Security
With the exception of a small coast guard, Iceland does not have military forces. However, in 1949 it became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Iceland joined the United Nations in 1946, a year after its founding. In the post-World War II period it has based its foreign policy on peaceful international cooperation and participated in joint Western defense efforts. The United States, having assumed responsibility for Iceland’s defense, maintains a naval air station at Keflavík International Airport under NATO auspices.
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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Iceland - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
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The island country of Iceland is a scenic land of volcanoes and glaciers. Though its closest neighbor is Greenland, it is a part of Europe. The capital is Reykjavik.
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Iceland - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
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The island of Iceland is one of the stepping-stones of land between the North American and European continents. It is located just south of the Arctic Circle about 180 miles (290 kilometers) southeast of Greenland, 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Norway, and 500 miles (800 kilometers) northwest of Scotland. Over 80 percent of the island is unpopulated because the land is covered either with permanent snow and ice fields (glaciers) or has a volcanic surface, which has poor soils that are not suited to crop growing, sheep grazing, or other agricultural activities. Most of the people live in or near the capital city of Reykjavik in the extreme southwestern portion of the island. It is located on major shipping and air lanes of the North Atlantic Ocean, and it occupies a unique position in the world as one of the first independent, democratic republics. Area 39,777 square miles (103,022 square kilometers). Population (2013 est.) 323,000.
The topic Iceland is discussed at the following external Web sites.
Citations
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