Railroads:
7,765 km total; 7,508 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 222 km narrow
gauge (mostly 0.760-meter), 35 km 1.520-meter broad gauge; 1,236 km
double track, 2,249 km electrified; all government owned (1990)
Highways:
total:
130,224 km
paved:
61,948 km
unpaved:
68,276 km (1988)
Inland waterways:
1,622 km (1988)
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,204 km; natural gas 4,387 km (1991)
Ports:
Budapest and Dunaujvaros are river ports on the Danube; coastal
outlets are Rostock (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Gdynia (Poland),
Szczecin (Poland), Galati (Romania), and Braila (Romania)
Merchant marine:
10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) and 1 bulk totaling 46,121
GRT/61,613 DWT
Airports:
total:
126
usable:
65
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
18
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
31
note:
a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
automatic telephone network based on microwave radio relay system;
1,128,800 phones (1991); telephone density is at 19.4 per 100
inhabitants; 49% of all phones are in Budapest; 608,000 telephones on
order (1991); 12-15 year wait for a phone; 14,213 telex lines (1991);
broadcast stations - 32 AM, 15 FM, 41 TV (8 Soviet TV repeaters); 4.2
million TVs (1990); 1 satellite ground station using INTELSAT and
Intersputnik
@Hungary, Defense Forces
Branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, Territorial
Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,636,888; fit for military service 2,105,628; reach
military age (18) annually 90,134 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
66.5 billion forints, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of
defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate
could produce misleading results
@Iceland, Geography
Location:
Nordic State, Northern Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Greenland and Norway
Map references:
Arctic Region, Europe, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
103,000 sq km
land area:
100,250 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
4,988 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the
UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall
area)
Climate:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters;
damp, cool summers
Terrain:
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast
deeply indented by bays and fiords
Natural resources:
fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
20%
forest and woodland:
1%
other:
78%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater
treatment
natural hazards:
subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Environmental
Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European
country; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
Europe
@Iceland, People
Population:
263,599 (July 1994 est.)
note:
population data estimates based on average growth rate may differ
slightly from official population data because of volatile migration
rates
Population growth rate:
0.9% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
16.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
78.83 years
male:
76.57 years
female:
81.21 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.11 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Icelander(s)
adjective:
Icelandic
Ethnic divisions:
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none
1% (1988)
Languages:
Icelandic
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
total population:
100%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
127,900
by occupation:
commerce, transportation, and services 60.0%, manufacturing 12.5%,
fishing and fish processing 11.8%, construction 10.8%, agriculture
4.0% (1990)
@Iceland, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Iceland
conventional short form:
Iceland
local long form:
Lyoveldio Island
local short form:
Island
Digraph:
IC
Type:
republic
Capital:
Reykjavik
Administrative divisions:
23 counties (syslar, singular - sysla) and 14 independent towns*
(kaupstadhir, singular - kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*,
Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla,
Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla,
Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*,
Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la,
Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*,
Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla,
Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla,
Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla,
Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence:
17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Constitution:
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system:
civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980); election last
held on 29 June 1988 (next scheduled for June 1996); results - there
was no election in 1992 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was
unopposed
head of government:
Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament (Althing):
elections last held on 20 April 1991 (next to be held by April 1995);
results - Independence Party 38.6%, Progressive Party 18.9%, Social
Democratic Party 15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.3%,
Liberals 1.2%, other 3.1%; seats - (63 total) Independence 26,
Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 9, Womens List
5
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
Political parties and leaders:
Independence Party (conservative), David ODDSSON; Progressive Party,
Steingrimur HERMANNSSON; Social Democratic Party, Jon Baldvin
HANNIBALSSON; People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar
GRIMSSON; Women's List
Member of:
Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA,
NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO,
WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Einar BENEDIKTSSON
chancery:
2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 265-6653 through 6655
FAX:
(202) 265-6656
consulate(s) general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Parker W. BORG
embassy:
Laufasvegur 21, Box 40, Reykjavik
mailing address:
US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, Reykjavik; FPO AE 09728-0340
telephone:
[354] (1) 629100
FAX:
[354] (1) 629139
Flag:
blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side
in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
@Iceland, Economy