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Iceland: map, flag, capital and key facts

Iceland is a country in Europe, in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, with about 392,000 people (2025) and an area of 103,000 square kilometres. Its capital is Reykjavik, and it has no land borders.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of Iceland
Flag of Iceland
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
Iceland in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about Iceland

CapitalReykjavik
ContinentEurope
RegionScandinavia and the Nordic countries
Population392,404 2025, World Bank. 172nd of 195.
Area103,000 km² (39,769 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 107th largest of 195.
Population density3.8 people per km²
Land neighboursNone. It has no land borders with another country.
Official nameRepublic of Iceland
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates64.15° N, 21.95° W Reykjavik, Natural Earth.

No land borders

Iceland shares no land border with another country. Its nearest neighbours are across the sea, as the map above shows.

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Iceland's 6, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 6

An island on the seam of two plates

Iceland sits astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the divergent boundary where the North American and Eurasian plates pull apart at roughly two centimeters a year. That seam makes the island one of the most volcanically active places on Earth, with over 30 active volcanic systems. Vatnajokull, Europe's largest glacier by volume, covers 7,900 square kilometers in the southeast and hides several active volcanoes under its ice cap. Fire and ice together produce lava fields, geothermal springs, glacial rivers, and black sand beaches.

More on Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The ridge runs 16,000 kilometers from the Arctic to the South Atlantic, but Iceland is one of the few places where it rises above sea level. The rift zone crossing Iceland produces frequent eruptions, including the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption that disrupted European air traffic for weeks and the 2023 to 2024 Reykjanes Peninsula eruptions that threatened the town of Grindavik.

5 more lenses on Iceland in the app

  • STORY The world's oldest parliament
  • NOW Geothermal power as national advantage
  • THREAD A stepping stone across the Atlantic
  • NOW Fishing rights and financial crises
  • THREAD A mid-ocean ridge, above water, in two places

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare Iceland with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of Iceland?
The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik. Reykjavik lies at about 64.2 degrees north and 21.9 degrees west. Iceland is in Europe, in the region often called Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. It is home to about 392,000 people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Iceland?
About 392,000 people live in Iceland, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 172nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 103,000 square kilometres, that is about 3.8 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Iceland?
None. Iceland has no land borders with any other country. It is surrounded by sea, so every neighbour of Iceland is across the water. It lies in Europe, in the region often called Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. Its area is 103,000 square kilometres, and about 392,000 people live there.
How big is Iceland?
Iceland covers 103,000 square kilometres, or about 39,769 square miles. That makes it the 107th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 392,000 gives a density of 3.8 people per square kilometre.

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