President:
Ólafur Rangar Grímsson
Prime Minister:
Johanna Sigurdardottir
Land area:
38,707 sq mi (100,251 sq km); total area:
39,768 sq mi (103,000 sq km)1
Population :
(2010 est.): 308,910 (growth rate: 0.7%); birth rate:
13.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 3.2/1000; life
expectancy: 80.8; density per sq km: 3
Capital and largest city[2003est]: Reykjavik,
184,200 (metro. area), 114,800 (city proper)
Iceland is a
small island
quiet a bit
above the UK.
The earliest inhabitants of Iceland were Irish hermits, who left the island
upon the arrival of the pagan Norse people in the late 9th century. A
constitution drawn up c. 930 created a form of democracy and provided for an
Althing, the world's oldest practicing legislative assembly. The island's early
history was preserved in the Icelandic sagas of the 13th century.
In 1262–1264, Iceland came under Norwegian rule and passed to ultimate
Danish control through the unification of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden,
and Denmark (the Kalmar Union) in 1397.
In 1874, Icelanders obtained their own constitution, and in 1918, Denmark
recognized Iceland, via the Act of Union, as a separate state with unlimited
sovereignty. It remained, however, nominally under the Danish monarchy.
During the German occupation of Denmark in World War II, British, then
American, troops occupied Iceland and used it for a strategic air base. While
officially neutral, Iceland cooperated with the Allies throughout the conflict.
On June 17, 1944, after a popular referendum, the Althing proclaimed Iceland
an independent republic.
Ash Plume Wreaks Havoc on Air Travel
In late March 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted. The event
produced minimal seismic activity, but an explosion on April 14 resulted in
a volcanic ash plume in the atmosphere over northern and central Europe.
Air travel in the region was halted for several days, causing the cancellation
of several thousand flights and disrupting the travel plans of millions of
people.
Geography
Iceland, an island about the size of Kentucky,
lies in the north Atlantic Ocean east of
Greenland and just touches the Arctic Circle.
It is one of the most volcanic regions in the
world. More than 13% is covered by
snowfields and glaciers, and most of the
people live in the 7% of the island that is
made up of fertile coastland. The Gulf
Stream keeps Iceland's climate milder than
one would expect from an island near the
Arctic Circle.
Energy
Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and
geothermal activity: 30 post-glacial
volcanoes have erupted in the past
two centuries, and natural hot
water supplies much of the
population with cheap, pollutionfree heating. Rivers, too, are
harnessed to provide inexpensive
hydroelectric power.
People
Out of a population numbering
more than 280.000, half live in the
capital Reykjavík and its
neighbouring towns in the
southwest. Keflavík International
Airport is located about 50 km
from the capital. The highland
interior is uninhabited (and
uninhabitable), and most centres
of population are situated on the
coast.
Language
Iceland was settled by Nordic people in the
9th century - tradition says that the first
permanent settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, a
Norwegian Viking who made his home
where Reykjavík now stands. The Icelanders
still speak the language of the Vikings,
although modern Icelandic has undergone
changes of pronunciation and, of course, of
vocabulary! Iceland is alone in upholding
another Norse tradtion, i.e. the custom of
using patronymics rather than surnames;
and Icelander´s christian name is followed
by his or her father´s name and the suffix son or -dóttir, e.g. Guðrún Pétursdóttir
(Guðrún, daughter of Pétur). Members of a
family can therefore have many different
"surnames", which sometimes causes
confusion to foreigners!
Country
Iceland is an island of 103.000
km2 (39,756 sq.miles), with an
average height of 500 m above sea
level. Its highest peak,
Hvannadalshnjúkur, rises to 2.119
m and over 11 per cent of the
country is covered by glaciers,
including Vatnajökull, the largest
in Europe.
Iceland, the land of ice and fire, is a true paradise for
volcanologists. In few places on earth, geology and
human history are so closely connected to volcanism
as on Iceland. The island owns its existence to a large
volcanic hot spot sitting on a mid-oceanic ridge, a
unique setting. The plate boundary between the
American and Eurasian tectonic plates crosses Iceland
from south to North and the spreading process can be
directly measured and observed on land.
Volcanoes are openings in the Earth’s
surface. When they are active they can
let ash, gas and hot magma escape in
sometimes violent and spectacular
eruptions.
The word volcano originally comes from
the name of the Roman god of fire,
Vulcan.
V
O
L
C
A
N
O
S
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran Church; state
church of Iceland: 87.1%
Lutheran free churches: 4.1%
Other: 8.8%
Transport
Air transport: Daily flights, most of
them operated by Iceland air, link
Iceland with more than 20 gateways
in Europe and North America. Flight
time is 2-4 hours to Western Europe
and 5-8 hours to North America.
Domestic services operate to
Iceland's main regional communities,
with flight time of less than one hour.
Approximately 40% of total foreign
currency earnings are from marine
products. Some 99% of imports and
exports are carried by marine
transport, most of them handled by
Iceland's two major shipping
companies, Sam skip and Eimskip.
Education
Mandatory from 6 to 15 years of age.
Schools for compulsory education: 193
Schools above compulsory education: 37
Universities and colleges: 8
Sports in Iceland are very popular. For nine
recent years, Iceland remains a very healthy
nation. Popular sports include handball,
football , athletics , basketball , golf ,
volleyball , tennis , swimming , and chess ;
horseback riding on Icelandic horses is also
popular.
The country's chess clubs have created many
chess Grandmasters including Friðrik
Ólafsson, Johann Hjartarson, Margeir
Pétursson, and Jón Loftur Árnason, and Golf
is especially common (around 1 in 8
Icelanders play), but the oldest sport
association in Iceland is the Reykjavik
Shooting Association, founded 1867. Rifle
shooting became very popular in the 19th
century and was heavily encouraged by
politicians and others pushing for Icelandic
independence. Shooting remains popular
and all types of shooting with small arms
practiced in the country.
Annie Mist Thorisdottir
Age: 23
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 148 lbs
Date of Birth: 09-18-89
Place Of Birth: Iceland
Started Cross Fit: Recently
Lives In Iceland
Affiliate: Boot camp, Cross Fit Sport