1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Religions
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
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
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Area
103,000 km sq
Coastline
4,970 km
Climate
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
