Information
Country: IcelandContinent: Europe
Iceland, Europe
Overview
In the North Atlantic, Iceland dazzles with black-sand beaches, jagged volcanoes, and a deep-rooted culture that treasures both its history and the planet.Just below the Arctic Circle lies a volcanic island, its rugged landscape marked by steaming geysers, glittering glaciers, rushing waterfalls, and pools of hot, mineral-rich water.With its small population and far‑flung location, Iceland has a character all its own-shaped by close‑knit communities and a deep bond with the wind‑swept land and sea.Geography and Climate
Iceland is a volcanic island dotted with roughly 130 volcanoes, some still rumbling beneath fields of black lava rock.The country’s still young in geological terms, its restless tectonic plates carving out striking scenes-black lava fields, steaming geysers, turquoise hot springs, and sprawling glaciers.It sits where the North American and Eurasian plates collide, a place of rumbling ground, steaming vents, and frequent volcanic eruptions.Iceland may sound icy, but its weather stays surprisingly mild, especially near the coast, where the Gulf Stream keeps harbors from freezing.The island has a subarctic or cold oceanic climate, with summers that stay cool enough for a light jacket and winters that feel mild next to other places at the same latitude.In coastal regions like Reykjavik, rain sweeps in often and the wind can bite, but inland the air turns drier and the cold settles deep.In winter, nights stretch on for hours-especially in the north-while summer brings lingering light, with the Midnight Sun glowing at the solstice.As of 2024, about 380,000 people call Iceland home, a number so small you could fit them all into a mid-sized city, making it one of Europe’s least populated countries.Reykjavik, the capital, is the country’s clear giant-home to roughly two-thirds of its people, from the busy harbor to the quiet, snow-dusted streets.Across the island, small towns and fishing villages cluster near the coast, since the rocky, wind-scoured interior makes living there nearly impossible.Icelandic, the country’s official tongue, is a North Germanic language that’s barely changed since the Middle Ages, so people in Reykjavík can still open a weathered Old Norse manuscript and read it as it was first written.In Icelandic culture, people fiercely protect their language and keep traditions alive, from old folktales whispered by firelight to songs passed down for generations.You’ll hear plenty of English in the cities, especially from younger people chatting over coffee or scrolling on their phones.Iceland’s population is largely made up of people with Icelandic roots-step into a Reykjavík café, and most faces you see share the same heritage.Still, the immigrant community is growing, with new neighbors arriving from across Europe-Poland’s bakeries scent the air-alongside families from Asia and the Middle East.Iceland’s economy blends private enterprise with state involvement, leaning heavily on its natural wealth-fish pulled from icy waters, clean geothermal power, and a steady flow of visitors drawn to its dramatic landscapes.Fishing has long anchored Iceland’s economy, with cold, churning waters that hold some of the richest fishing grounds on Earth.Iceland ranks among the world’s top fish exporters, sending out cod, herring, and mackerel by the shipload.In recent decades, Iceland’s soared in popularity with travelers, luring them with black-sand beaches, steaming hot springs, and a culture you won’t find anywhere else.Tourism’s been booming, and now it pumps a hefty share into the country’s GDP-like packed beaches fueling hotel and restaurant revenues.Iceland also leads the world in renewable energy, drawing power from roaring waterfalls and steaming volcanic springs.Almost all the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources, mostly hydropower and geothermal-rivers turning turbines and steam rising from deep underground.Across the country, homes and businesses stay warm with geothermal heat, and in Iceland, the air often carries the faint scent of steam from a booming industry built on tapping the earth’s energy.Beyond those sectors, Iceland’s tech scene is on the rise, with teams building sleek software, advancing biotechnology, and pushing innovations in renewable energy.Iceland uses the Icelandic krona (ISK) as its official currency, the same coins you might hear clinking in a Reykjavík café.In Iceland, the government runs as a republic with a parliamentary democracy, where laws are debated in a chamber lined with pale wooden desks.In Iceland, the president serves as head of state-a mostly ceremonial post-while the prime minister runs the government and directs its day‑to‑day affairs.Iceland’s parliament, the Althing, has been meeting since 930 AD-so long that its first gatherings took place on a windswept plain beneath open sky.Iceland enjoys a reputation for steady politics, where citizens turn out in large numbers to vote, even in the chill of a windy morning.The country runs on a multi‑party system, with voters heading to the polls every four years.Iceland ranks among the world’s freest nations, with politics so open you can read proposed laws over your morning coffee.It ranks high for gender equality and often leads the way on progressive policies, from protecting the environment to championing LGBTQ+ rights.Iceland isn’t in the European Union, but it belongs to both the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area, letting its people and goods move freely across EU borders like a train gliding from France into Belgium.Icelandic culture grows from its Viking roots, carrying a proud literary tradition that echoes in sagas told by firelight.The country treasures its rich oral history, and people still pore over ancient sagas written in Old Norse, their pages smelling faintly of old leather and dust.Iceland has given the world remarkable writers, from Halldór Laxness, who took home the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955, to Arnaldur Indriðason, whose crime novels fly off bookstore shelves.In Iceland, people take deep pride in their literary heritage, and a well-worn novel on a coffee table is a common sight.In Iceland, people often tear through several books a year, and nearly everyone can read with ease.Mythology and folklore run deep here, and many Icelanders still believe in elves, trolls, and other strange beings-like the ones said to dance in the mist on quiet winter nights.In Iceland, the arts-especially music-run deep in daily life, from lively folk tunes in small cafés to grand symphonies in Reykjavík’s concert halls.The country boasts a lively music scene, home to world-famous acts like Björk, Sigur Rós, and Of Monsters and Men, whose songs can echo through a midnight crowd.Iceland’s rich folk music tradition still thrives, yet you’ll also hear buzzing indie rock, bright pop hooks, and pulsing electronic beats spilling from cafés and bars.Icelandic cooking leans on what the land and sea provide-fresh-caught fish, tender lamb, and rich, creamy dairy.You’ll find traditional dishes like hákarl-fermented shark with a sharp, briny smell-alongside creamy skyr and hearty lamb stew.These days, global flavors shape much of Iceland’s dining, and in Reykjavik, the food scene’s booming with everything from sushi to wood-fired pizza.In Iceland, education matters deeply.Nearly everyone can read, and students enjoy a free, wide-ranging school system that covers everything from the ABCs to advanced science.Children must attend school from age six until they turn sixteen, starting with primary classes and moving on to secondary-ten years of lessons, homework, and ringing bells.The country boasts a strong higher education system, with several universities, including the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, where the old stone buildings look out over the harbor.Iceland has a reputation for pushing the boundaries in education, from creative teaching methods to classrooms that hum with new ideas.The country regularly lands near the top in global education rankings, and its students excel in reading, math, and science-solving problems, reading passages, and crunching numbers with ease.Iceland’s schools foster critical thinking and spark creativity, urging students to tackle problems on their own-sometimes by sketching ideas in the margins of a well-worn notebook.
