| Location | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK |
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| Geographic coordinates | 65 00 N, 18 00 W |
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| Zone | Europe |
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| Area | total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km |
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| Land boundaries | 0 km |
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| Coastline | 4,970 km |
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| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
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| Climate | temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers |
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| Terrain | mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier) |
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| Natural resources | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
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| Irrigated land | 4,970 km |
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| Natural hazards | earthquakes and volcanic activity |
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Environment -
current issues | water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment |
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Environment -
international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation |
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| 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 |
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