Geography of Iceland

Iceland is considered to be a large nation because of its total area. Its total land area is 103,000 km² (approx. 39,768 mi²). Continental shelf of Iceland is approximately 108,015 km² (around 41,705 mi²). Iceland is located in Europe. Europe is a continent whose borders date back to the period of antiquity. European countries include, but are not limited to, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Malta, and The Vatican. Iceland is not a landlocked country. It means that is is bordered by at least one major body of water. The average elevation range of Iceland is 557 m (1,828 ft).

Neighbors

Total length of land borders of Iceland is 0 kilometers (~0 miles). Iceland has no land borders, meaning that it also has no neighbouring countries in the traditional sense of the word.

Cities

The capital city of Iceland is Reykjavík. The largest city in Iceland is Reykjavík.

Elevation

The average elevation range of Iceland is 557 m (1,828 ft). The highest point of Iceland is Hvannadalshnúkur, with its official height being 2110 m (6,923 ft). The lowest point of Iceland is Atlantic Ocean. The elevation difference between the highest (Hvannadalshnúkur) and lowest (Atlantic Ocean) points of Iceland is 2110 m (2 ft).

Area

The total land area of Iceland is 103,000 km² (approx. 39,768 mi²). and the total exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is 751,345 km² (~290,095 mi²). The continental shelf of Iceland is approximately 108,015 km² (around 41,705 mi²). Including land mass and EEZ, the total area of Iceland is approximately 854,345 km² (~329,863 mi²). Iceland is considered to be a large nation because of its total area.

Forest and arable land

1,930 km² of Iceland's territory is covered in forests, and forest land comprises 2% of all the land in the country. There are 70 km² of arable land in Iceland, and it comprises 0% of the country's total territory.

Read our section on climate to discover what parameters affect these and other biomes of the country.

Natural resources

The most notable natural resources found in Iceland are fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite.