Although Iceland is a small country with a modest population, it is a fountain of interesting firsts, statistics, and accomplished individuals. Here are some interesting facts you may not know…
Iceland is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun because there are almost 24 hours of daylight during June, July and August. Non-stop fun under the midnight sun occurs when Reykjavik nightlife explodes into a carnival-like atmosphere in the perpetual daylight of summer.
Leif Eriksson (Leif the Lucky), an Icelandic Viking, was the first European to set foot on the American continent around the year 1000 AD, 500 years before Columbus. Sorry, Chris.
We’re closer than you think! Iceland is the closest European country to the US and Canada with less than five hours flying time from the East Coast.
Iceland is essentially pollution-free because it is almost totally powered with geothermal and hydroelectric energy. Clean energy provides resources to grow all sorts of organic fruits and vegetables in greenhouses. Seafood is caught fresh daily from the glistening, pollution free waters. Very often the halibut swimming in a sauce on your dinner plate was carelessly swimming in the ocean during breakfast!
Winters in Reykjavik are actually warmer than in New York! Although Iceland borders the Arctic Circle, warm waters from the Gulf Stream travel around the island providing surprisingly mild climates all year round.
Reykjavik, Iceland is the northernmost capital city in the world.
Almost all Icelanders speak English from the age of 12 - some even earlier. However here are some good Icelandic phrases to know:
Good morning Godan dag Hello Hallo Goodbye Bless Yes Ja No Nei Thank You Takk Cheers! Skal!
One of the most unusual sites in Iceland is the unique Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The smoky blue-green waters and white silica mud help revitalize and nourish the skin and are known to cure skin diseases such as psoriasis. Lava caves, steam baths and modern facilities assist in the relaxing yet invigorating experience.
Surprisingly, the most popular sport in Iceland is outdoor swimming in geothermally heated pools - in any weather!
In November 2007 Iceland was named by the UN as the best country to live in, based on life expectancy, education levels and average household income.
Icelandic is the oldest living language in Europe. Modern Icelanders are still able to read the 1000-year-old sagas written by the Vikings, which are on display at the Culture House in Reykjavik.
Women in Iceland keep their maiden names when they get married.
Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the European and American continental plates meet. At Thingvellir National Park visitors can see the rift caused by the meeting of these two tectonic plates. If standing on one side of the rift youre in North America, if standing on the other youre in Europe. If you walk directly up the middle you’re…nowhere?
There are over 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland including two of Europes most powerful, Gullfoss (The Golden Falls) and Dettifoss (Falling Falls).
There are almost 100,000 Viking horses in Iceland, many of which are wild and roam the countryside. The purebred horses have not changed since the Vikings rode them a thousand years ago. Importation of horses is prohibited and if a horse leaves Iceland it is not allowed to return. This ensures that the unique breed is not tampered with.
A pollution-free environment provides Iceland with some of the best tasting tap water on Earth; even the rivers and streams are 100% safe to drink from.
Icelanders drink more Coca-Cola than anyone else in the world. It is also said to be the best tasting Coca-Cola because of the crystal pure water used in making it.
Björk, aka Björk Gudmunsdottir, is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer. This sparkling pop star of the North has sold over 15 million albums worldwide but is best known for her expressive vocals and eccentric sense of style.
Two Icelandic women hold the title of Miss World and two Icelandic men hold the title of Worlds Strongest Man, all within ten years of each other.
Icelandic people have among the longest life expectancies in the world with 80.2 years of age for men and 83.3 for women.
There are 15 active volcanoes in Iceland.
Mount Hekla in Iceland is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and was long believed by many to be the entrance to Hell – hence the phrases "Go to Heck" and "What the Heck?"
Iceland has a total of five glaciers, three of which are Europes largest. Snowmobile tours offer exhilarating opportunities to explore these breathtaking glaciers all year round. Go speed racer!
In Jules Vernes novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Snaefellsjokull is featured as the entrance to the nether world. Snaefellsjokull is a glacier that rests on top of a volcanic crater, which has not erupted in about 1,700 years. Look for the new Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D movie set for release in July 2008.
The Westman Islands, ten miles south of Iceland, are home to more than ten million puffins.
Iceland is home to the youngest place on Earth, Surtsey in the Westman Islands. Surtsey Island burst from the North Atlantic in a dramatic ocean floor eruption in 1963.
Iceland is probably the biggest banana growing country in Europe. The inexpensive geothermal energy provides the resources to grow all sorts of exotic crops in greenhouses.
Icelands geothermal heating system is used to melt the ice and snow underneath some of Reykjaviks sidewalks and driveways during the winter months.
Iceland has one of the lowest crime rates in the entire world. In fact, the policemen dont even carry guns!
The national drink of Iceland is the schnapps, Brennivin. Directly translated the name means burning wine, but it is most commonly known as Black Death.
Beer Day is a highly celebrated event in Iceland which began on March 1st, 1989 when a 75-year long prohibition of beer was lifted. Skal everybody!
Icelanders eat more candy respectively than any other nation in the world.
Iceland has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, 100%. In fact, more books are published per capita here than in any other country.
Iceland has a special government agency that creates new Icelandic words instead of taking on foreign words, as is often the practice with technological terms.
There are 20 different ways to say blizzard in Icelandic.
The Icelandic telephone directory lists people by their first names and includes their occupation.
Many people in Iceland still practice the old Viking religion from Norse mythology. They collect runes and celebrate pagan gods such as Thor, Odin, and Freyja.
Iceland has one Nobel laureate, Haldor Laxness, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955 for his novel, Independent People.
Many Icelandic people believe in Huldufólk or ‘hidden people’ which are elves, gnomes, trolls, huge creatures of light, tiny sprites and fairies believed to be living in the lava throughout the town of Hafnarfjordur. Dedicated to a harmonious existence with these beings, the Icelandic Highway Department has a consultant who recommends where roads will do the least damage to the hidden people.
There are more than 800 natural hot springs in Iceland.
The Althing is the oldest existing parliament in the world. The Vikings established it in the year 930 where they founded a constitution based on individual freedom and land ownership.
President Vigdis Finnbogadottir, elected in 1980, was the first woman in the world to become a democratically elected head of state. She served four consecutive terms as President of Iceland until she retired in 1996.
The Apollo astronauts that landed on the moon trained for their impending moonwalks in Iceland where the lunar-esque lava formations and craggy terrain most resemble the moon’s surface.
