71 Facts About Iceland

Iceland is a North Atlantic Nordic island country.

Iceland covers an area of 103,000 square kilometres.

Reykjavik is Iceland's capital and largest city.

Icelandic is the country's official and national language.

The Icelandic króna is the country's official currency (ISK).

Iceland is a prosperous country known for its geothermal pools, northern lights, volcanoes, and glaciers.

Iceland's settlement began in 874 AD, when Ingólfr Arnarson, a Viking chieftain from Norway, became the island's first permanent settler.

With the exception of a brief period from 1799 to 1844, Iceland's independent commonwealth has been governed by the Althingi parliament, the world's oldest extant parliamentary institution, since 930. 

Iceland is the world's oldest democracy.

Icelandic settlers arrived in Greenland in 986.

After a period of civil strife in the 13th century, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule. In later centuries, it was ruled by Denmark.

Because of famine in Iceland during the final quarter of the 18th century, approximately 20 to 25 percent of the population emigrated to the United States and Canada.

Iceland gained independence in 1918 and established the Republic of Iceland in 1944. The country was one of the poorest in Europe, relying on subsistence agriculture and fishing.

Joining the European Economic Area in 1994 expanded the nation's economy into manufacturing, finance, and biotechnology, allowing it to maintain its prosperity.

Iceland, located just south of the Arctic Circle, is considered a part of Europe for political, historical, cultural, and practical reasons. In 2006, the country's population was 300,000 people.

An Icelander was the world's first democratically elected female president. In 1980, Vigdis Finbogadóttir was elected. Jóhanna Sigurardóttir became Iceland's first female Prime Minister in 2009, as well as the world's first openly lesbian head of government.

Iceland was Europe's last land to be settled and populated. In terms of land form, it is the world's youngest country.

Iceland is the world's 18th largest island and Europe's second largest island after Great Britain.

Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, is the world's northernmost national capital. Reykjavik is home to roughly 60% of the country's population.

East Iceland has the largest forest in the country, lush farmlands, and numerous natural harbours with fishing villages.

The South coast is home to some of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, including the Golden Circle. Dettifoss Waterfall is Europe's most powerful waterfall.

West Iceland is one of the most geologically diverse regions on the island, with one of the world's highest concentrations of geysers and the famous Snaefellsjökull glacier.

The Westfjords, located in the country's uninhabited northwest corner, have been preserved as a relatively unspoiled wilderness area with unique geological features.

North Iceland is known for its dramatic lava fields and hills carved out by rivers with raging waterfalls. The small fishing town of Hsavk is Europe's whale watching capital.

The lava fields of Reykjavik are a geothermal wonder and a beautiful place where lighthouses outnumber villages. Lava fields cover approximately 30% of Iceland. The well-known Blue Lagoon can be found here.

The Vatnajökull glacier is Europe's largest ice cap. It is actually larger than all of Europe's glaciers combined.

The volcanic zone in central Iceland is a "constructive junction" between the western part of Iceland, which is on the North American plate, and the eastern part, which is on the Eurasian plate.

Iceland, which is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is divided in half by volcanoes and has the world's most active volcano area, with a volcano erupting every five years on average.

There are numerous geysers in Iceland. The term "geyser" comes from Iceland's famous Geysir.

On March 21, 2010, a volcano in Iceland's south erupted for the first time since 1821, sending 600 people fleeing.

Iceland currently has between 30 and 40 active volcanoes.

The United Nations' Human Development Index ranked Iceland as the 13th most developed country in the world in 2013.

Tremors and earthquakes of varying magnitude frequently shake parts of the country. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur in tandem.

Commercial whaling and scientific whale hunts are both conducted, but whale watching tours generate more revenue for Iceland than the whaling industry.

In terms of energy sources, Iceland is the most environmentally friendly country in the world. Thirty percent of their electricity is geothermal (the highest percentage in the world), with the remainder generated by hydropower.

The fishing industry accounts for the vast majority of their exports, while manufacturing unwrought aluminium accounts for 40% of the national economy.

The Icelandic people are descended from the founders of the Norwegian Vikings and native Celtic populations of Scotland and Ireland who were captured and brought to the island as slaves.

Iceland has the lowest population density in Europe, with less than three people per square kilometre.

Icelandic, descended from Old Norse, is the nation's official language, both spoken and written. Today's students can read books written hundreds of years ago because it has changed so little. Danish and English are compulsory school subjects.

Icelanders have a seriously strong work ethic, putting in some of the world's longest hours of any industrialised country. They place a high value on independence and self-sufficiency.

Iceland was one of the world's first countries to legalise same-sex marriage. Gender equality is high, and income inequality is among the lowest in the world. Iceland is one of the top three countries in the world for women to live.

Surnames do not include family names. Icelanders have patronymic surnames based on their father's first name (for example, Elisabet Jônsdôttir means Elisabet, Jôn's daughter).

Icelanders, including the president, address each other by their given names. The phone book is even organised alphabetically by first name rather than surname. The Icelandic Naming Committee must approve all new first names that have never been used in Iceland before.

Icelandic culture is built around their language and literary tradition, which dates back to the ancient Sagas. This tradition is still alive and well in Iceland, where authors publish more books per capita than anywhere else on the planet. Almost everyone writes something.

The Icelandic Coast Guard maintains the Iceland Air Defense System and patrols coastal waters in the absence of a standing army. The police do not carry firearms.

Icelanders go to the movies at a higher rate than people in any other country. Icelanders watch five films per year on average.

Handball is Iceland's national sport. The Icelandic Men's Team was ranked 12th in the world. Glima, a form of wrestling thought to have originated in mediaeval times, is the main traditional sport. Soccer (football) is the most popular team sport.

Festivals and holidays in Iceland celebrate church or ancient Norse traditions. Bóndadajur ("husband's day") and Thorrablot, a midwinter celebration based on an ancient pagan sacrificial winter fest, are two examples. Midsummer Night is celebrated by Jónsmessa.

In Iceland, up to 80% of the population still believes in the existence of elves. Even today, some roads have been rerouted to avoid disturbing rocks or other places thought to be elven homes.

Fish, skyr (a yoghurt-like dairy product), hanhikjöt (smoked lamb), svi (singed sheep's head), hákari (cured shark), and harfiskur are all Icelandic foods (dried fish pieces eaten with butter or coleslaw for a snack).

Puffin is considered a delicacy in the area. Broiling is used to prepare it, and it is served shredded. Raw puffin heart is regarded as a delicacy.

Most Icelanders rely heavily on seafood, particularly haddock and cod. Herring, salmon, and halibut are also favourites. It can be prepared dried, smoked, pickled, or boiled.

Lamb is the most popular meat, and it is either smoke-cured (hanhikjöt) or salt-preserved (saltjöt). Potatoes, green beans, and rye bread are served as side dishes.

Coffee is a popular beverage for every meal and as a snack in the afternoon. Coca-Cola consumption is among the highest per capita rates in the world. Brennivin ("burnt or distilled wine") is the local alcoholic beverage.

Iceland, famous for its whale meat, is one of the few places on the planet where you can eat Minke whale. Tourists consume it more than locals.

Iceland also has some unique cuisine that visitors may find repulsive. Hákari (putrescent shark meat), srsaöir hrtspungar (boiled and cured ram's testicles), and lundabaggi (lactic acid-cured sheep's loins) are among them.

Skiing, snowboarding, rock and ice climbing, mountain climbing, hiking, fishing, cycling, and ski touring are all popular activities in Iceland.

The soothing Blue Lagoon spa receives warm water from a nearby geothermal plant. Daub yourself in white silica mud and emerge silky smooth and relaxed.

In the Westfjords, the pink and red sands of Rauasandur beach are backed by a vast, tranquil lagoon.

The Arctic fox is Iceland's only native mammal. Today's Icelandic sheep, cattle, goats, chickens, Icelandic horse, and Icelandic Sheepdog are all descendants of those animals brought over by settlers. Mink, rabbits, rats, and reindeer are examples of wild ones.

Only one-fourth of the island is vegetated, and only 1% of the soil is arable. The once-vast forests have been depleted and are now almost non-existent.

In comparison to other countries, the number of insect species is low. In Iceland, mosquitoes do not exist.

Polar bears visit Iceland on ice flows from Greenland but do not live there.

Icelandic horses have two more gaits than any other breed.

Iceland's government outlawed prostitution in 2009 and strip clubs in 2010.

Despite its name, Iceland's surface is only 10% ice, and its winters are unusually mild due to the warming effect of the Atlantic Gulf Stream.

Icelanders joke that they are Greenland and Greenland is Iceland.

In Iceland, it is illegal to keep a pet lizard, snake, or turtle. There are no amphibians or reptiles.

The Phallological Museum is one of the country's most unusual tourist destinations. It has the largest collection of penises and penile parts in the world, including 55 whale penises.

The annual Arctic Open Golf Tournament in Akureyri has a midnight tee time and attracts golfers from all over the world.

"Hekla," Iceland's most common female name, is also the name of one of the country's most active volcanoes. It is 1,491 metres high and located in southern Iceland.