Key facts about Iceland

Land Area
103,000 square kilometres; 40,000 square miles.

Population
320.000 (Dec. 2008). Population density per square kilometer: 2,8. Iceland is the least populated country in Europe (seventh in the world). Most of the people are of Norwegian descent, with some admixture of Celtic blood from those who came from Ireland and the Scottish islands from the time of settlement.

Capital
Reykjavík population: 119.848
Greater Reykjavík area population: 201.585

Religion
Evangelical Lutheran Church; state church of Iceland: 84,08%
Lutheran free churches: 4,62%
Other: 11,29%

Education
Mandatory from 6 to 15 years of age.
Schools for compulsory education: 192
Schools above compulsory education: 42
Universities and Colleges: 8

Language
The countrie's written and spoken language is Icelandic, a Nordic language very similar to that spoken by Iceland's first settlers. Icelandic is one of the oldest living languages in Europe. English and Danish are mandatory subjects in school. Literacy is 99,9%, the highest in the world.

History
The first people believed to have settled in Iceland were Irish monks who came in the eighth century AD. They left, however, upon the arrival of pagan Norsemen, who came in 874 to seek freedom from Norway's oppressive king Harald Fairhair. In 930 the Icelanders founded the Althing, their supreme general assembly - the oldest parliament in the world. Christianity was adopted in the year 1000. In 1262, Iceland became subject to Norwegian control and in 1380 came under Danish control, along with Norway. After the granting of a constitution (1874) and with an improving economy, Iceland, in 1918, finally became an independent sovereign state under a common king with Denmark. The Republic of Iceland was formally declared on June 17, 1944.

Government
A Government of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement took office May 10, 2009. Prime Minister is Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, Minister of Finance is Steingrímur J. Sigfússon and Minister for Foreign Affairs is Össur Skarphédinsson. Further Information.

Head of State
His Excellency, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, was inaugurated on the 1st of August 1996 and for the fourth time August 1, 2008. He is a former Minister of Finance and was a professor of political science at the University of Iceland and a member of the Icelandic parliament before he was elected president.