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| ICELAND | NORWAY | SWITZERLAND |
Capital city: Reykjavik
Population: 306,694 (July 2009 est.)
Currency: Icelandic króna
Language: Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Poultry farming is considerable in Iceland. The most common types of bird reared are chicken, duck and turkey. National consumption of poultry has been on the increase, no doubt the result of the rapid growth in number of fast-food and oriental restaurants. Over the centuries, Icelanders have acquired a taste for sea birds, in particular guillemot and puffin, which are caught on the steep cliff faces along the coasts. In spring the colourful eggs of these birds are collected for consumption. Slightly larger than a hen's egg, they are considered a delicacy. The number of farmlands in Iceland is about 3400 and the number of livestock owners is about 3200. Agriculture constitutes about 1.1% of the domestic production and has been decreasing. About 3.4% of Iceland's workforce is engaged in the agricultural sector. The main types of livestock are sheep (450,000), cows and other cattle (65,000), horses (75,000), pigs (4,000) and poultry.
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 5%
industry: 25.2%
services: 69.8% (2008 est.)
Capital city: Oslo
Population: 4,660,539 (July 2009 est.)
Currency: Norwegian krone
Language: Norwegian
The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, as a member of the European Economic Area, it contributes sizably to the EU budget.
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 2%
industry: 44.2%
services: 53.8% (2008 est.)
Capital city: Bern
Population: 7,604,467 (July 2009 est.)
Currency: Swiss franc
Language: German, French, Italian, and Romansch (official languages)
Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labour force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. In recent years the Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness, but some trade protectionism remains, particularly for its small agricultural sector.
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34%
services: 64.5% (2003 est.)
