263 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
263 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
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ICELAND
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 103,000 km2; land area: 100,250 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kentucky
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 4,988 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark,
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Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement
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in the Rockall area)
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Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild,
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windy winters; damp, cool summers
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Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks,
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icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
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Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power,
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diatomite
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Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
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pastures 23%; forest and woodland 1%; other 76%
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Environment: subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
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Note: strategic location between Greenland and Europe;
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westernmost European country
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PEOPLE
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Population: 259,742 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)
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Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 80 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Icelander(s); adjective--Icelandic
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Ethnic divisions: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians
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and Celts
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Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman
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Catholic 3%, none 1% (1988)
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Language: Icelandic
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Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1976 est.)
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Labor force: 134,429; commerce, finance, and services 55.4%, other
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manufacturing 14.3%., agriculture 5.8%, fish processing 7.9%, fishing
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5.0% (1986)
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Organized labor: 60% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Iceland
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Type: republic
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Capital: Reykjavik
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Administrative divisions: 23 counties (syslar, singular--sysla)
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and 14 independent towns* (kaupstadhir, singular--kaupstadhur); Akranes*,
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Akureyri*, Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
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Austur-Hunavatnssysla, Austur-Skaftafellssysla,
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Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla, Eyjafjardharsysla,
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Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*, Isafjordhur*,
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Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
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Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasysla,
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Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla,
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Reykjavik*, Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*,
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Skagafjardharsysla, Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla,
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Sudhur-Mulasysla, Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vestmannaeyjar*,
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Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Vestur-Hunavatnssysla,
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Vestur-Isafjardharsysla, Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
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Independence: 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
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Constitution: 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
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Legal system: civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept
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compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic,
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17 June (1944)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
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Legislative branch: bicameral Althingi with an Upper
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House (Efri Deild) and a Lower House (Nedri Deild)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1
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August 1980);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since
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30 April 1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Independence (conservative), David ODDSSON;
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Progressive, Steingrimur HERMANNSSON;
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Social Democratic, Jon Baldvin HANNIBALSSON;
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People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON;
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Citizens Party (conservative nationalist), Julius SOLNES;
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Women's List
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Suffrage: universal at age 20
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Elections:
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President--last held on 29 June 1980 (next scheduled for June
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1992); results--there were no elections in 1984 and 1988 as President
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Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was unopposed;
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Althing--last held on 20 April 1991 (next to be held by
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April 1995);
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results--Independence 38.6%, Progressive 18.9%, Social Democratic 15.5%,
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People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.13%, Liberals 1.2%, other 3.27%
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seats--(63 total) Independence 26, Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10,
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People's Alliance 9, Womens List 5
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Communists: less than 100 (est.), some of whom participate in the
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People's Alliance
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Member of: BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT, IAEA,
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IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
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ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
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UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Tomas A. TOMASSON; Chancery
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at 2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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265-6653 through 6655; there is an Icelandic Consulate General in New
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York;
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US--Ambassador Charles E. COBB, Jr.; Embassy at Laufasvegur 21,
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Box 40, Reykjavik (mailing address is FPO New York 09571-0001); telephone
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354 (1) 29100
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Flag: blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the
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edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist
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side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Iceland's prosperous Scandinavian-type economy is
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basically capitalistic, but with extensive welfare measures, low
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unemployment, and comparatively even distribution of income. The economy
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is heavily dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75%
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of export earnings. In the absence of other natural resources, Iceland's
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economy is vulnerable to changing world fish prices. As a result of
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climbing fish prices in 1990 and a noninflationary labor agreement,
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Iceland is pulling out of a recession, which began in mid-1988 with a
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sharp decline in fish prices and an imposition of quotas on fish catches
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to conserve stocks. Inflation was down sharply from 20% in 1989
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to 8% in 1990.
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GDP: $4.2 billion, per capita $16,300; real growth rate 0%
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(1990)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.8% (1990)
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Unemployment rate: 1.8% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $1.58 billion; expenditures $1.66 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $NA million (1990)
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Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum,
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diatomite;
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partners--EC 67.7% (UK 25.3%, FRG 12.7%), US 9.9%,
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Japan 6%
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Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
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commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum,
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foodstuffs, textiles;
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partners--EC 49.8% (FRG 12.4%, Denmark 8.6%, UK 8.1%), US 14.4%,
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Japan 5.6%
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External debt: $3 billion (1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 0.8% (1988 est.); accounts
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for 22% of GDP
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Electricity: 1,063,000 kW capacity; 5,165 million kWh produced,
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20,780 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon
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production, hydropower
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Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP (including fishing);
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fishing is most important economic activity, contributing nearly 75%
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to export earnings; principal crops--potatoes and turnips;
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livestock--cattle, sheep; self-sufficient in crops; fish catch of
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about 1.4 million metric tons in 1989
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1
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million
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Currency: krona (plural--kronur);
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1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
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Exchange rates: Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1--55.216
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(January 1991), 58.284 (1990), 57.042 (1989), 43.014 (1988), 38.677
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(1987), 41.104 (1986), 41.508 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 12,343 km total; 166 km bitumen and concrete; 1,284 km
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bituminous treated and gravel; 10,893 km earth
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Ports: Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik,
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Seydhisfjordhur, Siglufjordhur, Vestmannaeyjar; numerous minor ports
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Merchant marine: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 53,409
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GRT/73,279 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo, 1 container,
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2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker,
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1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
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Civil air: 20 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 99 total, 92 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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14 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: adequate domestic service, wire and radio
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communication system; 135,000 telephones; stations--10 AM, 17 (43 relays)
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FM, 14 (132 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
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earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: no armed forces; State Criminal Police, Coast Guard;
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Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force
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(IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 69,644; 62,248 fit for military
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service; no conscription or compulsory military service
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Defense expenditures: none
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