About 91% of the population belong to the state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, or other Lutheran Churches. However, Iceland has complete religious liberty, and other Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations are present.
Most Icelandic surnames are based on patronymy, or the adoption of the father's first given name. For example, Magnus and Anna, children of a man named Petur, would hold the surname Petursson and Petursdottir, respectively. Magnus' children, in turn, would inherit the surname Magnusson, while Anna's children would claim their father's first given name as their surname. Women normally maintain their original surnames after marriage. This system of surnames is required by law, except for the descendants of those who had acquired family names before 1913. Most Icelanders, while reserved by nature, rarely call each other by their surnames, and even phone directories are based on first names. Because of its small size and relative homogeneity, Iceland holds all the characteristics of a very close-knit society.
Cultural Achievements
The Sagas, almost all written between 1180-1300 A.D., remain Iceland's best known literary accomplishment, and they have no surviving counterpart anywhere in the Nordic world. Based on Norwegian and Icelandic histories and genealogies, the Sagas present views of Nordic life and times up to 1100 A.D. The Saga writers sought to record their heroes' great achievements and to glorify the virtues of courage, pride, and honor, focusing in the later Sagas on early Icelandic settlers.
Unlike its literature, Iceland's fine arts did not flourish until the 19th century because the population was small and scattered. Iceland's most famous painters are Asgrimur Jonsson, Jon Stefansson, and Johannes Kjarval, all of whom worked during the first half of the 20th century. The best-known modern sculptor, Asmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), drew his inspiration from Icelandic folklore and the Sagas for many of his works.
The best known Icelandic writer in this century is the Nobel Prize winner Halldor Laxness. The literacy rate is 100%, and literature and poetry are a passion with the population. Per capita publication of books and magazines is the highest in the world. In a population of 265,000 people, 1993 data show five daily newspapers, 78 other newspapers, and 629 periodicals.
[Kristjan Johannsson]? is Iceland's most famous opera singer, while pop singer Bjork is probably its best known artist in this century.
Population: 276,365 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
23% (male 33,119; female 31,222)
15-64 years:
65% (male 90,599; female 88,982)
65 years and over:
12% (male 14,555; female 17,888) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.57% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 14.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 6.87 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 3.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
79.39 years
male:
77.19 years
female:
81.77 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Icelander(s)
adjective:
Icelandic
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions: [Evangelical Lutheran]? 91%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic, none (1997)
Languages: Icelandic
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99.9% (1997 est.)
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
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