jæja mér hefur lengi langað að setja þetta hérna inn, þetta er yfirlit yfir Ísland eins og það byrtist á heimasíðu BBC, eruð þið sátt við þetta, ég er það svo sem en ég kannast ekkert við mikin hita á vorin :)
“A sparsely-populated North Atlantic island, Iceland is famous for its hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes. Lava fields cover much of the land and hot water is pumped from under the ground to supply much of the country's heating.
Iceland became an independent republic in 1944. Dominated over previous centuries by Norway and Denmark, it does not hesitate nowadays to defend its interests.
It has extended its territorial waters several times since the end of the 1950s to protect its fishermen and their main catch of Atlantic cod from foreign fleets.
Iceland remains outside the EU but, although it has no armed forces, it is a member of Nato. In 1985 it declared itself a nuclear-free zone.
The last US troops left in September 2006. American forces had been stationed in the country without a break since World War II. The US says it will continue to defend Iceland as a Nato ally.
Traditionally a whaling nation, Iceland abandoned the practice in 1989 in line with an international moratorium. It later resumed scientific whaling, intended to investigate the impact of whales on fish stocks, and in 2006 it announced a return to commercial hunts. The move was condemned by environmental groups.
Iceland enjoys a standard of living among the highest in the world. For many years its prosperity depended on the fishing industry. While fish still makes up a large proportion of exports, it now accounts for less than 10 per cent of gross domestic product.
The economy is developing in new areas, not least tourism. Banking and finance reforms have helped to fuel exceptional growth, though there have been worries about economic overheating. Icelandic business has made major investments abroad.
There has been substantial investment in a major industrial aluminium smelter project. Environmentalists have protested that the associated hydroelectric schemes, including the Karahnjukar dam, are being pushed through at the expense of fragile wildlife habitats.
Full name: Republic of Iceland
Population: 292,000 (via UN, 2006)
Capital: Reykjavik
Area: 103,000 sq km (39,769 sq miles)
Major language: Icelandic
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 79 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 krona = 100 aurar
Main exports: Fish and fish products, metals
GNI per capita: US $46,320 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .is
International dialling code: +354”
http://www.bbc.co.uk