Atlantica - 01.12.2004, Page 81
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U . S . C U S T O M D E C L A R A T I O N F O R M
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, Hvanna-
dalshnúkur, 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 popula-
tion with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers, too, are harnessed to provide
inexpensive 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 uninhabitable), 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 sometimes causes confu-
sion to foreigners!
CHURCH The National Church of Iceland, to which 90 per cent of the
population belong, is Evangelical Lutheran. In addition to the many Lutheran
churches in Reykjavík, 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, lasted until 1262, when Iceland lost its independence.
In 1918 it regained its independence, 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 politics.
ECONOMY The economy is heavily dependent upon fishing. Despite
efforts to diversify, particularly into the travel industry, seafood exports
continue to account for nearly three quarters of merchandise exports and
approximately half of all foreign exchange earnings. Yet less than 10 per cent
of the workforce is involved in fishing and fish processing. The travel indus-
try makes up the second-largest export industry in Iceland. The standard
of living 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 highest in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care
system aims to keep it that way.
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