Important Facts About Iceland

Iceland is a volcanic island on the mid-Atlantic Ridge.which has one chamber, and the President is also
The centre of the country is approximately atnationally elected.
65° N and 18° W. The closest countries areThe country is divided into five electoral districts, 20
Greenland, 287 km, the Faroe Islands, 420 km, andadministrative districts and 101 municipalities. The
Scotland, 798 km. Iceland's area is 102,700 km2 andpopulation is 319,000 and two-thirds of the inhabitants
its coastline 6300 km, and 37% of the country islive in the capital city area, about 40% of these in
over 600 m above sea level. Only 2% of the countrythe capital city Reykjavík. Most of the larger
is arable land and two-thirds of it is sparselytowns are near the capital city: Kopavogur,
vegetated desert or glaciers.Hafnarfjordur, Mosfellsbaer and Gardabaer, but of the
Glaciers cover about 11% of the country's surface,other larger towns the largest are Akureyri in North
and the biggest of them is Vatnajokull, which is 8300Iceland and Reykjanesbaer in the southwest corner.
km2. Also, the highest mountain in the country isAbout 70% of the population work in the service
there, Hvannadalshnjukur 2119 m. Iceland was part ofsector, about 25% in industry and only 5% in
the Danish empire until 1918 but obtained fullagriculture and fisheries, while about 60% of the total
independence in 1944. Every four years in generalexport value is from seafood products and about
elections representatives are elected to Althingi,36% from the industry.