Iceland FAQ

The location of the country

Iceland is located in the North Europe. Iceland is an island between the Greenland Sea and the Northern Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom. The island covers a total of 103,000 sq km, about 100,250 sq km land and 2750 sq km water. The temperature is moderated by the North Atlantic Current. Iceland has usually cold windy winters, damp and cool summers.  The Icelandic terrain is like no other, Iceland as many mountains, ice fields and the coast is deeply intended by bays and fiords. There are also some natural hazards in Iceland such as earthquakes and volcanoes. The most famous volcanic eruption happened some year before in the mountain Hekla.

The population

Iceland is populated by few, 319368 which was last estimated 1. January 2009. Every year the population grows for about 0,97 %. The Icelandic capital is Reykjavik and the population of Reykjavik and surrounding areas is more than 180,000. This island is the most sparsely populated country in Europe with an average about three inhabitants per square km. The public language is Icelandic. Also an interesting fact is that Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe.

Religion in Iceland

The state religion in Iceland is Evangelical Lutheran which holds over 85% of the population. Other denominations: Evangelical Lutheran Free churches (3.5%), Roman Catholic Church (1,1%), Pentecostal and Charismatic Congregations (1.0%) and others (1.2%). Non-affiliated amount to 2.0% of the population.  Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, and other 8.1 %.

Employment in Iceland

Fishing and fish processing is the main economic activity in Iceland, accounting for 50% of foreign currency revenues and about 11,8 % of the population work in the fishing industry. Iceland has also other industries such as aluminum smelting and a ferro silicon production. Other important employments in Iceland are agriculture, industry and services. The service sector has grown rapidly the last years and is still very much on an upward trend.