Iceland Saga Travel

Facts on Iceland

GENERAL

Official Name: The Republic of Iceland (in Icelandic, Lýđveldiđ Íslands).

The Land/Geology: Iceland is an island of 103,000 km2 or 39,756 square miles (about the size of Ohio), with an average height of 500 m above sea level. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur, rises to 2,119 m/6,500 feet, and glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe, cover over 11 per cent of the country. Iceland has over 10,000 waterfalls and countless hot springs.

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.

Thirty post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, and natural hot water supplies much of the population with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers, too, are harnessed to provide inexpensive hydroelectric power.

The People: Out of a population numbering a little over 280,000, half live in the capital of Reykjavík and its neighboring towns in the southwest. The highland interior is uninhabited (and uninhabitable), and most centers of population are situated on the coast. The population density is 2.7 per square kilometer. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe (seventh in the world). Most of the people are of Norwegian descent, with about a 20%+ mixture of Celtic blood from those who came from Ireland and the Scottish islands. Foreigner immigration to Iceland has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years.

History: The first permanent settlers came to Iceland in 874 to seek freedom from Norway's oppressive king Harald Fairhair. In 930, the Icelandic settlers founded one of the world's first republican governments, the Althingi. In 1262, Iceland became subject to Norwegian control. In 1830 it came under Danish control, along with Norway. After the granting of a constitution (1874) and with an improving economy, Iceland finally became an independent sovereign state under the Danish king in 1918. The Republic of Iceland was formally declared on June 17, 1944. The country is governed by the Althingi (parliament), whose members are elected every four years. Elections are also held every four years for the presidency; President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was elected in June 1996 to succeed Vigdis Finnbogadottir. The head of state plays no part in day-to-day politics.

Iceland is a member of numerous international organizations including the United Nations and its agencies, the European Economic Area, NATO, the Council of Europe, OECD, WTO and the Nordic Council.

The Language: Icelandic is a Teutonic language of the Nordic group. It is believed to have changed little from the original tongue spoken by the Norse settlers. English is widely spoken and understood.

The Icelandic Alphabet has two letters of its own: Ţ/ţ (thorn) pronounced like th in "thing" and Đ/đ (eth) pronounced like th in "them". Other Icelandic letters not found in English include vowels: Á/á, É/é, Í/í, Ó/ó, Ú/ú, Ý/ý, Ć/ć, Ö/ö. From the settlement in 874AD Icelandic has undergone changes of pronunciation and, of course, of vocabulary. Icelandic is considered one of the purest languages spoken in Europe with a strict control over the introduction and creation of new words such as in the technology field.

Iceland is alone in upholding a Norse tradition, i.e. the custom of using patronymics rather than surnames; an Icelander's Christian name is followed by his or her father's name and the suffix -son or dóttir, e.g. Guđrún Pétursdóttir (Gudrun, daughter of Petur). Members of a family can therefore have many different "surnames," which sometimes causes confusion to foreigners.

Religion: Complete religious freedom is safeguarded in the constitution of Iceland. Christianity was adopted in Iceland - one of the few countries where this took place peacefully - in the year 1000 at Ţingvellir, the ancient parliament site. A special Iceland 2000 - Millennium of Christianity program was held in 2000 to celebrate the anniversary.

The National Church of Iceland, to which 88% per cent of the population belongs, is Evangelical Lutheran. In addition to the many Lutheran churches in Reykjavik there is a Roman Catholic Cathedral, with regular Sunday Mass. There are many Lutheran churches found throughout the Icelandic countryside and services are usually held every Sunday at 11:00 or 2:00. There is no rule regarding separation between state and church. The Icelandic government provides financial support to the churches including covering pay and benefits for clergy.

Education: Education is mandatory from 6 to 15 years of age. There are 50 schools and colleges at secondary level, where one out of every three Icelanders in the age group of 16-19 is studying. University-level education is offered at five establishments in Iceland and one in every five Icelanders aged 20-24 is studying at university or a comparable institution, in Iceland or abroad. English is a mandatory subject in school. Literacy is 99.9%, the highest in the world.

The Economy: The Icelandic economy is heavily dependent upon fishing. Despite efforts to diversify, particularly into the travel industry, seafood exports continue to account for nearly three quarters of merchandise exports and approximately half of all foreign exchange earnings. Yet less than 10 per cent of the workforce is involved in fishing and fish processing. The travel industry makes up the second-largest export industry in Iceland. The standard of living is high, with income per capita among the best in the world. The financial sector has been liberalized in recent years. The economy is service-oriented: two thirds of the working population are employed in the service sector, both public and private. Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area (EEA).

The main imports to Iceland are ships, motor vehicles, fuel, metal ores, household appliances and various foods. The main exports are marine products, aluminum and ferrosilicon.

Health: Life expectancy, at 81.3 years for women and 76.4 for men, in one of the highest in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care system aims to keep it that way.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Time: In spite of its mid-Atlantic location, Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time all year.

Weather/Climate/Sunlight: Because of the influence of the Gulf Stream, Iceland enjoys a cool temperate ocean climate: cool in summer and fairly mild in winter. However the weather is very changeable and travelers should be prepared for the unexpected.

Average temperatures in Reykjavík:

January 35şF

April 44şF

July 58şF

October 45şF