Map Data for
Iceland

The Nordic island of Iceland is situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, south-east of Greenland. Its closest neighbours are Greenland and the Faroe Islands, followed by Scotland. It is one Europe’s most sparsely populated countries, with two-thirds of the population living in or around the capital city of Reykjavik.
Iceland was under Norwegian and then Danish rule for many years. It gained independence in 1918, with the founding of a republic in 1944. It is a representative democracy and a parliamentary republic divided into eight regions.
For much of the twentieth century, Iceland was a relatively poor country, but developed into one of the most prosperous economies in the world, largely due to its fishing industry. In 2008 and the world financial crisis, however, the banking infrastructure of Iceland collapsed.
The fishing industry still contributes around 40% to the country’s economy, but is a contracting sector. Iceland has diversified into manufacturing and service industries. It has one of the greenest economies in the world and runs itself almost entirely on renewable energy. Tourism (especially ecotourism) is now a huge contributor to the economy, and a growing sector.
Culturally, Iceland is very Nordic. It has a strong heritage in art, literature, music and a lively media scene. The population is one of the world’s healthiest. From a Lutheran tradition, Iceland is now a strongly secular nation, with one of the highest proportions of atheists.
Iceland’s position between Europe and North America remains important. It is a member of United Nations and NATO. It is the only member of NATO without a standing army.