While Iceland is the second largest inhabited island in Europe, with only 313,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Icelanders form one of the smallest independent nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavík, and its suburbs, while the rest is spread around the inhabitable area of the country. Until fairly recently the Icelandic nation was unusually homogeneous, both in cultural and religious terms; in 1981, around 98 percent of the nation was born in Iceland and 96 percent belonged to the Lutheran state church or other Lutheran religious sects. In 2007, these numbers were down to 89 and 86 percent respectively, reflecting the rapidly growing multicultural nature of Icelandic society. The A to Z of Iceland traces Iceland's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This is done through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

While Iceland is the second largest inhabited island in Europe, with only 313,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Icelanders form one of the smallest independent nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population lives in the capital, Reykjav'k, and its suburbs, while the rest is spread around the inhabitable area of the country. Until fairly recently the Icelandic nation was unusually homogeneous, both in cultural and religious terms; in 1981, around 98 percent of the nation was born in Iceland and 96 percent belonged to the Lutheran state church or other Lutheran religious sects. In 2007, these numbers were down to 89 and 86 percent respectively, reflecting the rapidly growing multicultural nature of Icelandic society. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iceland traces Iceland's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This is done through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

These papers on the anthropology of Iceland were presented at a conference in Iowa City, Iowa in May 1987, and include historical and archaeological studies, the position of women in society and a chapter on Icelandic-Canadians in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

A mountainous country formed through volcanic eruptions, Iceland's geography is characterized by areas of uninhabitable plateaus and mountains, four major glaciers, coastal valleys and plains, and a great number of fjords, bays, and natural harbors. Settled around 870 by people from Western Norway coming either directly or through the British Isles, Iceland began its formal political history with the establishment of a general assembly of chieftains in 930. After a period of civil war characterized by skirmishes for power between chieftains, the Icelanders accepted rule by the Norwegian king in 1262, continuing with varying degrees of absolutist and parliamentary rule first by the Norse, and later by the Danish until 1904, when it was granted home rule, and finally in 1918, when it was declared a sovereign state. Iceland's final step towards independence was taken in June of 1944, when the republic of Iceland was formally founded, allowing it to become a full member of the international community. The Historical Dictionary of Iceland contains a detailed chronology, notes on the Icelandic language, a listing of abbreviations and acronyms, an introduction which highlights important events in Icelandic history, and a bibliography of titles to assist the interested researcher in learning more about this small but important European country.