Transcript Iceland

Iceland
By
Salvör Þóra Davíðsdóttir – Patricia Moore – Laura Parker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qE60Xd1WUA&feature=related
Iceland
vs.
United
States
Icelandic coat-of-arms
Comparisons
Iceland
• Acknowledges religious
beliefs and superstition
surrounding state
• Small power distance:
– General Norm
– Family
– School
United States
• Separation between
church and state
• Mediocre power distance:
– General Norm
– Family
– School
Map of Iceland
Facts about Iceland
•
Located in the North Atlantic
Ocean just south of the Arctic
Circle between North America and
Europe
•
Reykjavik is the world’s
northernmost capital city
•
A part of Europe and the Nordic
countries
•
Several daily non-stop flights from
the US. Flight times are as short as
4 ½ hours.
•
Keflavik International airport is
about 30 minutes from the capital.
•
The center of Iceland is ruggedly
mountainous and uninhabited.
•
Houses and pools are heated with
geothermal water.
•
The electrical current is 220 volts,
50 Hz
Facts about Iceland
•
Population July 1, 2009: 319.246
•
Area of Iceland: 39,769 sq miles (about the size of Kentucky or Ohio)
•
Wasteland: 24.918 sq miles
•
Coastline: 3,088 miles
•
Highest peak: Hvannadalshnjukur 6.500 feet
•
Currency: $1.00 = 124 kronur (ISK)
•
Iceland remains outside the EU but is a member of Nato.
•
Large parts of Iceland are green, especially in summer
•
There are 4 large glaciers in Iceland covering 4.600 sq miles or 11.5% of
the total area of the country
– Langjökull – Hofsjökull – Mýrdalsjökull –Vatnajökull.
•
Vatnajökull is not only bigger than the other three together, it is even bigger
than all other European glaciers together.
History
• A Norwegian named Ingolfur Arnarsson was first to settle
in Iceland (Reykjavik) around the year 874
• Reykjavik is the Capital of Iceland
• In the year 930 Althingi was established making it the
oldest parliament in the world.
• In the year 1000 Iceland converted to Christianity
• Ruled by Norwegians and later the Danish
• Independence in 1944
• Vigdís Finnbogadóttir the first female president in the
world (1980 – 1996)
• Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
the first openly gay Prime
Minister in the world
(2009 – present)
Population Trends
Foreigners 1999-2009
Population Trend
350,000
319,368
(% of Foreign Citizens January 1 each year)
288,471
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
79,181
50,358
47,713
1703
1803
50,000
0
1903
2003
2009
Population Trend
Population Trend (%)
7.4% January 1, 2009
72.55
80
60
39.74
40
20
9.67
0
-5.54
1703
1803
0
1903
-20
Population Trend (%)
2003
2009
Population
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•
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319.246 thousand inhabitants (July 1, 2009)
Inhabitants more than doubled in number since 1950.
201.598 live in Reykjavik and vicinity (63% of population)
It is the most scarcely populated country in Europe.
Social interaction is egalitarian
Public comportment is quiet and reserved.
Small Power Distance
Scandinavian-style of economy that is capitalistic in
nature
• Far-reaching welfare system
• Employment opportunities along with the allocation of
income evenly distributed within the province.
Population
• Ethnicity
– Fairly homogenous population
– Norse/Celtic descendants 94%
– Foreign origin 6%
• Thereof Europeans 70% – Asians 17% - North Americans 6%
• Nationality
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Polish
Scandinavians
Baltic Nations (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia)
Ex-Yugoslavians
Americans Germans
Filipinos
Thais
British
Language
• The native language is Icelandic
• English, Danish, Scandinavian languages, and German
are widely understood.
• Icelandic is a North Germanic language and relates well
to the old Norse language spoken by the Vikings.
• It is a very transparent and descriptive language, but it is
very difficult to learn as all nouns/names change
depending on context.
Ex. Here is Salvör
Hestur (Horse)
About Salvöru
Hest
From Salvöru
Hesti
To
Salvarar
Hests
• Characters unique to the Icelandic alphabet
– Áá – Éé – Ðð – Íí – Óó – Úú – Ýý – Þþ – Ææ – Öö,
Religion
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Lutheran Church of Iceland: 79.1%
Roman Catholic Church: 2.9%
Reykjavík Free Church: 2.5%
Hafnarfjörður Free Church: 1.6%
Other religions: 3.81%
Unaffiliated 2.89%
Other or unspecified 7.2% (2009 est.)
According to law, the National Treasury puts a portion of
income tax to registered religions.
• The portion for people outside of any religion goes to the
University of Iceland
Climate
•
The climate is
temperate and is
moderated by the
North Atlantic
Current.
•
Winters here are
generally mild and
windy while the
summers are damp
and cool.
•
The weather is an
important subject for
chit-chat.
•
It appears it changes
at least twice a day
•
If you don't like the
weather, waitfifteen
minutes.
Education
• Four Levels
– Pre-Primary Schools
– Compulsory Schools
• (single structure –
primary and lower
secondary education
– Upper Secondary
Schools
– Higher Education
Institutions
Media
•
Press:
–
–
–
–
–
•
Television:
–
–
–
–
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Frettabladid – daily
Morgunbladid - morning daily
DV - evening daily
Vidskiptabladid – business
Baejarins besta - West Fjords local news
Icelandic National Broadcasting Service - operates public network Sjonvarpid
Stod 2 - main private station
Syn – private
Skjar einn - private
Radio:
– Icelandic National Broadcasting Service - public radio, operates two national networks
and four regional stations
– Bylgjan - main private station
Sports
• The national sport is swimming. Every
place with more than 100 inhabitants has
its own swimming pool, filled with
geothermal water.
• Soccer
• Team Handball
• Basketball
• Golf
• Tennis
• Horseback riding.
•
Cuisine
• Native cusines
–
–
–
–
Hákarl (decomposed shark)
Gravlax (salmon fish marinated with spices)
Hangikjöt (smoked lamb)
Slátur (delicacies made from sheep
intestines)
– One may even try out the Brennivin the local
liquor formed out of potatoes and caraway.
• Favorites
– Fish and lamb
– Water is by far the best drink in Iceland —
you get the same pure taste from the tap or
out of a fresh mountain stream.
– Fruits and vegetables are grown organically
in greenhouses and meat and dairy products
are free of additives and growth hormones.
• Tidbids
– Beer was not legalized until March 1, 1989
– Over 170 restaurants in the greater
Reykjavik area where top Icelandic chefs
have the advantage of cooking with pure
and natural Icelandic ingredients.
Economy
• Major Industries
– Fishing sector earns 70 % of the revenue generation through its
export
– The rest lies with the workforce associated with it.
– Exports:
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Aluminum
ferro-silicon alloys
Machinery
electronic equipment related to the fishing business
Software
woolen goods.
– Imports:
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machinery and equipment
petroleum products
Food
Textiles.
Economy
• GDP
– Per Capita $41,800 in 2008
– $12 billion in 2008
– Public Debt: 80% of GDP
• Income Level
– Average income in 2008
was 324.000 IKR / $2,613
USD
• Unemployment
– 9.1% and estimated to
surpass 10% by the end of
the year
– In comparison it was 1.6%
in 2008 and 1% in 2007
Economic Growth 2006-2008
(GDP, Volume Change on Previous Year)
Should I do business in
Iceland?
Maybe
Maybe Not
Financially able to take on risk
Business has not been good lately
Willing to wait on Iceland economy to
turn around to reap benefits from
global expansion
Need to recover from economic
downturn before considering
expansion
Risk Factors
• Inflation reached 19%
(Consumer price index, annualized rates, 12 months, %)
• Interest rates reached18%
• Banks were taken over by the government
– Landsbanki
– Glitnir & Nyi Glitnir
– Kaupthing Bank
Politics
Political Parties
• Independence (IP)
• Progressive (PP)
• Social Democratic
Alliance (SDA)
• Left-Green Party
(LGP)
• Liberal Party (LP)
Governmental
Structure
• Semi-presidential &
Parliamentary
Politics
• Participates in the Nordic cooperation
• Not a member of the EU, but it is in the
process of applying.
• A member of NATO.
• Only country in NATO with no armed
forces.
Revolution
The proletariat
campaign group
Raddir fólksins
(Voices of the
People), with Hördur
Torfason, a singer
and activist
prompted the people
to act and make the
government take
responsibility for the
financial crisis
Demands
•Make the government
the boards of the Central
Bank and Financial
Services Authority to
take responsibility for the
financial crisis
•Demanded the three
heads of the national
banks resign
•Early elections to put
new government in place
Calm after the storm
•Banks are being
restructured
•Elections were held
early to put new
members of
government in place
•Decisions about
joining the EU swing
back and forth
References
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http://www.pbase.com/world/iceland
http://www.who.int/countries/isl/en/
http://hagstofan.is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/localinfoma2/p/icebasicstat
s.htm
http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/index.php?page=AboutIceland
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ic.html
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/lgcolor/
iscolor.htm
www.sedlabanki.is
http://www.redflag.org.uk/frontline/mar09/iceland.html
References Cont’d
• http://www.world-atlas.us/world-map.gif
• http://antiquitieswatch.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/usflag.jpg
• http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2009-01-23LANDSBOKASAFN1.232.09kjartaneinarsson.jpg
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/fields/2118.html?countryCode=ic&rankAnchorR
ow=#ic
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU