Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930.

Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark.

Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine.

Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US.

Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 301,931 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 32,759/female 31,845) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 102,161/female 99,411) 65 years and over: 11.8% (male 16,162/female 19,593) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 34.5 years male: 34 years female: 35 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.824% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 13.57 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 6.77 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.029 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.028 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.825 male(s)/female total population: 1.002 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 3.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.43 years male: 78.33 years female: 82.62 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.91 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 220 (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic

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Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

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Religions: Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)

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Languages: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 70% of export earnings and employs 6% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the current account deficit, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Since 2000 growth has varied from -1% in 2002 to 8% in 2004. The 2006 closure of the US military base at Keflavik had very little impact on the national economy; Iceland's low unemployment rate aided former base employees in finding alternate employment.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $11.38 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $13.71 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $38,000 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.4% industry: 15.6% services: 76% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 173,000 (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.1% industry: 23% services: 71.4% (2005)

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Unemployment rate: 1.3% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.8% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 31.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $7.345 billion expenditures: $6.655 billion; including capital expenditures of $467 million (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 23.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, dairy products; fish

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Industries: fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production; geothermal power, tourism

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Industrial production growth rate: 5% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 8.474 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 7.881 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 20,560 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 17,450 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$2.932 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $3.587 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite

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Exports - partners: Netherlands 17.6%, UK 16.4%, Germany 15.9%, Spain 6.8%, US 6.6%, Norway 4.2% (2006)

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Imports: $5.189 billion (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

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Imports - partners: Germany 13%, US 9%, Norway 7.6%, Sweden 7.6%, Denmark 6.6%, UK 5.6%, Netherlands 5.2%, China 4.9%, Japan 4.4%, France 4.2% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.018 billion (August 2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $3.073 billion (2002)

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Economic aid - donor: $6.7 million (2004)

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Currency (code): Icelandic krona (ISK)

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Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 70.195 (2006), 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year