| Geography | Iceland |  = Fields  = World Records  = Dictionary  = Bar graph  = Distribution map  = Fields History  = Definitions |
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Location:
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Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom |
Geographic coordinates:
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65 00 N, 18 00 W |
Map references:
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Arctic Region |
Area:
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total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Kentucky |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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4,970 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
Terrain:
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mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier) |
Natural resources:
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fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
Land use:
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arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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NA |
Total renewable water resources:
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170 cu km (2005) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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546,522 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.17 cu km/yr (34%/66%/0%)
per capita: 567 cu m/yr (2003) |
Natural hazards:
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earthquakes and volcanic activity
volcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (elev. 1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (elev. 1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most frequently active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar |
Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment |
Environment - international agreements:
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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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note:
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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 |
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This page was last updated on 3 February, 2012 |
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