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Welcome To Iceland
Country number
163
Selected MR Agencies

An Introduction to Iceland

Alone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active and home to only around a third of a million people - almost the lowest density of any nation. Despite its glaciers, it is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate. V'kings settled the country towards the end of the first millennium AD, and from 1262 to 1918 it was part of the Norwegian and then Danish monarchies. It was then a monarchy tied to Denmark for a fixed period of twenty-five years and subsequently voted to become a republic. See full country profile.

Latest Research News from Europe (Other)

Mar 15
Digital media measurement, data and analytics platform DoubleVerify (DV) has appointed long-time Ebiquity exec Laetitia Zinetti as Regional Vice President for Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece), leading the company's growth across the region. Mar 15 2023
Mar 9
Online panel provider Intra Research has expanded into eighteen new territories, bringing the total number of European countries it covers to 34. Mar 9 2023


10 current Other European jobs including:

EnTrust Programme Doctoral Researchers - Agri-Data Management, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Salary - EU Funded PhD Programme - (posted Mar 14 2023)
Technical Support Engineer, Sofia, Bulgaria (WFH possible), EUR competitive - (posted Feb 8 2023)
Custom Survey Programmer, Sofia, Bulgaria, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Remote), EUR competitive - (posted Feb 7 2023)
Product Designer, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, $ competitive - (posted Nov 21 2022)


Fast Facts
Map of Iceland
CAPITAL: Reykjavik
GOVERNMENT: parliamentary republic
AREA: 103,001 sq km
POPULATION: 320,060 (July 2011 est.)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Official Language: Icelandic
Eyjafjallajokull Vulkan Island, Iceland
Eyjafjallajokull Vulkan Island, Iceland


Young and hot! Iceland has hundreds of volcanoes with c.30 volcanic systems active. Eruptions in March 2010 and May 2011 created ash clouds which grounded aircraft over much of Northern Europe. On the plus side, most residents have inexpensive hot water and home heat ('though due to the high sulphur content, hold your nose while you shower...)

Between 1963 and 1968, a series of volcanic eruptions beneath the ocean off Iceland pushed up Surtsey, one of the youngest islands in the world and named after Surtr, a giant with a flaming sword in Norse mythology. Only scientists researching the growth of new life are allowed to visit the island.

Iceland is the only member of NATO that has no standing army.

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Iceland in Profile

Alone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active and home to only around a third of a million people - almost the lowest density of any nation. Despite its glaciers, it is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate. V'kings settled the country towards the end of the first millennium AD, and from 1262 to 1918 it was part of the Norwegian and then Danish monarchies. It was then a monarchy tied to Denmark for a fixed period of twenty-five years and subsequently voted to become a republic.

Traditionally very poor, it was made wealthy in the latter half of the twentieth century by fishing. A Nordic welfare system, an economy diversified into financial and business services, low taxes and better European links give it a high Human Development Index score (briefly first in the world, in 2007-8, and still 2nd in quality of life) - 'though the failure in 2008 of the country's entire banking system has severely dented its stability and reputation abroad.Iceland has the highest number of bookstores per capita in the world and estimates suggest that around 1 in ten of the population will publish a book in their lifetime.

Some Business and General Info

GDP: $12.41 bn (2011 est.); $38,000 per capita

Religions Church of Iceland (Lutheran) 76.8%; other Lutheran 5.7%, other Christian 5.6%.

Currency: Icelandic Krona

Telephone Code: +354

Research Industry

Icelandic MR industry stats here shortly...

Overview of Trade and Industry

Grown from poverty post-WW2 on the back of industrialised fishing, Iceland's economy has diversified into manufacturing and service industries, including software production, biotechnology, and finance, and in 2007 it was the seventh most productive country in the world per capita and fifth by PPP GDP ($40,112). Services comprise close to 70% of economic activity. Tourism's not bad either - Iceland receives around 1.1m visitors annually, more than three times the native population!

Exports of $5.3bn in 2011 were 40% fish and fish products, plus minerals including aluminium, and other animal products. 33.9% went to The Netherlands, 14.1% to Germany and 10.1% to the UK. Imports of $4.5bn consisted of machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs and textiles and came from a wide variety of countries with Norway, Brazil, Netherlands, USA, Germany, Denmark, China, Finland, Sweden and the UK all supplying more than 5% in 2010.

My view
from...
Iceland
Researchers Talk!
Have your say!
If you are a researcher based in Iceland, in whatever capacity, then we would love to hear from you!

Email me:
laurence@mrweb.com

Views from...

Have you worked as a researcher in Iceland? Let us know!