About
Iceland 
Places
Iceland is an island nation of extreme natural contrasts. The traditional
theme and image of Iceland has been ice and fire. But it is much
more than that. Mother nature has painted a magnificent tapestry
of colors with geological phenomena not matched elsewhere in the
world. Inexorably intertwined with this exotic natural environment
are the 280,000 Icelanders who along with their Nordic and Celtic
ancestors have called this north Atlantic island home for over 1100
years. They live mostly along the coast and over one-third live
within a 20-kilometer radius of Reykjavík, the capital city. More...
Activities
Iceland has a wide range of outdoors activities to entertain, invigorate
and satisfy any visitor. Some of the activities listed below require
expert guides and special equipment, so check with IST for pre-booking
and rental/purchase/import options...and enjoy. More...
Facts
on Iceland
Iceland comprises one large island and numerous smaller ones, and
is situated near the Arctic Circle. Iceland is sometimes called
the "land of ice and fire" for the striking contrasts in its landscapes,
where grand glaciers and magnificent fjords coexist with over 200
volcanoes, many of which are still active today. Geologically speaking,
Iceland is the youngest country in Europe, formed only 16-20 million
years ago by volcanic eruptions on the North Atlantic seabed. The
rift can clearly be seen running through Iceland where the American
and European continental plates are moving apart, making the country
spread by 1-2 cm a year. More...
Pronunciation Guide:
The stress falls on the first syllable.
|
Vowels:
A as in "hard"
Á as in "how" or "about"
E as in "get"
É as in ye in "yes"
I as in "sit"
Í as in ee in "see"
O as in "ought"
Ó as in "gold"
U as in "hook"
Ú as in "choose"
Y is similar to I
Ý is similar to Í
Æ as in "five"
Ö as u in "fur" |
Consonants:
Ð, ð (the eth) as th in "then"
J, j as in "yet"
Þ, þ (the thorn) as th in "thought"
Diphthongs:
au as in "oil"
ey and ei as ey in "they"
fl as bl
fn as pn as in "open"
hv as kf
ll as tl/dl as in "bottle"
rn as rdn or dd
tn and fn at end of words are silent |
