Total area: 103,000 km2; land area: 100,250 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky

_#_Land boundaries: none

_#_Coastline: 4,988 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark,
Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement
in the Rockall area)

_#_Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild,
windy winters; damp, cool summers

_#_Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks,
icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

_#_Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power,
diatomite

_#_Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
pastures 23%; forest and woodland 1%; other 76%

_#_Environment: subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity

_#_Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
westernmost European country

_*_People
_#_Population: 259,742 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Icelander(s); adjective--Icelandic

_#_Ethnic divisions: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians
and Celts

_#_Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)

_#_Language: Icelandic

_#_Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1976 est.)

_#_Labor force: 134,429; commerce, finance, and services 55.4%, other
manufacturing 14.3%., agriculture 5.8%, fish processing 7.9%, fishing
5.0% (1986)

_#_Organized labor: 60% of labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Iceland

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Reykjavik

_#_Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla)
and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular--kaupstadhur); Akranes*,
Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla,
Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla,
Gullbringusysl