Iceland Information
Iceland is a country of great diversity. There are few places like it in the world, yet it remains one of the most mysterious nations in Europe due its remote location. Why not visit Iceland and experience this amazing nation for yourself?
Geography | Weather & Climate | Demographics & Population | Religion | Politics | Currency | Culture | Trade & Industry
Geography of Iceland
Iceland lies just outside the Arctic Circle in the North Atlantic Ocean. An island, the closest European nations are the Faroe Islands, Norway and the UK. Flights to Reykjavik take just 2.5 hours from the UK.
Known as ‘The Land of Fire and Ice’, geological activity has created large mountain ranges, volcanoes and fjords which create a spectacular and varied landscape. Glaciers cover up to 10% of the country, the largest of which being Vatnajokull, an ice cap glacier which at 8,100 km² is the largest by volume and second largest by area in Europe.
The forbidding landscape has rendered rail travel impossible, so the best way to visit Iceland tourist attractions is by hiring a car. The ring road passes through every major town and city, which means car rental is the perfect way to get around.
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Weather & Climate
Iceland has a relatively temperate climate due to warming from the Gulf Stream, which allows comfortable habitation year-round. The Northern Lights can often be seen at night during winter, which is a major Icelandic tourist attraction.
Summer temperatures can range between 10-25°c; the highest temperature ever recorded was 30.5°c in 1939. Temperatures in winter can drop to -10°c, but the average temperature in the main cities around the coastline is 0°c. The weather in Iceland can be quite variable, so you should be aware of this if you are planning an Iceland holiday.
Demographics & Population
Due to the uninhabitable terrain which covers the centre of Iceland, most of the population live in coastal towns and villages. Of a population of 319,000, a staggering 120,000 live in Reykjavik which lies in the south-west of Iceland. The Greater Reykjavik area constitutes 62% of Iceland’s overall population.
Other important cities are Akureyri (often called the Capital of the North), Kopavogur, Hafnarfjorour and Reykjanesbaer. You should try to visit the major towns and cities as they have many interesting tourist attractions of their own.
93% of the population of Iceland have Icelandic nationality. The majority of those not of Icelandic origin are Polish, with migrants from various countries across the world including the UK, the USA, Germany and China.
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Religion
Around 80% of Icelandic citizens are members of the state’s Lutheran church, the National Church of Iceland.
Politics
Iceland is made up of 8 regions, 23 counties and six constituencies following a major reshuffle of the administrative structure of the country in 2003.
Iceland is a social democracy with a multi-party, left-right political system. The Social Democratic Party currently holds office, having been formed by a merger between a number of left-wing parties in the early part of the century. The Social Democratic Party is part of a coalition government with 5 members of the Left-Green Movement party holding cabinet positions.
Currency
Iceland is not a member state of the European Union, so does not trade in Euros. The currency of Iceland is the Kronar, with the smallest denomination in use being 1 Kronar. The subdivision of 100 Aurar to 1 Kronar is now obsolete.
Culture
Icelandic Culture stems from the settling of Nordic travellers. The official language of Icelandic has much in common with Faroese and a West Norwegian dialect, Nynorsk. Much of Iceland’s cultural heritage is associated with Viking culture, and the annual Thorrablot celebration reflects this. Thorrablot is an incredible experience for anyone on an Iceland holiday, and flights to Reykjavik are worth booking for this event alone!
Trade & Industry
As an island, Iceland’s primary export is fish, which makes up over half of the country’s total exports. Commercial whaling was banned in Iceland until 2006. Iceland was recently named as the world’s fourth most productive country per capita, and has established itself as a highly developed nation.
Iceland has with a great deal of natural and man-made tourist attractions. It is easy to get around the country by renting a car and there are many bargain flights to Reykjavik available, so why not discover Iceland for yourself?
Iceland Information
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