• Nordic island country located between the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans
• Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, linking Europe and North America
• Sparsely populated, with approximately 395,000 residents; capital is Reykjavík

• Home to geysers, volcanic eruptions, and a volcanic plateau
• Temperate climate due to the Gulf Stream; some islands have a polar climate

• Settlement began in 874 AD by Ingólfr Arnarson
• Governed as an independent commonwealth with the Althing, a historic parliament
• Came under Norwegian and then Danish rule over centuries

• Nationalism influenced independence, leading to the 1918 Act of Union with Denmark
• Became a republic in 1944 after WWII, ending ties to Denmark
• Experienced prosperity post-war due to industrialization and foreign aid

• Market economy with low taxes and high trade union membership
• Nordic social welfare system provides universal health care and education
• Ranks highly in quality of life, education, and civil liberties
• Smallest NATO member, with no standing army, only a coast guard

List of newspapers published in Iceland.