, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography-note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
westernmost European country; more land covered by glaciers than in
all of continental Europe

@Iceland:People

Population: 271,033 (July 1998 est.)
note: population data estimates based on average growth rate may
differ slightly from official population data because of volatile
migration rates

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 32,723; female 31,196)
15-64 years: 65% (male 88,608; female 86,775)
65 years and over: 11% (male 14,324; female 17,407) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.52% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 15.11 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 6.97 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.84 years
male: 76.76 years
female: 81.05 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and
Celts

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman
Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)

Languages: Icelandic

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (1976 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

@Iceland:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lyoveldio Island
local short form: Island

Data code: IC

Government type: constitutional republic

National capital: Reykjavik

Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular-sysla) and 14
independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular-kaupstadhur); Akranes*,
Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla,
Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*,
Husavik*, Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-