 2009 ) |  0.969 (high) ( 3 ) | ||||
| Currency | Icelandic krona ( ISK ) | ||||
| Time Zone | UTC +0 ( was 0, no change) | ||||
| National anthem | Lofsngur | ||||
| Internet domain | . IS | ||||
| Indicative Telephone | +354 | ||||
Iceland, in the long form Republic of Iceland, Icelandic literally "land of ice", is an island state in the Atlantic Ocean north, located between Greenland and Scotland , north-western islands Faroe. Located on the Mid-Atlantic , she has many volcanoes.
The country has an area of 103,000 km2 and a population of about 320,000 inhabitants. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavk. The Icelandic is the official language.
Before the economic crisis of 2008, Iceland was the second most developed country in the world by the human development index ( HDI ) in 2006 after Norway. Its economy is based on a system of mixed economy where service, finance, fisheries and industries are the main sectors. The country is a member of the UN , the NATO , the EFTA , the OECD and the EEA. Iceland is not part of the European Union , but following the application filed July 17, 2009 , she could join the EU Geography Iceland is located in the middle of the Atlantic on the dorsal mid-ocean between Europe and America. Thus, from a viewpoint of plate tectonics , the north-west of Iceland is on the American plate and the south-east is on the Eurasian plate. In addition, a hot spot would be just below Iceland, particularly through the massive Vatnajkull. This unique situation involves a significant activity volcanic and geothermal on the island, located mainly along the graben , where the magma is closer to the surface. Manifestations on the surface of this intense volcanic activity are numerous: many volcanoes are eruptive and faults located on the island, including about 130 active and many paravolcaniques phenomena such as sulfur springs and hot springs, including the geysers (the word itself being of Icelandic origin). The abundance of geothermal energy such that most people have access to hot water and space heating for very modest prices. Since the Tertiary, this island of 103,000 km is continually changing because of continuing volcanic activity, and its contours are changing relatively rapidly (in geological time scale). The volcano Eyjafjll erupted April 15, 2010, causing the shutdown of the airlines in northern Europe for several days. Iceland has a sizable relief. The center of the island (the highlands of Iceland ) is a broad plateau above 500 m, and the coasts are often mountainous, cut by fjords (especially the region of the West Fjords and Austurland ). The highlight of the island is the volcano Hvannadalshnjukur , south-east, with 2 119 m. About 10% of the island is covered with glaciers. There are four major glaciers: the Vatnajkull , the Hofsjkull the Langjkull and Mrdalsjkull. These glaciers feed several major glacial rivers (hence the name Jkuls several of them) whose jrs is the longest (230 km) and lfus the largest in terms of speed (423 m 3. s - 1). These rivers provide an important source of electricity, used mainly by industry. These unique geographical features have allowed the island to develop tourism booming. Iceland has a temperate oceanic climate, under the influence of cold polar winds. With the Gulf Stream , its south and west coasts have a much milder temperatures in winter than New York. Temperatures never stray far from 0 C (5 C average annual Reykjavik , 3.8 C at Akureyri ). Rainfall varies from north to south. Akureyri , north, has a total of less than 500 mm, while some stations in the south with the full force of ocean storms have a total annual rainfall can exceed 2000 mm. The island is almost entirely south of the Arctic Circle and has therefore a day / night all year, even if the duration of daylight in winter is very short and the nights are very short in summer. Only the small Island Grmsey , which is the most northerly inhabited place in Iceland, is bisected by the Arctic Circle. The vegetation in Iceland is like tundra : it consists mainly of lichens and shrubs. There is only one forest at Egilsstadir in the east of the island. Volcanic activity and climate are the main causes, but also unwise forest policy and the presence of more than a million sheep. However, an ambitious program of reforestation and afforestation has been undertaken, especially in the fight against the significant erosion of the island. These forests have proved to be very good carbon sinks , because of poverty initial soil carbon . Because of its relative isolation, Iceland has relatively few native species. It is mainly marine animals or birds. The only mammal in Iceland this land before the arrival of settlers is the arctic fox. He arrived at an ice age , walking on the frozen sea. Its population has dropped dramatically to about 1,300 in the 1970s, due to the large hunting they endured to protect flocks of sheep. It is today protected in the reserve Hornstrandir , and its population in the country is estimated at about 8000. Some polar bears from the Greenland sometimes stranded on the island of icebergs. Other mammals native to the island are sailors. Thus we find seals and many whales off the coast of Iceland. The latter gave their name to certain places, such as Hvalfjrur (meaning whale fjord), and the town of Husavik has seen a significant tourism development centered on the observation of cetaceans. The whale is the subject of a hunt very controversial. However, settlers Vikings brought several species on the island, whether voluntarily, for agriculture, such as sheep or cows , or involuntarily in their ships, such as rats and mice. Among the imported animals, we find the famous Icelandic horse. There are about 50,000 on the island. Small (between 1.30 m and 1.40 m at the withers) but very strong, it has been for centuries the only means of transport and locomotion . Iceland is a huge natural reserve for birds, especially marine. The cliff Ltrabjarg , for example, is considered the largest bird cliff in the North Atlantic, and houses, among others, the largest colony of little penguins in the world . After almost disappeared a century ago, when their feathers were sought, the puffins , penguins parents are now several million, mostly in the Westman Islands. There are also several species of freshwater birds, particularly in the natural reserve Myvatn-Laxa. Unlike the Greenland neighbor, Iceland is considered part of the politically ' Europe , not of America : if it is in fact straddles the rift separating the two continents, the largest part of its territory Eastern European side of the rift, culturally and historically, its population is of European origin, not Indian / Inuit. Iceland has the lowest density in Europe, with 3.01 inhabitants per square kilometer. The distribution of the population of the island is very uneven. The majority of towns and villages located on the coast, inland, or " Highlands of Iceland "is comprised mainly of uninhabitable desert. The country's largest city is Reykjavik , the capital, with nearly half the population, and even two-thirds if you include the metropolitan area while the east of the island has only 12,000 inhabitants, depending in large portion of the catch. The major cities outside the metropolitan area of Reykjavik is Akureyri , a major port north of the island, and Keflavk (location of the airport ). The main mode of transport in Iceland is the road. Iceland has 13,034 km of roads, of which 4,617 are paved. The country has no railroads. The National Highway No. 1 is the main road that circles the island and connects most areas habitable. Only a few routes (including trails Sprengisandur and Kjlur ) pass through the interior of the country uninhabited. These roads are for vehicles 4x4 , because many crossings, fords. In winter, most roads are almost impassable, and the tracks are very often closed to traffic. The construction and management of roads is provided by Vegagerin. The international airport Keflavik is the main international airport. Other airports offer international connections Icelandic Reykjavik connects Greenland and the Faroe Islands, while Denmark, through Copenhagen, is connected to Iceland by seasonal services to Akureyri and Egilsstadir. The Keflavk International Airport is located 50 km from the capital, and serves as a hub for airlines Icelandair and Iceland Express. Regional flights to and from the Faroe Islands and Greenland , operated by the airline Air Iceland , are based on the Reykjavik airport. Iceland has 98 airports. In Iceland, the buses are heavily used. The stop is a frequently used means of transport on inland tourist traffic despite often low on the most isolated areas. Traditional farm (in Arbaerjarsafn) A black sand beach at Vik Dettifoss , the most powerful waterfall in Europe The geyser Strokkur Iceland has been inhabited since the ninth century. The Icelandic Free State was established in 930 , when the Althing , the oldest parliament in the world, met for the first time. This republic lasted until 1262 , when the country was submitted to the King of Norway. In 1380 , the island came under Danish rule for over five centuries. It became an independent republic in 1944. Contemporary Icelandic parliament, the Althing (written by spelling Aling Iceland - Icelandic name Alingi), was reintroduced in 1845 , initially as an advisory body to the King of Denmark Christian VIII. This new institution was considered a reincarnation of the old Althing, founded in 930 and dismantled in 1800 by the monarchy absolutist Danish. Jn Sigursson has worked hard for the independence of his country and chose Reykjavik as the seat of the assembly ( instead ingvellir ). In 2008, the Althing has 63 members, elected by citizens every four years. The president plays a mostly ceremonial role: as head of state, he represents the country abroad. It is elected every four years. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson , who occupied this office since 1996 , was reelected in 2008. The theoretical scope of the powers held by the president is regularly the subject of debate among lawyers Icelandic: while some provisions of the Constitution gives it several important prerogatives of other items indeed adopt a contrary direction. The head of government is the prime minister with the rest of the cabinet, he assumed executive power. The government, in theory, is appointed by the president after parliamentary elections. In practice, however, this choice is made by political parties, according to election results, agree on the identity of Ministers and the distribution of portfolios. Only in the event of continuing disagreement between the parties that the President would have to nominate ministers himself, a situation which the republic has never faced. The governments of Iceland have almost always involved a coalition of two parties or more, given that the majority of seats in the Althing has never been held by one political party. Iceland is divided into regions , districts , counties and municipalities. There are 8 regions, whose use is mainly statistical. Until 2003, the redistricting for the Aling followed the regions, but specific constituencies have been created since. Indeed, the division into area gave more weight to votes in the sparsely populated areas. The division into constituencies can rebalance the weights of the votes, even though inequalities remain. Iceland is traditionally divided into 23 counties, which are nowadays more important administrative. There are today 26 sslumenn whose skills after those of traditional counties. Finally, there are 79 municipalities in charge of local administration, such as schools , the transport , the waste management ... Iceland belongs to several international organizations s at different scales. The country was first of many relationships with other Nordic countries , with which it shares a common history. This cooperation has led inter alia to the creation of the Nordic Council and the West Nordic Council. The country also has strong links with Europe via the EFTA , the EEA and is part of the Schengen area. He also participated in many European programs such as Erasmus. However, it is not part of the European Union. However, following the 2008 economic crisis , Iceland intends to have the euro as its currency, which would have decreased in part the magnitude of the crisis. The euro is inseparable from membership in the European Union, the country formally applied July 17, 2009. However, discussions on fisheries and agriculture could well prevent the accession. Finally, the country is a member of the UN , the OECD and the NATO. Iceland does not have an army, its contribution to NATO is in other forms (military bases and financial contributions for the most part). After having been for centuries a country's economy very modest, its ratio of per capita GDP in 2007 is the highest in the world: its GDP per capita. adjusted for purchasing power parity is 40 000 . On February 24, 2010, the European Commission recommended opening negotiations on entry of Iceland in the European Union. Brussels said that Iceland was already at a sufficiently advanced stage of preparation, in the political , economic and legislative. Reykjavik applied already in effect for nearly three quarters of EU laws necessary for accession, which will accelerate the process. The traditional economy of Iceland depends heavily on the fishery and its markets, which account for nearly 60% of its export earnings. The healthy economy is dependent on market conditions and seafood The 77% of farmers in the 1900s are no longer in the early twenty-first century, only 4%. Arable land in Iceland is less than 1% of the surface of the island. However, the use of geothermal energy can heat greenhouses, as Hverageri , allowing the country to provide in some foods that would not grow otherwise not on the island. Protection of fisheries and agriculture are among the main reasons that stop Iceland to join the European Union. Renewable energy is today a leading sector of the economy and a cornerstone of his energy policy. 70% of the nation's energy comes from renewables. Over 99% of the country's electricity is produced by hydropower and geothermal energy . The largest geothermal power plant is Hellisheii , while the controversial dam Krahnjkavirkjun since 2009 is the largest hydroelectric plant in the country. Nevertheless, Icelanders emit 10 tons of CO 2 for greenhouse gas emissions per capita, which is higher than the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions by a French (2.30 tons in 2002). This is due to the use of personal transport. Iceland is the only country in the world with service stations who provide hydrogen for vehicles that run on a fuel cell. It is also one of the only countries capable of producing hydrogen in sufficient quantities and at reasonable prices, because of the abundant geothermal energy available on the island. Dam Burfell Geothermal power plant Krafla Iceland has great energy potential, well above the needs of its population. The country had planned to build a submarine cable to export its energy to Europe. Saying that it was difficult to export energy, Iceland decided instead to import industries with high energy consumption on the island. The large number of factory of aluminum in the country reflects this economic strategy. Downstream of Vatnajkull , the largest glacier in Europe, the complex hydro of Krahnjkavirkjun with a dam 198 meters high main feeds a plant for aluminum Alcoa , which produces 322,000 tonnes per year. This factory produces aluminum is in the east, where jobs are scarce. 57 km 2 of land are submerged. The dam has also lost 50 drops or waterfalls blocking the river Jkuls Bru. Environmentalists have opposed therefore to its construction, and argue that very few Icelanders sought a job with Alcoa, and that therefore the plant n'enrayera anyway not the desertification of this region, the main reason government support. The company built its plant in Alcoa Reyarfjrur to use cheap energy from the dam at Krahnjkar and is not bound by emissions of CO 2. The alumina, derived from the ore bauxite , is imported from the tropics and aluminum is shipped by boat in Europe. With the decline of fisheries family, most coastal villages are dying slowly. Defenders aluminum producers say the industry is needed to revitalize rural areas, while environmentalists call for new national parks to enhance the tourism sector only growing rapidly. The financial crisis of 2008 in Iceland affects the economic and banking system since October 2008 , in the context of the global economic crisis of 2008. To prevent the collapse of Icelandic banking system, the three main banks ( Glitnir , Landsbanki and Kaupthing ) were nationalized. However, the country's debt is very high and the repayment of debt in 2009 (3.8 billion dollars), 12 000 per capita, has created a serious political and social crisis. The infusion of the IMF seems to be insufficient to resolve this crisis. The sling popular to not repay the debt grows. The political embarrassment is total. Creditors (United Kingdom and the Netherlands) require repayment. Iceland in July 2009 filed an application letter to the European Union in an attempt to stabilize its economy and join the eurozone. Most Icelanders live in the south coast, the climate warmer than the northern shores. Nearly 60% of them are clustered in the region of Reykjavik. Isafjrdur in north-west, is the only exception is a town of about 3000 inhabitants live mainly from fishing. On January 25, 2006, the Althing officially counted 300,000 inhabitants in Iceland (not counting the 10,800 Icelanders living mainly in Europe , in Canada and the U.S. ). In Canada , more than 100,000 people recognize themselves or descendants of Icelanders Icelanders, including 19 155 in British Columbia. Among immigrants, the largest minority is the minority Polish , numbering about 8500 people , and used mostly in the area of fisheries . The second minority is a minority of Lithuania , which has approximately 1500 individuals . Peculiarity: the notion of family name does not exist in Iceland. Icelanders are their own first name and surname of their father's followed by the suffix (son of ...) for men and Dottie for Women (daughter ...). The surname thus changes with each generation. Germanic language spoken in Iceland, Icelandic history is rooted in the Norse , which was practiced since the Middle Ages in Scandinavia. The isolation of Iceland and its significant written culture have allowed exceptional preservation of the original language especially in its written version but also in its oral version. The English and Danish are widely spoken and understood. The French and German are also taught in grammar schools and at the end of secondary education . Probably for this reason isolation, Icelanders can communicate with the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands and northern Norway because their language is akin to always close enough to the old Norse. There is no Iceland separation between church and state. The Church of Iceland or Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland is the national church. The state lists the religious affiliation of all Icelandic citizens. In 2005, Icelanders were divided between different religious groups: On 3 May 1973 Sveinbjrn Beinteinsson , farmer, poet, singer and spiritual leader succeeds in Icelandic pagan religion recognized Icelandic pagan Islenska Asatruarfelagid by the Icelandic government as the official religion of state can marry and baptize Icelandic citizens who wish. Iceland is famous for all the sagas that have been devised and written in the medieval period : some, like the saga of Hrafnkell , are still read and appreciated today. Icelanders are two cultural trends. On the one hand, traditions which are expressed by the conservation that transmits certain beliefs (presence of Elves invisible for example), the other the Americanization pervades the country: series subtitled in English Icelandic, Coca-Cola omnipresent. Food from abroad is rarely completely translated (eg cereals, it would not be profitable for the producer), American football on television. Art and Literature Icelandic literature is literature written in the Icelandic language. The sagas , epic stories that take place during the colonization of Iceland, are best known. The best known are the Saga of Njal and Grnlendinga saga and Eirks saga telling the discovery of Greenland and Vinland. A translation of the Bible was published in the sixteenth century. Literature between the fifteenth and the nineteenth century include sacred poems, such as Psalms of the Passion of Hallgrmur Ptursson , one of the most famous poets of Iceland, but also Rmur , which are epic poems. The author best known contemporary Icelandic is probably Halldr Laxness , who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. Icelandic crime fiction writers a few lighthouses include Arnaldur Indridason. Icelandic contemporary painting has its origins in the work of rarinn Thorlaksson who mainly paints landscapes of the island. Other artists have followed in the footsteps of rarinn Thorlaksson as Jhannes Kjarval and Juliana Sveinsdttir. The Icelandic architecture has a Scandinavian influence. Icelandic music is related to Nordic music. Traditional music is very religious. Hallgrmur Ptursson wrote many hymns Protestants during the seventeenth century. The Rmur also occupies an important place in the Icelandic cultural heritage. The Rmur are epic tales, mostly a cappella , which find their origins in the poetry skaldic. The poet is best known Sigurur Breidfjord ( 1,798 - 1846 ) Contemporary music includes many pop-rock, like Bang Gang , Quarashi and Amiina, or singers Bubba Morthen , Megas and Bjrgvin Halldrsson. The independent rock scene is also important with Mm or Sigur Rs. Many Icelandic artists and groups are known worldwide as Bjrk , Sigur Rs and Emiliana Torrini , but Gus Gus , Quarashi , Ampop , Minus and Mm. The main music festival is the Iceland Airwaves , which takes place every year in Reykjavik , and meet as many groups as Icelandic foreign groups. Channels Television largest chain in Iceland are state Sjnvarpi and private channels Std 2 and Skjr einn. Stations radio are the most important Rs 1 , 2 Rs and Bylgjan. Newspapers are Morgunblai , Frttablai and 24 Stunde. Internet is also very present in Iceland and most Icelanders have a blog. The websites are the most important Vsir.is and Mbl.is. Iceland is the children's program LazyTown (Icelandic: Latibr) is manufactured. It was created by Magns Scheving. This program became very popular. It is broadcast in 98 countries including the United States or United Kingdom. The studios are located in Lazytown Gardabaer. Icelandic cuisine is based on fish , to lamb and dairy products. The orramatur is the traditional Icelandic dish. Sport occupies an important place in Icelandic culture. The main traditional sport in Iceland is the Glim , a form of struggle that dates back to the Middle Ages. Among the popular sports in Iceland, there is the football (soccer) , the handball , the basketball and athletics. Handball is often considered the national sport and the team of Iceland is one of the best teams in the world and won the silver medal of 2008 Olympics. In football, the women's national team is ranked 18th worldwide by FIFA. As for the men's team football, it has never qualified for the finals of a major football competition. However, it failed to achieve during the Euro 2000 qualifiers in shaking notably France. She also brushed a point behind the play-off place in Scotland during the Euro qualifiers next (Euro 2004). In addition, it has in the person of Eidur Gudjohnsen Smri (on loan to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ) a world class striker. The chess and horse riding are also popular. Iceland has the code: Geology
Topography and hydrology
Climate
months January February March April May jul. jul. Aug. September October November December Average minimum temperature ( C ) -3 -2 -2 0 4 7 8 8 5 2 -1 -3 Average maximum temperature ( C) 2 3 3 6 9 12 13 13 10 7 3 2 Sunshine ( h ) 27 52 111 140 192 161 171 155 125 83 39 12 Rainfall ( mm ) 76 72 82 58 44 50 52 62 67 86 73 79 Number of days with rain 13 13 14 12 10 11 10 12 12 15 13 14 Flora and Fauna
Human geography
Transport
History
Politics
Organization of powers
Administrative division
Membership in international organizations
Economy
Traditional Economy
Power generation
Aluminum Plant
Financial Crisis of 2008
Demographics
Major cities
Major Cities in Iceland Rank Name Region Pop. 1 Reykjavik Hfuborgarsvi 119110! 119 110 2 Kpavogur Hfuborgarsvi 30401! 30 401 3 Hafnarfjordur Hfuborgarsvi 26031! 26 031 4 Akureyri Norurland eystra 17481! 17 481 5 Reykjanesbr Suurnes 14099! 14 099 6 Gardabaer Hfuborgarsvi 10584! 10 584 7 Mosfellsbr Hfuborgarsvi 8517! 8517 8 Arborg Suurland 7928! 7928 9 Akranes Vesturland 6630! 6630 10 Fjardabyggd Austurland 4736! 4736 Census 1 October 2009 Languages
Religion
Education system
Culture
Music
Media
Cuisine
Sport
Codes
See also
External Links
References
The 27 Member States of the European Union Germany Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Denmark Spain Estonia Finland France Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania UK Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Czech Republic States identified as candidates for the European Union Croatia Island Macedonia Montenegro Turkey The four Member States of the European Free Trade Island Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland 8 Member States of the Free Trade Agreement Central European Albania Bosnia-Herzegovina Croatia Macedonia Moldova Montenegro Kosovo Serbia Other European states (or countries part of which is on the European continent ) Andorra Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Monaco Russia San Marino Ukraine Vatican States armed forces members 
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