Iceland is an island republic in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a land area of around 103000 sq km and a population of around 320,000. Iceland is volcanically and
geologically active on a large scale. The terrain in the interior is mainly a plateau of sand fields, mountains and glaciers.
Because it is warmed by the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude. The Central highlands are the coldest part of the country. Iceland controls
the volcanic island of Surtsey, one of the youngest islands in the world, rising out of the ocean between 1963 and 1968.