Atlantica - 01.11.2001, Blaðsíða 75

Atlantica - 01.11.2001, Blaðsíða 75
73 Domestic Route Map Látrabjarg Facts about Iceland LAND Iceland is an island of 103,000 km2 (39,756 square miles), with an average height of 500 m above sea level. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur, rises to 2,119 m, and over 11 per cent of the country is covered by glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe. ENERGY Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and geothermal activity: 30 post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, and natural hot water supplies much of the pop- ulation with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers, too, are harnessed to provide inex- pensive hydroelectric power. The electrical current is 220 volts, 50 Hz. PEOPLE Out of a population numbering almost 280,000, half live in the capital, Reykjavík, and its neighbouring towns in the southwest. Keflavík International Airport is located about 50 km from the capital. The highland interior is uninhabited (and unin- habitable), and most centres of population are situated on the coast. LANGUAGE Iceland was settled by Nordic people in the 9th century – tradition says that the first permanent settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking who made his home where Reykjavík now stands. The Icelanders still speak the language of the Vikings, although modern Icelandic has undergone changes of pronunciation and, of course, of vocabulary! Iceland is alone in upholding another Norse tradition, i.e. the custom of using patronymics rather than surnames; an Icelander’s Christian name is followed by his or her father’s name and the suffix -son or -dóttir, e.g. Gudrún Pétursdóttir (Gudrún, daughter of Pétur). Members of a family can therefore have many different “surnames,” which some- times causes confusion to foreigners! CHURCH The National Church of Ice- land, to which 90 per cent of the population belong, is Evangelical Lutheran. In addition to the many Lutheran churches in Reykja- vík, there is a Roman Catholic Cathedral at Landakot, with regular Sunday Mass. TIME In spite of its mid-Atlantic location, Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time all year round. HISTORY In 930, the Icelandic settlers founded one of the world’s first republican governments; the Old Commonwealth Age, described in the classic Icelandic Sagas, last- ed until 1262, when Iceland lost its inde- pendence. In 1918 it regained its indepen- dence, and in 1944 the present republic was founded. The country is governed by the Althingi (parliament), whose members are elected every four years. Four-yearly elections are also held for the presidency; President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was elected in June 1996 to succeed Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. The head of state plays no part in day-to-day poli- tics. ECONOMY The economy is heavily depen- dent upon fishing. Despite efforts to diversify, particularly into the travel industry, seafood exports continue to account for nearly three quarters of merchandise exports and approx- imately half of all foreign exchange earnings. Yet less than 10 per cent of the workforce is involved in fishing and fish processing. The travel industry makes up the second-largest export industry in Iceland.The standard of liv- ing is high, with income per capita among the best in the world. The financial sector has been liberalised in recent years.The economy is service-oriented: two thirds of the working population are employed in the service sector, both public and private. Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area (EEA). HEALTH Life expectancy, at 81.3 years for women and 76.4 for men, is one of the high- est in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care system aims to keep it that way. 067-080 ATL 601FLUGL 21.10.2001 18:25 Page 73
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Atlantica

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