Iceland

Icelanders are a small, homogeneous nation descended largely from Norse settlers, speaking Icelandic, a North Germanic language that has changed little since medieval times. Recent labor immigration has added some diversity.

The Evangelical Lutheran state church claims most of the population by tradition, though Iceland is highly secular.

Society

Iceland ranks among the world's leaders in gender equality, life expectancy, and quality of life, with near-universal literacy and a small but growing population.