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ICELAND - A SMALL COUNTRY OF GREAT PROSPERITY

SIMO JELAČA

The Republic of Iceland, a Nordic country, is located in the far north of the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the Arctic, east of Greenland, between the North American and European-Asian tectonic plates. It has the most glaciers among European countries.

Icelanders and tourists swim in warm lakes year-round

Country Characteristics

The size of Iceland is 103,125 km2. It is an exclusively island country, surrounded by the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic. The northernmost point of Iceland is 660 32’ 3’’, the southernmost 630 23’ 6’’, the easternmost 130 29’ 6’’ and the westernmost 240 32’ 1’’. There are 36 smaller islands around the main island of Iceland. The coast of Iceland is very indented, with many bays, many of which are fjords. Elevations vary from 0 to 2110 m. There is relatively little arable land. Geographically, Iceland has several regions: Capitol Region, South Peninsula, West, Westfjords, Northwest, Northeast, East and South. 20% of the land is used for grazing livestock, and since 1950 the state has been implementing a program of reforestation, which covers 30-40% of the entire island. Birch is abundant in forests. Iceland has three national parks. Glaciers cover about 10% of the land, and a good part is under tundra.

The climate of the island country of Iceland is influenced by the North Atlantic currents, which cause cool summers and windy winters. Therefore, the average temperature in Reykjavik in July is 120 C, and in January 10 C. The region between the Euro-Asian plate and the Atlantic covers about 10,000 km2, which is under the frequent influence of tectonic disturbances, earthquakes and volcanic activity. Iceland has many hot springs, geysers, from which some residents receive hot water, heating and electricity. Geysers are interesting for tourists, and are also used in agriculture to heat hotbeds.

About the population

The most populated places are located along the coast, and more in the south of the country. The southern peninsula Reykjanes Peninsula has many hot springs. The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, and it is the most populous city, with about 123,000 inhabitants, and with the immediate surroundings it has about 216,000. Reykjavik covers an area of about 273 km2. The population of the whole of Iceland has reached about 400,000 inhabitants.

According to the constitution, Iceland belongs to the group of Scandinavian democratic countries, very modern in form. They strive to preserve their traditions, customs and language. The language of Iceland is mainly Old Norse, which is also spoken in Norway. Recently, the language in Iceland has become the so-called Icelandic sagas. The population of Iceland is quite homogeneous, about 80% of the population is of Nordic origin, who temporarily immigrated from Norway, Scotland and Ireland, and all are of Celtic origin. Among the immigrants there are Poles and other Europeans, including a small number of Serbs. They mostly immigrated for employment in the fields of computing.

The religion in Iceland is predominantly Lutheran and more than two-thirds of the population are Evangelical Lutherans. Religious services are voluntary.

Economy

The economy of Iceland is mostly based on fishing and its processing into products, mainly intended for export. Most economic activities are in private hands. State services are most represented in banking. The state is constantly striving to maintain full employment of the population and a standard of living, which is at the level of European countries. Their GDP is at the level of about 4%, which is quite good.

Only about 5% of the active population works in agriculture. A large number of them raise sheep, mostly on pastures, and are engaged in the production of dairy products. About one fifth of the land is arable, for agricultural crops. Overall, Iceland produces enough food to feed its own population. Fishing is engaged in by the population living in coastal regions. Fish products are mainly exported to European Union countries. In the domain of fish products, the most represented fish species are Cod and Capelin.

The energy that the population of Iceland uses is mainly obtained from hydroelectric power plants on river waterfalls, and partly from thermal water sources. About six gigawatts of electricity are produced from geothermal sources. The country is striving to completely eliminate the use of oil.

Iceland produces aluminum, which is mainly intended for export. Other exports include ferrosilicon and diatomaceous earth, which is used for filtration. Other important exports include fishing equipment, cement, fertilizer, computers, clothing, and books.

Over half of Iceland's total exports and imports are with the European Union. About 10% is imported from the United States and a little from the rest of the world. Total trade is worth about $4 trillion annually. Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Tourism

The number of tourists visiting Iceland is constantly increasing and has already reached the size of its population. Over 325,000 come from America alone every year. And tourism revenues reach over 4 trillion dollars, which is over 8.5% of the total economic revenue. International traffic is mostly within Canada, from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton, although these are not regularly established airline routes, but on demand. A very popular place for visitors is Reynisfjara, where there are black sand beaches and large Atlantic waves. And since Iceland is a country of many contrasts, visits to glaciers, geysers, volcanoes and enjoying the dark nights, observing the Northern Lights are interesting.

Government

Iceland is a constitutional Republic, with a multi-party system and parliamentary democracy. The main power in the Republic is held by the President of the Republic, who is elected every four years. After the parliamentary elections, he appoints the Prime Minister, as the leader of the winning party, who appoints the ministers. His mandate also lasts four years. Iceland has been a member of the United Nations since 1946 and bases its foreign policy on the rules and charter of that organization. If necessary, they make their contributions to countries in which natural disasters and/or undesirable conflicts occasionally occur.

School system

The education system in Iceland consists of four levels: primary education, secondary school system, upper secondary school and higher university education. All levels of education are financed by the state. Even at universities, studying is still free for students. Education is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 16, and everyone, regardless of financial status, gender, place of residence, religion and possible disability, has equal rights in the education system. Parents pay only for special education in the domains of various games and exceptional specialties. The large population, in addition to their own language, speaks English and other languages.

Sports

Iceland is home to many sports, including football (European), handball, volleyball, track and field, basketball, tennis, skiing, hockey, ice skating, swimming, water polo, golf, chess, and even equestrian sports. The most notable results are in football and handball. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they won a silver medal in handball.

Culture

Iceland has several prominent writers, some of whom are very well-known worldwide, and therefore has a prominent literary publishing industry. Among the prominent writers are: Alnardur, Irsa, Einar Mar, Audur Ava, and Sjon. Halldor Laxness won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955.

Special points of interest in Iceland

Since it is completely surrounded by Atlantic waters, Iceland does not border any other country, therefore the possibility of border disputes is excluded, which is a particularly fortunate circumstance. Blessed are they! There are no mosquitoes in Iceland. Scientists claim that this is solely due to the specific weather.

And as for diplomatic relations between Serbia and Iceland, the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Kingdom of Norway is accredited to Iceland on a non-residential basis, with headquarters in Oslo. The total trade exchange between the two countries amounts to only about 3.6 million Euros per year.

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