- Country name
- conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: none
local short form: Island
etymology: Floki VILGERDARSON, an early Norse explorer of the island in the 10th century, applied the name "Land of Ice," from the local words ís (ice) and land (land) - Government type
- unitary parliamentary republic
- Capital
- name: Reykjavik
geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name means "smoky bay" in Icelandic and refers to the steam from the hot springs in the area - Administrative divisions
- 64 municipalities (sveitarfelog, singular - sveitarfelagidh); Akranes, Akureyri, Arneshreppur, Asahreppur, Blaskogabyggdh, Bolungarvik, Borgarbyggdh, Dalabyggdh, Dalvikurbyggdh, Eyjafjardharsveit, Eyja-og Miklaholtshreppur, Fjallabyggdh, Fjardhabyggdh, Fljotsdalshreppur, Floahreppur, Gardhabaer, Grimsnes-og Grafningshreppur, Grindavikurbaer, Grundarfjardharbaer, Grytubakkahreppur, Hafnarfjordhur, Horgarsveit, Hrunamannahreppur, Hunathing Vestra, Hunabyggdh, Hvalfjardharsveit, Hveragerdhi, Isafjardharbaer, Kaldrananeshreppur, Kjosarhreppur, Kopavogur, Langanesbyggdh, Mosfellsbaer, Mulathing, Myrdalshreppur, Nordhurthing, Rangarthing Eystra, Rangarthing Ytra, Reykholahreppur, Reykjanesbaer, Reykjavik, Seltjarnarnes, Skaftarhreppur, Skagabyggdh, Skagafjordhur, Skeidha-og Gnupverjahreppur, Skorradalshreppur, Snaefellsbaer, Strandabyggdh, Stykkisholmur, Sudhavikurhreppur, Sudhurnesjabaer, Svalbardhsstrandarhreppur, Sveitarfelagidh Arborg, Sveitarfelagidh Hornafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Olfus, Sveitarfelagidh Skagastrond, Sveitarfelagidh Vogar, Talknafjardharhreppur, Thingeyjarsveit, Tjorneshreppur, Vestmannaeyjar, Vesturbyggdh, Vopnafjardharhreppur
- Legal system
- civil law system influenced by the Danish model
- Constitution
- history: several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence)
amendment process: proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution – that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland – also require passage by referendum - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 3 to 7 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Halla TOMASDOTTIR (since 1 August 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Kristrun FROSTADOTTIR (since 21 December 2024)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister
election/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister
most recent election date: 1 June 2024
election results: 2024: Halla TOMASDOTTIR elected president; percent of vote - Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 34.1%, Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (Left-Green Movement) 25.2%, Halla Hrund LOGADOTTIR (independent) 15.7%, Jon GNARR (Social Democratic Alliance) 10.1%, Baldur PORHALLSSON (independent) 8.4%, other 6.5%2020: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8%
expected date of next election: June 2028 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament (Althingi)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 63 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 11/30/2024
parties elected and seats per party: Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) (15); Independence Party (IP) (14); Liberal Reform Party (11); People’s Party (10); Center Party (8); Progressive Party (PP) (5)
percentage of women in chamber: 46%
expected date of next election: November 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 7 judges)
judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president for an indefinite period
subordinate courts: Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court - Political parties
- Center Party or M Independence Party or D Liberal Reform Party or CPeople's Party or FProgressive Party or B Social Democratic Alliance or S
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Svanhildur Hólm VALSDÓTTIR (since 18 September 2024)
chancery: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653
FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656
email address and website: washington@mfa.ishttps://www.government.is/diplomatic-missions/embassy-of-iceland-in-washington-d.c/ - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Erin SAWYER (since January 2025)
embassy: Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik
mailing address: 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640
telephone: [354] 595-2200
FAX: [354] 562-9118
email address and website: ReykjavikConsular@state.govhttps://is.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Independence
- 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON, leader of Iceland's 19th-century independence movement)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
- Flag
- description: blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the cross is shifted to the left in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)meaning: red stands for the island's volcanic fires, white for the snow and ice fields, and blue for the ocean
- National symbol(s)
- gyrfalcon
- National color(s)
- blue, white, red
- National coat of arms
- Iceland’s coat of arms is derived from a 13th-century folktale about four guardians who protect the four corners of the nation; the bull protects the northwest, the eagle the northeast, the dragon the southeast, and the rock-giant the southwest; the shield displays the national flag, with red standing for Iceland’s volcanic fires, white for its snow and ice fields, and blue for the ocean
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Lofsongur" (Song of Praise)
lyrics/music: Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON
history: adopted 1918 - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Thingvellir National Park (c); Surtsey (n); Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice (n)