Metadata and downloads

The Icelandic Institute for Natural History has the goal of improving access to free digital data via the Internet. Geographical data are important for many different types of projects for institutions, organisations, businesses, and general users.

Geographical resources of the IINH are available on the Icelandic geoportal and metadata on those resources can be found on Icelandic metadata portal.

IINH datasets can be accessed through the Icelandic geoportal and through the download service of the National Land Survey of Iceland. Data are available in file geodatabase (gdb) and shapefile (shp) format and conform to the ÍST 120:2012 standard on feature cataloguing, ÍST 120:2012 – Skráning og flokkun landupplýsinga – Uppbygging fitjuskráa (available in Icelandic only).

GIS software is required to use the data. The geographical context (such as contours and hydrography data) and the layout and style of the IINH maps (e.g., colours and symbols) are not included in data for download.

Geospatial datasets available for download

Data description Published Download available Metadata
Igneous rock series of Iceland 1st edition – 1:600.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93 December 2022 January 2023 Metadata
IINH's proposals for areas in Part B of the Natural Heritage Register, GDB, SHP, ISN93 April 2018 March 2022 Metadata
Geological map of the Western Volcanic Zone of Iceland 1st edition – 1:100.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93 December 2021 December 2021 Metadata
Geological map of Eastern Iceland 1st edition – 1:100.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93 December 2019 December 2021 Metadata
Nootka lupin coverage of Iceland, 3rd edition – 1:1.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93 October 2019 October 2019 Metadata
Special protection of ecological systems and geoheritage – 1:50.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93  February 2019 April 2019 Metadata
Seal haul-outs around Iceland – 1:25.000, GDB og SHP, ISN93 May 2018 May 2018 Metadata
Important bird areas of Iceland – 1:25.000, GDB og SHP, ISN93 November 2017 November 2017 Metadata
Habitat types of Iceland: terrestrial, TIFF, ISN93  2. ed. December 2018 April 2019 Metadata
Habitat types of Iceland: freshwater, coastal and geothermal fields, GDB og SHP, ISN93 1.1 ed. March 2017 March 2017 Metadata
Geological Map of Iceland: Bedrock geology - 1:600.000, GDB og SHP, ISN2004 January 1989, updated June 2014 December 2014 Metadata
Geological Map of Iceland: Tectonics - 1:600.000, GDB og SHP, ISN2004 May 1998, updated May 2009 December 2013 Metadata
Vegetation map of Iceland 1:25.000, GDB, SHP, ISN93 2. ed. June 2023 June 2023 Metadata
Vegetation map of Iceland 1:500.000, GDB, SHP, ISN2004 January 1998 April 2014 Metadata
Vegetation and parcel map series (Rala) 1:20.000, 11 georeferenced sheets, tiff 1971–1977 August 2016 Metadata
Vegetation and parcel map series (Rala) 1:25.000, georeferenced TIFFs, part V, sheet 1414 I NA - 1515 III SV 1987–1989 August 2016 Metadata
Vegetation and parcel map series (Rala) 1:25.000, georeferenced TIFFs, part SV, sheet 1613 II NA - 1613 III SV 1988–1990 August 2016
Vegetation and parcel map series (Rala) 1:25.000, georeferenced TIFFs, part NA, sheet 2015 I NV - 2016 IV SA 1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 074-134 1966–1985 August 2016 Metadata
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 149-172 1966–1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 187-195 1966–1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 207-215 1966–1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 227-236 1966–1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 248-271 1966–1985 August 2016
Vegetation map of Iceland series (Rala) 1:40.000 (Central Highlands), georeferenced TIFFs, sheet 285-306 1966–1985 August 2016

More information on the IINH’s published maps.