| Location | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom |
| Geographic coordinates | 65 00 N, 18 00 W |
| Map references | Arctic Region |
| Area | total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; about the same size as Kentucky |
| Land boundaries | total: 0 km |
| Coastline | 4,970 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
| Terrain | mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Hvannadalshnukur (at Vatnajokull Glacier) 2,110 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 557 m |
| Natural resources | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
| Land use | agricultural land: 18.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.) forest: 0.3% (2018 est.) other: 81% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | NA |
| Total renewable water resources | 170 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes and volcanic activity volcanism: Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot, experiences severe volcanic activity; Eyjafjallajokull (1,666 m) erupted in 2010, sending ash high into the atmosphere and seriously disrupting European air traffic; scientists continue to monitor nearby Katla (1,512 m), which has a high probability of eruption in the very near future, potentially disrupting air traffic; Grimsvoetn and Hekla are Iceland's most active volcanoes; other historically active volcanoes include Askja, Bardarbunga, Brennisteinsfjoll, Esjufjoll, Hengill, Krafla, Krisuvik, Kverkfjoll, Oraefajokull, Reykjanes, Torfajokull, and Vestmannaeyjar |
| Geography - note | strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
