The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Издательство: Bookwire
Серия:
Жанр произведения: Социология
Год издания: 0
isbn: 4057664639424
Скачать книгу
crime and drug trafficking

      This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

      ======================================================================

      @Iceland

      Introduction Iceland

      Background:

       Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants

       during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the

       world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing,

       established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was

       subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja

       volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused

       widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the

       island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited

       home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence

       attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion

       are first-rate by world standards.

      Geography Iceland

      Location:

       Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North

       Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

      Geographic coordinates:

       65 00 N, 18 00 W

      Map references:

       Arctic Region

      Area:

       total: 103,000 sq km

       land: 100,250 sq km

       water: 2,750 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       slightly smaller than Kentucky

      Land boundaries:

       0 km

      Coastline:

       4,988 km

      Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

      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

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

       highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

      Natural resources:

       fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

      Land use: arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       NA sq km

      Natural hazards:

       earthquakes and volcanic activity

      Environment - current issues:

       water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater

       treatment

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic

       Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto

       Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,

       Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer

       Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands

       signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life

       Conservation

      Geography - note:

       strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost

       European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in

       the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental

       Europe

      People Iceland

      Population:

       296,737 (July 2005 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 22.1% (male 33,302/female 32,257)

       15–64 years: 66.2% (male 99,513/female 96,886)

       65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,723/female 19,056) (2005 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 34 years

       male: 33.53 years

       female: 34.49 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       0.91% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       13.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

       total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births

       male: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 3.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 80.19 years

       male: 78.13 years

       female: 82.34 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.92 children born/woman (2005 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.2% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       220 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 100 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Icelander(s)

       adjective: Icelandic

      Ethnic groups:

       homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,

       population of foreign origin 6%

      Religions:

       Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman

       Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian

       2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)

      Languages:

       Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99.9% (1997 est.)

       male: NA%

       female: NA%

      Government