Filed under Europe and more precisely Northern Europe, Iceland is a sovereign state. Its seat of government is Reykjavik.
The land area is 103,000 km², which ranks it 109th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Guatemala and just ahead of South Korea. That makes it almost exactly the same size as South Korea.
It is home to roughly 386,506 people, placing it 179th of 250 by population — between the Bahamas above it and Guadeloupe below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 5th of 16 in size and 10th in population.
Geography and neighbours of Iceland
Its reference point sits at 65.0° north and 18.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 7,236 km from the equator, in what geographers would call high-latitude latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Finland.
It shares no land border with anyone. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, so everything and everyone arrives by sea or by air.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Iceland
Population divided by land area gives roughly 3.8 people per square kilometre, which makes it very thinly populated. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
People from Iceland are called Icelanders.
Officially it is monolingual: Icelandic. No other entry in this dataset lists Icelandic, so on this list it stands alone.
Against Europe as a whole it is the 41st most populous of 53 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Northern Europe.
The practical details for Iceland
Money there is the Icelandic króna (kr, ISK). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Iceland.
Websites there use the .is domain. Calls from overseas start with +354. Its ISO codes are is and ISL, which is what most databases and flag files use.
Reykjavik is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Fun facts about Iceland
- It lies about 7,236 km from the equator, in high-latitude latitudes.
- Its capital city is Reykjavik.
- It is 179th of 250 by population, with about 386,506 residents.
- Icelandic is listed as an official language for no other entry in this dataset.
- People from Iceland are known as Icelanders.
- Finland sits at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- The Icelandic króna is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Websites based there use the .is domain.
Iceland — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Iceland?
- The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik.
- How big is Iceland?
- Iceland covers 103,000 km², ranking 109th of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as South Korea.
- What language is spoken in Iceland?
- The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. No other entry on this list gives it official status.
- What currency does Iceland use?
- Iceland uses the Icelandic króna, written kr (currency code ISK). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Where is Iceland located?
- Iceland is in Northern Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 65.0° north and 18.0° west, roughly 7,236 km from the equator in high-latitude latitudes.
- Is Iceland a country?
- Yes. Iceland is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Iceland?
- Iceland has a population of about 386,506, which makes it the 179th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The Bahamas sits just above it and Guadeloupe just below.
- Does Iceland border any other country?
- No. Iceland has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
