IcelandGeography
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Location: |
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
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Geographic coordinates: |
65 00 N, 18 00 W
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Map references: |
Arctic Region
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Area: |
total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Kentucky
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Land boundaries: |
0 km
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Coastline: |
4,988 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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Climate: |
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
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Terrain: |
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
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Natural resources: |
fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
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Land use: |
arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
NA sq km
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Natural hazards: |
earthquakes and volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues: |
water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment
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Environment - international agreements: |
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
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note: |
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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More about Iceland:
Introduction
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
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