Adventures in Iceland
“What?” you
say, adventures in Iceland?! How adventurous could Iceland be? Well, surprisingly it looks like a very fun
country that no one ever really knew about – well, I never knew about it. Located near the Artic circle, where the
Atlantic ocean meets the Artic Ocean, Iceland is an island nation of about
320,000 people.
On the map at 64.13N/21.9W, Iceland is almost halfway between
North America and Europe. The most
sparsely populated country in Europe, it has glaciers, steaming natural mineral
baths and erupting volcanoes, oh, and beautiful, amazing scenery!! The capital city of Reykjavik is home to over
60% of the population and is a modern, safe and culturally-rich big city with
symphonies, operas, gourmet restaurants and fine shopping. However, drive 30 minutes away and you can
feel like you are the only person in the world.
Ok, so it must be cold right? I
mean that’s why they call it Iceland!
But no, I was surprised to learn that it’s not usually any colder than
New York or Minneapolis in winter – average temp is about 31 degrees F, and the
summers are usually mild too, with temps in the 70s. Here are a few other surprising things I
learned about Iceland –
·
It
was the last European country to be settled permanently, around 874 AD by
Vikings from Norway.
·
Iceland
has one of the longest life expectancies and highest qualities of life in the
world.
·
Its
people drink more Coca- cola, go to the movies more often and own more books
per capita than any other country.
·
Over
70% of the energy used in Iceland comes from either geothermal or hydroelectric
power which means the country has almost no pollution.
·
The
water is so clean and pure that it is piped directly into the homes with no
treatment necessary.
·
Iceland
has the oldest democracy in the world – it was first developed over 1000 years
ago.
·
Iceland
has no Army, Navy, or Air Force (it does have a Coast Guard) and the country
has free healthcare and education for all of its people.
·
And
this one is fun – the people of Iceland have no last names that they pass
down. A child is given a first name and
their “last” name is their father’s first name followed by son or dottir
(daughter). So, in Iceland I would be
Jennifer Michaelsdottir but my brother would be Ryan Michaelsson and my father
would be Michael Dennisson. Probably
makes things kinda confusing I’d think, but apparently it works for them J