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Iceland

[ ahys-luhnd ]
/ ˈaɪs lənd /
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noun
a large island in the northern Atlantic between Greenland and Scandinavia. 39,698 square miles (102,820 square kilometers).
a republic including this island and several smaller islands: formerly Danish; independent since 1944. Capital: Reykjavik.
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OTHER WORDS FROM Iceland

Ice·land·er [ahys-lan-der, -luhn-der], /ˈaɪsˌlæn dər, -lən dər/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Iceland in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Iceland

Iceland
/ (ˈaɪslənd) /

noun
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)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Iceland

Iceland

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.

notes for Iceland

Iceland proclaimed its independence from Denmark in 1944.

notes for Iceland

It is a member of NATO.

notes for Iceland

A unique combination of glaciers and plate tectonics has resulted in an unusual land surface, dominated by a rugged coastline, hot springs, geysers, and volcanoes.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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