Geography of Iceland
|
Native name: Ísland Nickname: Land of Fire and Ice |
|
|---|---|
Satellite image of Iceland
|
|
.svg) |
|
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 65°00′N 18°00′W / 65.000°N 18.000°W |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Atlantic Ocean |
| Area | 103,001 km2 (39,769 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 18th |
| Coastline | 4,970 km (3,088 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2,110 m (6,920 ft) |
| Highest point | Hvannadalshnúkur |
| Administration | |
| Largest settlement | Reykjavík (pop. 118,861) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 330,000 (2015) |
| Pop. density | 3.3 /km2 (8.5 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Icelanders, Poles |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
Iceland is an island country at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the constructive boundary of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge about 860 km (534 mi) from Scotland and 4,200 km (2,610 mi) from New York City. One of the world's most sparsely populated countries, Iceland's boundaries are almost the same as the main island – the world's 18th largest in area and possessing almost all of the country's area and population.
Iceland has extensive volcanic and geothermal activity. The rift associated with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which marks the division between the Eurasian Plate and North American tectonic plates, runs across Iceland from the southwest to the northeast. This geographic feature is prominent at the Þingvellir National Park, where the promontory creates an extraordinary natural amphitheatre. The site was the home of Iceland's parliament, the Alþing, which was first convened in 930. It is a common misconception that Þingvellir are at the juncture between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. However, they are in fact at the juncture of the North American continental plate and a smaller plate (approx. 10,000 km2) called the Hreppar Microplate (Hreppaflekinn).
...
Wikipedia