Iceland - Tips
Iceland
Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs
July
2007
Background Note:
Iceland
A boardwalk leads to the
warm-water
Blue Lagoon in Svartsengi,
Iceland,
May 11, 2002. [© AP
Images]
Flag of Iceland is blue with a red cross outlined in white extending
to the
edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is
shifted to the hoist
side.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
Republic of
Iceland
Geography
Area: 103,000 sq. km. (39,600 sq. mi.); about the size of Virginia
or
slightly larger than
Ireland.
Cities: Capital--ReykjavÃk (pop. 117099). Other towns--Kópavogur
(27,835),
Hafnarfjörður (24,111), Akureyri
(16,887).
Terrain:
Rugged.
Climate: Maritime
temperate.
Highest elevation: Hvannadalshnjúkur at Vatnajökull Glacier, at 2,111
meters
(6,925
ft.).
People
Nationality: Noun--Icelander(s).
Adjective--Icelandic.
Population (April 1, 2007):
309,699.
Annual growth rate:
2.6%.
Ethnic group: Relatively homogenous mixture of descendants of
Norwegians and
Celts.
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran,
86%.
Language:
Icelandic.
Education: Compulsory up to age 16. Attendance--99%.
Literacy--99.9%.
Health:
Infant mortality rate--2.9/1,000. Life expectancy--men 79.4 years,
women 83
years.
Work force (2007, 176,300): Commerce--30.7%; manufacturing--9.5%;
fishing/
fish processing--5.0%; construction--8.7%;
transport
and
communications--7.0%; agriculture--3.8%; government, education,
and
health--27.7%; other services--7.6%. Unemployment (2007):
2.0%.
Government
Type: Semi-presidential,
parliamentary.
Independence: 1918 (became "sovereign state" under Danish Crown);
1944
(establishment of
republic).
Constitution:
1874.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state), prime minister (head
of
government), cabinet (12 ministers).
Legislative--63-member unicameral
parliament (Althingi). Judicial--Supreme Court, district courts,
special
courts.
Subdivisions: 26 administrative districts and 79
municipalities.
Major political parties: Independence (IP), Progressive (PP),
Social
Democratic
Alliance (SDA), Left-Green Party (LGP), Liberal Party
(LP).
Suffrage: Universal 18
years and
above.
National holiday: June 17, anniversary of the establishment of the
republic.
Economy
GDP (2006): $18.4
billion.
GDP growth rate (2005): 5.8%; (2006):
2.6%.
Per capita GDP (2006):
$53,766.
Inflation rate (2007):
4%.
Budget (2007): $6
billion.
Annual budget surplus (2006): 1.4% of
GDP.
Net public debt (2007): 17% of
GDP.
Foreign aid as part of 2005 budget: 0.18% of
GDP.
Natural resources: Marine products, hydroelectric and geothermal
power.
Agriculture: Products--potatoes,
tomatoes, cucumbers, turnips, livestock.
Industry:
Types--aluminum smelting, fishing and fish processing technology,
ferro-silicon alloy production, hydro and geothermal power,
tourism,
information
technology.
Trade: Exports of goods (2006)--$3.9 billion: marine products
51.2%,
industrial
products 38.3%, agriculture 1.8%, and miscellaneous
8.7%.
Partners--EU
74.8% (U.K. 18%, Germany 17%, Netherlands 11%, Spain 6%, Denmark
5%);
U.S. 10.8% ($421 million); Japan 2.1%. Imports (2006)--$6.9
billion:
industrial supplies 27%; capital goods,
parts, accessories 23%; consumer
goods 20%;
transport equipment 21.1%; food and beverages 9%; fuels
and
lubricants 8%. Partners--EU
64.7% (Germany 13%, Denmark 9%, U.K. 8%, Sweden
7%, Netherlands
7%); U.S. 12.8% ($208 million); EFTA 9%; Japan
4.1%.
GEOGRAPHY
Iceland is a volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean east of
Greenland
and immediately south of the Arctic Circle. It
lies about 4,200 kilometers
(2,600 mi.) from New York and
830 kilometers (520 mi.) from Scotland. About
79% of Iceland's
land area, which is of recent volcanic origin, consists of
glaciers, lakes, a mountainous lava desert (highest elevation
2,000
meters--6,590 ft.--above sea level), and other wasteland. About 28% of
the
land is used for grazing, and 1% is cultivated. The
inhabited areas are on
the coast, particularly in the
southwest where about 60% of the population
lives.
Because of the Gulf Stream's moderating influence, the climate
is
characterized by damp, cool summers and
relatively mild but windy winters. In
ReykjavÃk, the average
temperature is 11°C (52°F) in July and -1°C (30°F) in
January.
PEOPLE
Most Icelanders are descendants of Norwegian settlers and Celts from
the
British Isles, and the population is
remarkably homogeneous. According to
Icelandic
Government statistics, 93% of the nation's inhabitants live
in
urban areas (localities with populations
greater than 200) and about 60% live
in the ReykjavÃk metropolitan
area. Of the Nordic languages, the Icelandic
language is
closest to the Old Norse language and has remained relatively
unchanged since the 12th century. About 91% of the population belongs
to the
state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, or other
Lutheran Churches.
However, Iceland has complete
religious liberty, and about 20 other religious
congregations are
present.
Most Icelandic surnames are based on patronymy, or the adoption of
the
father's first given name.
For example, Magnus and Anna, children of a man
named
Pétur, would hold the surname Pétursson and Pétursdóttir,
respectively.
Magnus' children, in turn, would inherit the surname
Magnusson, while Anna's
children would claim their father's first
given name as their surname. Women
normally maintain their original
surnames after marriage. This system of
surnames is required by law, except for the descendants of those who
had
acquired family names before 1913. Most
Icelanders, while reserved by nature,
rarely call each other by their
surnames, and even phone directories are
based on first names. Because of its small size and relative
homogeneity,
Iceland holds all the characteristics
of a very close-knit
society.
Cultural
Achievements
The Sagas, almost all written between 1180 and 1300 A.D., remain
Iceland's
best-known literary accomplishment, and they
have no surviving counterpart
anywhere in the Nordic
world. Based on Norwegian and Icelandic histories and
genealogies,
the Sagas present views of Nordic life and times up to 1100 A.D.
The
Saga writers sought to record their heroes' great achievements and
to
glorify the virtues of courage, pride, and
honor, focusing in the later Sagas
on early Icelandic settlers. The
best-known Icelandic writer of the 20th
century is the 1955 Nobel Prize winner Halldór Kiljan Laxness. The
literacy
rate is 99.9%, and literature and poetry are a
legendary passion with the
population. Per capita
publication of books and magazines is the highest in
the
world.
Unlike its literature, Iceland's fine arts did not flourish until the
19th
century because the population was small and
scattered. Iceland's most famous
painters are ÃsgrÃmur Jónsson, Jón
Stefánsson, and Jóhannes Kjarval, all of
whom worked during the
first half of the 20th century. The best-known modern
sculptor,
Ãsmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), drew his inspiration from Icelandic
folklore and the Sagas for many of his works. Today, Kristján Jóhannsson
is
Iceland's most famous opera singer, while pop singer Björk
and progressive
rock band Sigur Rós are well known
internationally.
HISTORY
Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries,
principally by
people of Norse origin. In 930 A.D., the ruling chiefs
established a
republican constitution and an assembly called the Althingi (Alþingi)
the
oldest parliament in the world. Iceland
remained independent until 1262, when
it entered into a treaty
establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy.
Iceland
passed to Denmark in the late 14th century when Norway and Denmark
were united under the Danish
crown.
In the early 19th century, national consciousness revived in Iceland.
The
Althingi had been abolished in 1800 but was
reestablished in 1843 as a
consultative assembly. In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland limited home
rule,
which was expanded in scope in 1904. The
constitution, written in 1874, was
revised in 1903, and a
minister for Icelandic affairs, residing in ReykjavÃk,
was made
responsible to the Althingi. The Act of Union, a 1918 agreement with
Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state united with
Denmark
under a common king. Iceland established its own
flag, but Denmark continued
to represent Icelandic foreign affairs
and defense
interests.
German occupation of Denmark in 1940 severed communications between
Iceland
and Denmark. Consequently, Iceland moved immediately to
assume control over
its own territorial waters and foreign
affairs. In May 1940, British military
forces occupied Iceland. In
July 1941, responsibility for Iceland's defense
passed to the
United States. Following a plebiscite, Iceland formally became
an
independent republic on June 17, 1944. In October 1946, the Icelandic and
U.S. Governments agreed to terminate U.S. responsibility for the
defense of
Iceland, but the United States retained certain
rights at KeflavÃk. Iceland
became a charter member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in
1949. After the
outbreak of hostilities in Korea in 1950, and pursuant to the
request
of NATO military authorities, the United States and Iceland agreed
that the United States should again make arrangements for Iceland's
defense.
A bilateral defense agreement signed on May 5, 1951, remains
in force, even
though the U.S. military forces are no longer
permanently stationed in
Iceland.
Iceland is the only NATO country with no standing military of its
own.
GOVERNMENT
The president, elected to a 4-year term, has limited powers. When
Iceland
became a republic in 1944, the post of
president was created to fill the void
left by the Danish king.
Although the president is popularly elected and has
limited veto
powers (he can force a public referendum on a proposed law by
refusing to sign it--a power that has only once been exercised),
the
expectation is
that the president should play the same limited role as
a
monarch in a traditional parliamentary
system.
The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions.
The
parliament is composed
of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is
dissolved sooner. Suffrage for presidential and parliamentary
elections is
universal for those 18 and older, and
members of the parliament are elected
on the basis of parties'
proportional representation in six constituencies.
The
judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, district courts, and
various
special courts. The constitution protects
the judiciary from infringement by
the other two
branches.
Principal Government
Officials
President--Ólafur Ragnar
GrÃmsson
Prime Minister--Geir H.
Haarde
Foreign Minister--Ingibjörg Sólrún
GÃsladóttir
Minister of Finance--Ãrni M.
Mathiesen
Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs--Björn
Bjarnason
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries--Einar Kristinn
Guðfinnson
Minister of Communications--Kristján L.
Möller
Minister of Industry and Nordic Cooperation--Össur
Skarphéðinsson
Minister for the Environment--Þórunn
Sveinbjarnardóttir
Minister of Commerce--Björgvin G.
Sigurðsson
Minister of Health--Guðlaugur Þór
Þórðarson
Minister of Social Affairs--Jóhanna
Sigurðardóttir
Minister of Education, Science and Culture--Þorgerður KatrÃn
Gunnarsdóttir
Speaker of Althingi--Sturla
Böðvarsson
Ambassador to the U.S.--Albert
Jónsson
Ambassador to the UN--Hjálmar W.
Hannesson
Ambassador to NATO--Gunnar
Gunnarsson
Ambassador to the EU-- Stefán Haukur
Jóhannesson
transliteration
key:
Þ is "th" ð is
"d"
Iceland maintains an embassy in the United States at 1156 - 15th
Street, NW,
Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005 [tel. (202) 265-6653],
and a consulate
general at 800 Third
Ave, 36th floor, New York, NY 10022 [tel.
(212)
593-2700].
Iceland also has 25 honorary consulates in major U.S.
cities.
POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
Iceland's current government coalition was formed after the May
2007
parliamentary
elections by the conservative Independence Party (IP) and the
center-left Social Democratic Alliance. The two parties hold a large
majority
in parliament, with 43 out of 63
seats.
The current government replaced a coalition of the Independence Party
and the
Progressive Party (PP) that had been in power since 1995.
Longtime IP leader
DavÃð Oddsson was Prime Minister 1991-2004, making
him the longest-serving
prime minister in Europe (from
1991 to 1995, the IP was in coalition with the
Social Democratic
Party). PP chairman and former Foreign Minister Halldór
ÃsgrÃmsson took over as Prime Minister on September 15, 2004, as part
of a
post-election deal with the Independence Party, and
Oddsson became Foreign
Minister. Oddsson retired from his
ministerial position September 27, 2005,
with former Finance
Minister Geir Haarde becoming Foreign Minister. Oddsson
also
announced his intention shortly to step down as IP chairman, with
Haarde
elected to the post at a party national conference in October.
In early June
2006 ÃsgrÃmsson announced his withdrawal from politics
as Prime Minister,
parliamentarian, and chairman of
the Progressive Party. Haarde became the
third
Prime Minister during the current electoral term on June 15, 2006, and
Valgerður Sverrisdóttir (Progressive Party) took over as Foreign
Minister. In
May 2007 the Independence Party and the Social Democratic
Alliance formed a
new government after an abysmal showing by
the Progressive Party. Geir Haarde
continued as Prime Minister, and
the chairman of the Social Democratic
Alliance, Ingibjörg Sólrún GÃsladóttir, took over the reins at the
Ministry
for Foreign
Affairs.
The centrist agrarian Progressive Party has been a party to
government for
over 30 years in the past 4 decades. Its
support dropped from 23% in the 1995
parliamentary election to 12% in
2007. The party has dealt with internal
instability in the past few years, and power struggles have lead to frequent
change in the party's leadership. Chairman Jón Sigurðsson stepped
down after
the 2007 elections and was replaced by the deputy
chairman, Guðni Ãgustsson.
Three left-wing parties--the Social Democratic Party, the People's
Alliance,
and the Women's List--formed an electoral coalition prior
to the 1999
parliamentary
election in the hope of mounting a credible challenge to the
long-dominant Independence Party. But the dream of creating a united
left
coalition failed when disaffected leftists
formed a new splinter party called
the Left Green Movement, led by
former deputy People's Alliance leader
SteingrÃmur Sigfusson. With this defection, the left coalition won
a
disappointing 27%
of the vote (17 seats) in the 1999 election,
four
percentage
points below what the three parties had won running separately in
1995. Their 31% (20 seats) showing in 2003 recaptured this ground but did
not
suffice to topple the government. The Left Greens won a
respectable 9% of the
vote (5 seats) in 2003, but in the 2007 election
they improved significantly,
with 14% of the total vote (9 seats).
Another new faction, the Liberal Party,
won just over 7% (4 seats) in
2003 based on its strong opposition to the
current fishing management system, and clung to roughly 6% in
2007.
Despite the poor electoral showing in 1999, the three left-wing
parties
decided to merge formally in
2000, creating a new party, the
Social
Democratic Alliance, led by Ingibjörg Sólrún GÃsladóttir. The party has
found
it difficult to reconcile the widely varying foreign policy
views of its
members, which range from strong
support for NATO membership to pacifism and
a desire for
neutrality.
Iceland's current President is Ólafur Ragnar GrÃmsson, a former
political
science professor who led the far-left
People's Alliance in 1987-95 and
served
as Finance Minister in 1988-91. Although GrÃmsson won office with only
a 41% plurality in 1996, he was not challenged for re-election in 2000. This
follows a well-established tradition of giving deference to
sitting
presidents. He was re-elected again on June 26, 2004. Once in office,
a
president can generally count on
serving as many terms as he or she likes,
assuming good
behavior. Reflecting the belief that the president is "above
politics," presidential candidates run for election as
individuals--since
1952, political parties have
played no role in nominating or endorsing
candidates. President GrÃmsson has occasionally drawn criticism that
he
breaches the bounds of presidential
etiquette by being too outspoken on
sensitive political
issues.
ECONOMY
Marine products account for the majority of Iceland's exports of
goods. Other
important exports include aluminum, ferro-silicon alloys,
equipment and
electronic machinery for
fishing and fish processing, and pharmaceuticals.
Information technology and life sciences and related services are
important
growth areas. The vast majority of Iceland's exports
go to the European Union
(EU) and the European Free Trade Association
(EFTA) countries, followed by
the United States and
Japan. The U.S. is by far the largest foreign investor
in Iceland,
and the country's largest supplier of imported services (e.g.,
financial and franchise services, movies/TV programs/music,
tourism).
Iceland's
relatively liberal trading policy was strengthened by accession to
the European Economic Area in 1994 and by the Uruguay Round agreement, which
also brought significantly improved market access for Iceland's
exports,
particularly seafood products.
However, the agricultural sector remains
heavily subsidized and
protected.
In recent decades, Iceland's economy has been prone to inflation due
to
periods of rapid growth and its
dependence on just a few key export sectors
(i.e., fish, and
increasingly tourism and aluminum production), which can
fluctuate significantly from one year to the next. The 1970s oil
shocks hit
Iceland hard. Inflation rose to 43% in 1974 and 59%
in 1980, falling to 15%
in 1987 but rising to 30% in 1988.
Since 1990, due to economic reforms and
deregulation,
inflation has dramatically fallen, averaging around 4% in the
1990s. Due to several years of strong economic growth, Iceland
experienced
the most positive economic period in its
history during that decade. However,
as with many advanced countries,
Iceland's economy experienced a mild
recession during 2002 due to global conditions. That recession
was
short-lived, and healthy growth of 3% was registered during 2003. In 2005
the
economy boomed, growing 5.8%, and inflation was close to the
Central bank's
upper limit (4%) at 3.95%, while unemployment
decreased to about 3.2%. The
economy suffered a setback
in spring 2006 when credit rating agencies and
other international financial firms released a number of reports
raising
questions about the state of the
Icelandic economy and the activities and
stability
of Iceland's major banks. These reports were widely covered in the
international financial press, causing a marked drop in the value of
the
Icelandic krona and of shares listed on
the Icelandic stock exchange. Since
then the situation has
calmed down, but there is no question that certain
imbalances have emerged in the Icelandic economy, including a high
current
account deficit, high inflation and high private
sector debt levels. It
remains an open
question whether these imbalances render Iceland particularly
vulnerable to an economic crisis. Foreign confidence in the Icelandic
economy
is important to maintain the country's skillful use of foreign
capital.
Icelandic businessmen have
become well known for risk taking, decisiveness,
and swiftness
in their investments. Wealthy Icelanders have
successfully
invested overseas, especially in
the retail and real estate markets in
Denmark and U.K. and telecom, pharmaceutical, banking, and financial
sectors
in Eastern Europe. This recent success has for the first time
created a
"super-rich" elite in
Icelandic
society.
Iceland has few proven mineral resources. Abundant hydroelectric
and
geothermal power
sources allow over 90% of the population to
enjoy
electricity and heating from these natural resources. The
Kárahnjúkar
hydroelectric
project is the largest single station, with capacity of 690
megawatts (mw). The other major hydroelectric stations are at Búrfell
(270
mw), Hrauneyjarfoss (210 mw), Sigalda (150 mw) and
Blanda (150 mw). Iceland
is exploring the feasibility of
exporting hydroelectric energy via submarine
cable to mainland Europe
and also actively seeks to expand
its
power-intensive industries, particularly aluminum smelting
plants.
Iceland-based Nordural Aluminum is a wholly owned investment by
Century
Aluminum of Monterey,
California. The plant employs more than 450 people and
recently
expanded to a production capacity of 220,000 tons per year. A new
smelter owned by Alcoa, another U.S.-owned aluminum company, began
operations
in June 2007. The smelter will have a production capacity
of 346,000 tons per
year when fully operational. The Kárahnjúkar
hydroelectric power plant,
completed in
early 2007, was built in connection with Alcoa's smelter.
A
total of over $2 billion has been invested
in the power plant and smelter,
the largest economic
project in Icelandic
history.
Iceland has no railroads. Organized road building began about 1900
and has
greatly expanded in the past decade. The current
national road system
connecting most of the population centers is largely in the coastal areas
and
consists of about 13,000 kilometers (8,125 mi.) of roads with
about 4,330
kilometers (2,706 mi.) paved. Regular
air and sea service connects ReykjavÃk
with the other main population
centers. The national airline, Icelandair,
flies
from Iceland to Europe and North America, and is one of the country's
largest employers. Iceland became a full member of the European Free
Trade
Association in 1970 and entered into a free trade
agreement with the European
Community in 1973. Under the European
Economic Area agreement, which took
effect January
1, 1994, there is basically free cross-border movement
of
capital, labor, goods, and services
between Iceland, Norway, and the EU
countries.
DEFENSE
The U.S. and Iceland signed a bilateral agreement in 1951 stipulating
that
the U.S. would make arrangements for Iceland's
defense on behalf of NATO and
providing for basing rights for U.S.
forces in Iceland. In March 2006 the
U.S. announced
it would continue to provide for Iceland's defense but without
permanently basing forces in the country; Naval Air Station Keflavik
closed
in September 2006 after 55 years. The Government of
Iceland expressed
disappointment, and even opposition politicians opposed to the U.S. military
presence criticized the manner of the closing, but bilateral
discussions
ensued to explore new ways of
ensuring the country's security, with an
emphasis on a "visible defense." Negotiations concluded with a
Technical
Agreement on base closure issues
(e.g., facilities return, environmental
cleanup, residual value) signed on September 29, 2006, and a
"Joint
Understanding" on future bilateral security cooperation (focusing
on
defending Iceland
and the North Atlantic region against emerging threats such
as
terrorism and trafficking) signed by the Secretary of State,
Prime
Minister Haarde and
Foreign Minister Sverrisdóttir in Washington on October
11,
2006. The U.S. also cooperated with local officials to mitigate
the
impact of job losses at the Air
Station, notably by encouraging
U.S.
investment in
industry and tourism development in the KeflavÃk area.
The
Government of Iceland announced in spring
2007 that a large portion of the
former base site would
be converted into the university-level "Atlantic
Center of Excellence" with operations scheduled to begin in fall
2007.
Cooperative activities in the context of the new agreements began
almost
immediately, with the arrival of the
amphibious ship USS Wasp in ReykjavÃk on
October 12, 2006 (the first
U.S. Navy port visit since 2002) to demonstrate
the Navy's
rapid reaction capability and to support counterterrorism training
by
units of Iceland's Coast Guard and police. In November 2006 a U.S.
Navy
P-3 patrol aircraft arrived at KeflavÃk for joint
search and rescue, disaster
surveillance, and maritime interdiction
training. Further joint endeavors,
including a U.S.-led
air defense exercise, are slated for the summer of
2007.
The Government of Iceland contributes financially to NATO's
international
overhead costs and recently has taken
a more active role in
NATO
deliberations, planning, and peacekeeping. Iceland hosted the NATO
Foreign
Ministers' Meeting in ReykjavÃk in June 1987 and
again in May 2002. Iceland
hosted the NATO Military Committee
in April 2007 and will host the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly in October
2007.
FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with
practically all
nations, but its ties with other Nordic
states, with the U.S., and with the
other NATO member states
are particularly close. Icelanders remain especially
proud of the role
Iceland played in hosting the historic 1986 summit
in
ReykjavÃk between President Reagan
and Soviet leader Gorbachev, which set the
stage for the end of the
Cold
War.
Iceland has greatly increased its international profile since the
early
1990s. Since the mid-1990s,
Iceland has opened a number of missions overseas
for a total of 22,
including an embassy in Beijing, giving Iceland
a
diplomatic presence
in all five permanent member countries of the UN Security
Council. Not
coincidentally, it has announced its candidacy to serve on the
UN Security Council in 2009-2010. In the past few years, Iceland has
also
established missions to the Council of Europe
in Strasbourg and to the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Vienna. In 1998, it
bolstered
its delegation to NATO, assigning a permanent
representative to the military
committee for the first time
ever.
Notwithstanding its status as an unarmed nation, Iceland has been
eager to do
its part to contribute to the maintenance of international
peace and
security.
One of the niches it is helping to fill is in civilian peacekeeping
and crisis management. It took a significant step forward in this area
in
2001 by launching its Icelandic Crisis Response
Unit (ICRU). In setting up
the ICRU, the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs established a roster of over 100
experts in
various occupations (police officers, nurses, doctors, lawyers,
engineers, journalists, etc.) who will be specially trained and
prepared to
deploy to trouble spots abroad on short
notice.
Peacekeeping has been a permanent item in the Icelandic state budget
since
1994, and Iceland has been an active member of the
UN Peacekeeping Committee
since 1997. With the formal establishment
of the ICRU, the government decided
to increase the number of deployed
peacekeepers to 50 by 2006. The key
emerging niche capability of the ICRU is airport administration
following the
successful management of the airport in Pristina,
Kosovo, in 2003 and of the
airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in
2004-2005.
Icelanders have a strong emotional bond with the Baltic states, and
Iceland
prides itself on being the first country to have
recognized these countries'
claim for independence in
1991.
Membership in International
Organizations
Iceland is a member of the following organizations: Arctic Council,
Barents
Euro-Arctic Council; Council of Baltic Sea States;
Council of Europe;
European
Economic Area; European Free Trade Organization; EFTA Court; EFTA
Surveillance Authority; North Atlantic Treaty Organization;
Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe; Organization for
Economic Cooperation and
Development; International Criminal Police
Organization; International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea; International
Hydrographic
Organization; International Maritime Satellite Organization;
International
Union for the Publication of Custom
Tariffs; Nordic Council; North-East
Atlantic Fisheries Commission; North Atlantic Salmon
Conservation
Organization; the International Whaling Commission; and the North
Atlantic
Marine Mammal
Commission.
It also is a member of the United Nations and most of its
related
organizations, specialized agencies, and commissions, including
the
International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, World
Tourism
Organization,
Food and Agricultural Organization, International Atomic Energy
Agency, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Fund
for
Agricultural Development; Industrial
Development Organization; International
Labor Organization,
International Maritime Organization,
International
Telecommunications
Union, UN Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural
Organization, Universal Postal Union, World Health Organization, and
World
Meteorological Organization; World Intellectual
Property Organization;
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
International
Development Association; International Finance Corporation
Multilateral
Investment Guarantee
Agency and International Center for Settlement
of
Investment Disputes; UN
Conference on Disarmament; Economic Commission for
Europe; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Office for the High
Commissioner
for Human Rights; Commission of Human Rights; UN
Conference on Trade and
Development.
U.S.-ICELANDIC
RELATIONS
U.S. policy aims to maintain close, cooperative relations with
Iceland, both
as a NATO ally and as a friend interested in the shared
objectives of
enhancing
world peace; respect for human rights; economic development; arms
control; and law enforcement cooperation, including the fight
against
terrorism,
narcotics, and human trafficking. Moreover, the United
States
endeavors to strengthen bilateral
economic and trade
relations.
Principal U.S.
Officials
Ambassador--Carol van
Voorst
Deputy Chief of Mission--Neil
Klopfenstein
Political Officer--Brad
Evans
Economic/Commercial Officer--Fiona
Evans
Management Officer--Richard
Johnson
Information Management Officer (acting)--Steve
Ackerman
Public Affairs Officer--Sally
Hodgson
Consular Officer--Allen
Kepchar
Regional Security Officer--Peter A.
Dinoia
The U.S. Embassy in Iceland is located at Laufasvegur 21, ReykjavÃk
[tel.
(354) 562-9100]. The Embassy's web site is
http://reykjavik.usembassy.gov/
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS
INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises
Americans
traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information
Sheets, Public
Announcements, and Travel Warnings.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all
countries and include
information on entry and exit requirements, currency
regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime,
political
disturbances, and
the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
Public
Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly
about
terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term conditions overseas that
pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
are
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or
unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling
abroad
should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau
of Consular Affairs Internet
web site at
http://www.travel.state.gov, where the
current Worldwide Caution,
Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings
can be found. Consular Affairs
Publications,
which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
safe
trip abroad, are also available at
http://www.travel.state.gov.
For
additional information on international
travel, see
http://www.usa.gov/
Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or
residing
abroad to register via the State Department's travel
registration website or
at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
abroad. Registration will make your
presence and whereabouts known in
case it is necessary to contact you in an
emergency and will
enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained
by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and
Canada or the regular
toll line 1-202-501-4444 for
callers outside the U.S. and
Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S.
Department of
State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S.
passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service
representatives and operators for TDD/TTY
are available Monday-Friday, 7:00
a.m. to 12:00 midnight,
Eastern Time, excluding federal
holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) and a web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the
most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements,
and advice on food and drinking water safety for
regions and countries. A
booklet entitled "Health
Information for International Travel"
(HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government
Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202)
512-1800.
Further Electronic
Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at
http://
www.state.gov, the Department of State web
site provides timely, global
access to
official U.S. foreign policy information, including
Background
Notes and daily press briefings
along with the directory of key officers of
Foreign Service
posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
provides
security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies
working abroad through its website
http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and
market
information offered by the federal
government and provides trade leads, free
export counseling, help
with the export process, and
more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides
authoritative economic, business, and
international trade information from
the Federal
government. The site includes current and
historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities,
and country analysis and provides access to the
National Trade Data Bank.
***********************************************************
See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/ for all
Background
notes
************************************************************
To
change your subscription, go to
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Iceland
