Facts about Iceland
7.6.2010
Facts about Iceland
The Country
Iceland is an island of 103.000 km2 (39,756 sq.miles), about one-third
larger than Scotland or Ireland. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur,
rises to 2.119 m and over 11 per cent of the country is covered by
glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe.
Energy
Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic
and geothermal activity: 30 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.
People
Out of a population numbering more than 300.000, half live in the
capital Reykjavík and its neighbouring towns in the southwest. Keflavík
International Airport is located about 50 km from the capital. The
highland interior is uninhabited (and uninhabitable), and most centres
of population are situated on the coast.
Language
Iceland was settled by Nordic people in the 9th century - tradition says
that the first permanent settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian
Viking who made his home where Reykjavík now stands. The Icelanders
still speak the language of the Vikings, although modern Icelandic has
undergone changes of pronunciation and, of course, of vocabulary!
Iceland is alone in upholding another Norse tradtion, i.e. the custom of
using patronymics rather than surnames; and Icelander´s christian name
is followed by his or her father´s name and the suffix -son or -dóttir,
e.g. Guðrún Pétursdóttir (Guðrún, daughter of Pétur). Members of a
family can therefore have many different "surnames", which sometimes
causes confusion to foreigners!
Health
Life expectancy, at 81.3 years for women and 76.4 for men, is one of the
highest in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care system aims
to keep it that way.
Tallest mountains:
Hvannadalshnjúkur 2119 m
Bárðarbunga 2000 m
Kverkfjöll 1920 m
Snæfell 1833 m
Hofsjökull 1765 m
Herðubreið 1682 m
Largest glaciers:
Vatnajökull 8300 km2
Langjökull 953 km2
Hofsjökull 925 km2
Mýrdalsjökull 596 km2
Drangajökull 200 km2
Largest lakes:
Þórisvatn 83 km2
Þingvallavatn 82 km2
Lögurinn 53 km2
Mývatn 37 km2
Hvítárvatn 30 km2
Longest rivers:
Þjórsá 230 km
Jökulsá á Fjöllum 206 km
Ölfusá / Hvítá 185 km
Skjálfandafljót 178 km
Jökulsá á Dal 150 km
Tallest waterfalls:
Glymur in Botnsá 190 m
Hengifoss in Hengifossá 128 m
Háifoss in Fossá 122 m
Seljalandsfoss in Seljalandsá 65 m
Skógafoss in Skógá 62 m
Dettifoss in Jökulsá á Fjöllum 44 m
Gullfoss in Hvítá 32 m
Largest islands:
Heimaey (Westmann Islands) 13.4 km2
Hrísey at Eyjafjörður 8 km2
Hjörsey at Faxaflói 5.5 km2
Grímsey 5,3 km2
Flatey at Skjálfandaflói 2,8 km2
Málmey at Skagafjörður 2,4 km2
Papey (East Iceland) 2 km2
Viðey near Reykjavík 1,7 km2
Surtsey (Westmann Islands) 1,6 km2
