Iceland Facts

Iceland Facts
Iceland is an island country located in Northern Europe's Arctic region in the North Atlantic Ocean. The first explorer to establish that Iceland is an island was the Swedish explorer Garoar Svavarsson, in 870. From then on the island was inhabited and settled, first as the Icelandic Commonwealth, then as part of the Norwegian crown. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Dutch trade restrictions, natural disasters, epidemics, and famine greatly reduced the population of Iceland. Denmark granted Iceland limited independence in the late 1800s, and in 1918 it became a fully sovereign state. In 1944 Icelanders voted to end their Denmark union, and became the Republic of Iceland on June 17th, 1944.
Interesting Iceland Facts:
The population of Iceland in 2015 was approximately 332,000.
Iceland's capital city is Reykjavik, meaning 'smoky bay'. There are roughly 184,000 people living in the capital city, which is located in the south-western part of Iceland.
Iceland's nickname is the 'Land of Fire and Ice'.
The languages most commonly used in Iceland are Icelandic and English, but German and Nordic are also commonly spoken. Icelandic is similar to the language spoken by Norwegian's more than 1000 years ago.
Iceland, as an island, has roughly 5000 kilometers of coastline.
Iceland's highest peak is the 6922 foot tall Hvannadalshnukur, located at Vatnajokull Glacier.
Iceland has20 active volcanoes. The most active are Hekla and Grimsvoetn.
8% of Iceland is covered by Vatnajokull, which is the country's largest volcano.
Iceland is located on the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
Iceland has many geothermal vents at its surface, which allow the earth's heat to escape. There are also several hot springs, and mud pools.
Approximately 85% of the heating to homes in Iceland is supplied by geothermal power stations. These power stations use energy from volcanoes and vents to supply the heat.
Despite the cold temperatures in Iceland there are many farms. The most common animals to be found on the farms in Iceland are sheep.
Iceland was home to the first female president in the world. She was elected in 1980. Her name was Vigdis Finbogadottir.
Surnames are not common in Iceland. Children are often given their father's first name, with an extension, as their last name. A daughter is given her father's first name with 'sdottir' added to it, and a boy is given his father's first name with 'sson' added to it.
If someone wishes to name their baby with a name not previously used in the country, they must get it approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee.
Between November and March it is possible to see the Northern Lights in the sky.
Iceland is a neutral country, and has no air force, navy, or army.
The only indigenous land mammal in Iceland is the Arctic fox. It was there before humans arrived.
Animals that live in Iceland today include the Arctic fox, reindeer, rabbits, mink, polar bears (occasionally), Icelandic horse, Icelandic sheep, cattle, goats, chicken, and the Icelandic Sheepdog.
Seabirds are common in Iceland, including the kittiwakes, skuas, and Puffins.


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