Iceland

American  

[ahys-luhnd] / ˈaɪs lənd /

noun

1. a large island in the northern Atlantic between Greenland and Scandinavia. 39,698 square miles (102,820 square kilometers).

2. a republic including this island and several smaller islands: formerly Danish; independent since 1944. Reykjavik.

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Iceland British  

/ ˈaɪslənd /

noun

1. an island republic in the N Atlantic, regarded as part of Europe: settled by Norsemen, who established a legislative assembly in 930; under Danish rule (1380–1918); gained independence in 1918 and became a republic in 1944; contains large areas of glaciers, snowfields, and lava beds with many volcanoes and hot springs (the chief source of domestic heat); inhabited chiefly along the SW coast. The economy is based largely on fishing and tourism. Official language: Icelandic. Official religion: Evangelical Lutheran. Currency: króna. Capital: Reykjavik. Pop: 315 281 (2013 est). Area: 102 828 sq km (39 702 sq miles)

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Iceland Cultural  

1. Island republic in the north Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Arctic Circle, west of Norway and southeast of Greenland. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavik.

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Discover More

A unique combination of glaciers and plate tectonics has resulted in an unusual land surface, dominated by a rugged coastline, hot springs, geysers, and volcano es.

It is a member of NATO.

Iceland proclaimed its independence from Denmark in 1944.

Other Word Forms

• Icelander noun

Example Sentences

“The next thing will be Iceland or some part of Norway or whatever crazy thing comes to mind,” said Thorsten Benner, co-founder and director of the Global Public Policy Institute, in Berlin.

From The Wall Street Journal

Russian ships and submarines heading south from bases around the Arctic region pass through waters between Greenland, Iceland, the U.K. and Norway.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some analysts see Greenland aping Iceland’s success, combining tourism with fishing and cheap energy to attract tech companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Last week, British armed forces supported the seizure of the Marinera which was stopped by the US Coast Guard as it travelled northwards through waters between Iceland and Scotland.

From BBC

Two cables already link the island to Iceland and Canada.

From Barron's