Northern Lights is a beautiful and dynamic display of light
The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) is a beautiful and dynamic display of light often seen on clear winter nights in the upper atmosphere. Their base is usually at an altitude of around 100 km (62 miles) and they form a meandering oval belt, approximately 1 km in depth, around the geomagnetic pole, which is offset 20-25° from the true North Pole.
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Hot springs occur when hot water emerges naturally...
The generally used term of geyser for erupting springs comes from the Icelandic word “Geyser”, the proper name of the most famous hot spring in Iceland for centuries, described below.
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Weather in Iceland is really a series of samples
The weather is milder than could be expected in view of the location of the country in northern latitudes, especially winter time. In Reykjavik the average temperature is 0.1°C (32°F) and 11.2°C 852°F) in July.
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Around 150 eruptions have been recorded since the settlement
Among world-famous Icelandic volcanoes is Hekla in the south of the country and Snæfellsjökull in the west.
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Solheimar is the first community of its kind in the world where so-called able and disabled people live and work together.
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Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) is of course a small (3 - 5m) toothed white whale, an arctic and sub-arctic species of cetacean.
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Ingolfur Arnarson arrived in Iceland 874...
A chieftain from Western Norway, Ingolfur Arnarson, arrived in Iceland 874 AD and built this farm on the site of today´s capital city, Reykjavik.
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Elves live in rocks and lava fields...
They sometimes borrow things from their human neighbors, but never fail to put them back on the exact same place.
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The Icelandic word for “computer” is “tölva”...
The Icelandic language belongs to the Nordic branch of the Germanic languages.
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The Sagas are the most popular early works of Old Icelandic
As far as we know, there was no written literature in Iceland prior to the 12th century. The main part of Icelandic medieval literature, however, consists of either Scandinavian poetry, composed before the settlement of Iceland, or works based upon historical events during the first 250 years of Icelandic history.
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Iceland is one of the remaining EFTA-countries
Since 1944, Iceland has been a democratic republic with a president elected by direct, popular vote for a period of four years. Presidential duties are similar to those of the monarch in a constitutional monarchy. Legislative powers rest with the four-year-term.
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Primary school education is compulsory...
Social insurance covers health insurance, pension insurance, industrial injuries insurance and unemployment insurance. Health standard and service are high and similar to those of the Scandinavian countries.
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Iceland has its own currency; the krona.
Iceland owes its present prosperity to the country’s human recourses and to the fishing grounds around the island. The fishing industry plays a fundamental roll in Iceland. It now covers about 62% of the country’s exports, while employing about 8% of the working force. Being dependent on the fisheries for their livelihood, Icelanders are committed to sustain the fish stock in healthy state.
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The vegetation of Iceland differs in many ways...
The Icelandic flora has a North European character. It consists of about 470 species of vascular plants, only eight of which have their main area of distribution west of Iceland. About 97% are also found in Norway, 87% in the British Isles, but only about 60% in Greenland.
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The Icelandic horse has never been crossbred
The only land mammal indigenous to Iceland before the settlement was the artic fox. Polar bears occasionally visit Iceland on drifting icebergs from Greenland, but are considered undesirable visitors. Mice and rats were accidentally introduced by man early on, but two species of mammals have been deliberately introduced in more recent time.
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Iceland is situated on a hot spot...
Iceland is situated in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the process of seafloor spreading adds about 2 km 2 (0.8 sq. miles) of ocean floor each year. Around 125 million years ago, the continents of Europe and North America were part of a super continent called Pangaea. Since then it has been breaking up, with the result that present day North America became separated from Europe.
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Fortunately, Iceland is situated on a divergent plate...
Due to the high temperatures and pressure on the earth’s interior, rocks are plastic and mobile. In the lithosphere plates above these rocks, movement in the earth occurs only in sporadic jumps.
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Iceland’s rivers are of three main types
Iceland’s rivers are of three main types. 1) In the older western and eastern parts of the country, the rivers tend to be short and have an irregular flow, their volume depending mainly on precipitation.
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One of the richest countries in unharnessed energy...
Geothermal energy is one of Iceland’s greatest natural resources and provides most homes in the country with hot water by heating up fresh water and piping into nearby buildings. Geothermal steam is to some extent used to generate electricity.
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A mystery how Iceland and Greenland got their names
Today, it may seem a mystery how Iceland and Greenland got their names. It has been speculated that the settlers were giving out misleading information, to be able to stay in Iceland in peace from Vikings and pirates.
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South Iceland extends from Reykjavik in the west to Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon in the east, but also includes a large part of the central highlands. The variety of landscape makes this coast special and interesting all the year round.
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