ICELAND

CONTENT

• The flag;
• Geography; • Economy;
• Demography; • Trade;
• Health system; • Culture;
• Politics; • Places to visit;
• Foreign relations; • Interesting facts.
THE FLAG
 GEOGRAPHY
• Total area: 103,000 km2;
• Capital: Reykjavík.
• 62.7% is tundra.
• 80% covered in mountains, 14.3%
covered in lakes and glaciers.
• Only 23% of land is vegetated.
• Natural resources: fish, hydropower,
geothermal power.
• Interesting fact: the country is between
two plates.
 DEMOGRAPHY
• Population: 361,313 people.
• Official language: Icelandic.
• 93.9% of country is urbanized.
• Life expectancy: 81.3 years for men
and 84.5 years for women.
• Ethnic groups: Icelandic, Polish,
Lithuanian and other groups.
• Official religion: Evangelic Lutheran
church of Iceland.
• Interesting fact: the surnames.
 HEALTH SYSTEM
• The health system is paid by taxes and
service fees.
• No private hospitals and private
insurance.
• 15th best performing health care system
in the world.
• Interesting fact: 81% of Icelanders are
in good health according to a survey.
 POLITICS
• Unitary parliamentary republic;
• President: Guðni Th. Jóhannesson.
• Prime minister: Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
• Main political parties: Independence
Party, Left-Green Movement,
Progressive Party.
• Interesting fact: party Women’s List
led entirely by women.
 FOREIGN RELATIONS
• A member of UN, NATO, FTA and
Council of Europe.
• A part of European Economic Area.
• Interesting fact: USA was the first
county to recognize Iceland as a
state.
 ECONOMY
• High-income economy.
• In 2016 Iceland was ranked one of the
greenest economies in the world.
• National currency: Iceland Crown (ISK).
• Iceland’s total GDP: $20 billion.
• GDP per capita: $55,917.
• Unemployment rate in 2019: 3.62%.
• Unemployment rate in 2020: 7.2%.
• Interesting fact: until the 20th century, the
country was fairly poor.
 TRADE IMPORT
• In 2019, Iceland imported $6.6
billion worth of goods.
• Main suppliers: Norway, USA,
Germany, China, the Netherlands
and others.
• Main imported products: petroleum
oils, artificial corundum, Carbon
electrodes, motor vehicles and
others.
 TRADE EXPORT
• In 2019, Iceland exported $5.2
billion worth of goods.
• Main customers: the Netherlands,
United Kingdom, Spain, the United
States, France and others.
• Main exported products: unwrought
aluminum, fish products, aluminum
wire, powered aircraft and others.
 TOURISM
• About 1 million of tourists visit Iceland
every year.
• Tourism contributes to about 10% of
GDP.
• It shares nearly 30% of export revenue.
• Main tourists come from: the United
States, the United Kingdom, Germany,
Canada, France and others.
• The most popular tourist destination: the
capital of Iceland (97%).
 CULTURE LITERATURE
• In 2011, Reykjavik became a
UNESCO City of Literature.
• Iceland has the most bookstores per
capita.
• Halldór Laxness received the Nobel
Prize in literature in 1955.
• Interesting fact: around 10% of
Icelanders publish a book in their
lifetime.
 CULTURE MUSIC AND MEDIA
• Most common music genres are folk
and pop.
• The best-known Icelandic musician is
Björk.
• Iceland is home to Lazy Town.
• A film Children of Nature was
nominated for the Academy Award.
 CULTURE CUISINE
• Skyr;
• Hakarl;
• Cured ram;
• Singed sheep heads;
• Black pudding;
• Puffin;
• Interesting fact: the 3rd in coffee
consumption.
 CULTURE SPORT
• Traditional sport Glíma;
• Football;
• Track and field;
• Handball;
• Basketball;
• Excellent conditions for skiing,
fishing, snowboarding, ice climbing.
• Mountain climbing;
• Hiking;
• Etc.
 PLACES TO VISIT
• Blue Lagoon, Grinavík;
• Strokkur Geysir;
• Aurora Borealis;
• Landmannalaugar Nature Reserve;
• Mælifell Volcano and Myrdalsjökull
Glacier Park;
• Skaftafell Ice Cave, Vatnajökull National
Park;
• Dettifoss Waterfall;
• Kirkjufell Mountain, Grundarfjörður;
• Hallgrímskirkja.
 INTERESTING FACTS
• A Ring Road;
• No mosquitos – midges;
• Clean water;
• 70% of women have Irish and
Celtic roots;
• The lowest crime rate;
• World’s most peaceful country;
• Icelandic language.
 SOURCES
• https://
import-export.societegenerale.fr/en/country/iceland/presentation-trade#classification_by_pro
ducts
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/print_ic.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Iceland
• https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/iceland-isl.htm
 TAKK FYRIR
ATHYGLINA YKKAR