President: Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Prime minister: Johanna Sigurdardottir
Population
9,598,787
313,183
Life Expectancy
60.260 years
81.000 years
Capital City
Reykjavik
Largest city
Cotonou (population: 690,584)
Reykjavik (population: 113,906)
Human Development Index
0.459
NA
GDP per capita
$38,500 US
Literacy Rate
34.7%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
3.1
8.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
10.8%
33.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Bjorgolfur Thor Bjorgolfsson ($1.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
7.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Abolished
Political System
republic
constitutional republic
Independence date
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Religions
Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)
Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2.4%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other or unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)
Languages
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Exports
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite
External Debt
$124,500,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar - 85.619 (2008 est.), 63.391 (2007), 70.195 (2006), 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
1
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Area
112,622 km sq
103,000 km sq
Coastline
121 km
4,970 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
