Part 388

Environment - current issues: water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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: 269,697 (July 1997 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 32,931; female 31,390) 15-64 years: 64% (male 87,993; female 86,107) 65 years and over: 12% (male 14,107; female 17,169) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.47% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 15.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 6.93 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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 total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.73 years male: 76.68 years female: 80.9 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (1997 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-la, Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla

Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)

Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944