Laakea

= __ICELAND__ = = = =  Area: 39,770 sq. mi. = = Population: 313,000 = = Major Cites: Saudarkrokur, Eskifjordur, Reykavik = = Resources: Fish, fish products, & animal products = = Language: Germanic, north Germanic and Icelandic = =Location: European island in the North Atlantic = =**Ethnic groups:** Homogenous mixture of descendants of the original Nordic and Celtic settlers. = =**Religion:** State Lutheran Church 84%. = = __CULTURE__ = =It was the freedom and adventure that inspired many Vikings to make their homes in Iceland in the ninth century. Icelanders are of Scandinavian origin. Icelandic culture is just as diverse as the landscape.Icelanders harvest a lot of their food directly from the surrounding nature. This includes seafood, mushrooms, berries, reindeer, lamb and all sorts of other game and wildlife.= = __Foods__ = = There is a wide range of high quality restaurants in Iceland, serving specialities including freshly caught seafood, meat from naturally reared animals and prize game from the unspoilt countryside. Icelandic fish, caught in the unpolluted waters of the North Atlantic, has established a reputation for its superb quality and delicious taste world-wide. Fish is the mainstay of the Icelandic diet, and fresh fish can be had all the year round. Icelanders eat mostly haddock, cod, plaice, halibut, herring and shrimp. = = __Major City__ Reykavik is the capital and largest city of Iceland. Its lattitude at 64°08' N makes it the worlds northern capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay. With a population of around 120,000 (and over 200,000 in the Greater Reykjavík Area ) it is the heart of Iceland's economic and governmental activity.=

== = = = = = __Physical Geography__ = = Iceland is a large island in the North Atlantic ocean. The island is located east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the divergent boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. Iceland has extensive volcanic and geothermal activity. About half of Iceland's land area, which is of recent volcanic origin, consists of a mountainous lava desert (highest elevation 2,119 m (6,952 ft) above sea level) and other wasteland. Eleven percent is covered by three large glaciers. =