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.

---

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)

---

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.

---

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

See Examples For:

Iceland

Unlike volcanic hotspots on Earth, such as those beneath Hawaii or Iceland, these plumes remained fixed in one location rather than drifting over time.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Two years later, having un-retired, Messi flubbed another one at the World Cup in Russia in an embarrassing 1-1 draw against Iceland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The Daily Mail also published a video of Paxton and Duhon that it reported was taken at an airport in Iceland in late June.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

By early Sunday morning, after additional stops in Newfoundland—where a portion of the hostages were released—and Iceland, the plane landed in Paris.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

“Your grandfather did missionary work in Iceland. I don’t think people in Iceland call out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’And how did you get yellow paint on the tip of your ear?

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt