Basic Facts
Geography
Location: European island in the North Atlantic (3 hours' flight from London, 5 ½ hours from New York).
Capital: Reykjavik (population 120.000 approx.)
Total area: 103,000 km² (39,756 square.miles); vegetation: 23.1%, lakes: 2.7%, glaciers: 11.6%, wasteland: 62.6%.
Sea area within fishing limits: 758,000 km².
Coastline: 4,970 km.
People
Population 2008: 313.000 (2.9 per sq. km).
Ethnic groups: Homogenous mixture of descendants of the original Nordic and Celtic settlers.
Religion: State Lutheran Church 84%.
Government
Type: Republic since 17 June 1944. Independent since 1 December 1918.
President (since 1996): Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Prime Minister (since 2009): Mrs. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir. The cabinet is responsible to the legislature (Althingi).
Economy
Currency: Icelandic krona (ISK) (Rate of exchange - See Central Bank exchange rates).
Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita 2007: USD 54,000
Labour force: 180.000 (2008).
Unemployment: 4% (2008, 4th quarter).
Employment by industry (approx): Agriculture: 3%. Fishing: 3% Industry: 20%. Services: 70%
