1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
30 November 1966 (from UK)
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.)
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Languages
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
English
Exports
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
External Debt
$124,500,000,000 $
$4,490,000,000 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)
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.000%
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Area
103,000 km sq
430 km sq
Coastline
4,970 km
97 km
Climate
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
