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

US forces boarded the Russian-flagged Marinera after a pursuit lasting almost two weeks and as it travelled through the waters between Iceland and Scotland.

From BBC

Flight tracking websites showed US special operations aircraft landing at Wick John O'Groats before flying further north towards Iceland on Wednesday.

From BBC

In the Atlantic, south of Iceland, helicopters and at least one Coast Guard vessel were being used to take control of a tanker formerly known as Bella 1, under the Coast Guard’s law-enforcement authority.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Coast Guard has continued to trail the ship into the Eastern Atlantic, where it is now sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to AIS positioning.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two US officials told the broadcaster that American forces plan to intercept the ship, which historically has carried Venezuelan crude oil and is thought to be between Scotland and Iceland.

From BBC