Surrounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, Iceland is located northwest of Scandinavia and Great Britain, and southeast of Greenland.
Iceland, an island country, is the most sparsely populated country in Europe.
According to the Landnamabok manuscripts; Settlement on the island began when Ingolfr Arnarson, a Norwegian chieftain, settled permanently on the island in 874.
Iceland, which has the highest unionization rate in the world, was the first country to recognize the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which left the Soviet Union.
The country was governed as an independent federation by the Alþingi, one of the oldest legislatures in the world, until the 13th century. Later it came under the sovereignty of Norway, but declared its independence in 1918. Alþingi still continues its activities in the country where the republic was declared in 1944.
In Iceland, which is also known as the Land of Fire and Ice due to the richness of geothermal water resources, almost all of its energy needs are provided from renewable energy sources.
Iceland, which has only a lightly armed coast guard, is the only NATO member country with the least population and no armed forces.
There are nearly 200 active volcanoes on the island, most of which is volcanic. The most important among them is Hekla, which has an altitude of 1490 meters.
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