Iceland. Interesting facts about Iceland Interesting facts about Iceland

Of course, the protagonists of UEFA EURO 2016 are the Icelandic national team players who managed to snatch victory from the England national team, and, perhaps, this is the only team in the Championship, to which fans from all over the world are warmly treated. Today we publish a selection of 30 curious facts about what kind of country Iceland is, and what kind of people live there.

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, it is home to a little more than 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the island was only 50 thousand people. About 30 thousand fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, about 10 percent of the country's population.

2. If you paid attention, all the names of the Icelandic national team players are similar, they end with "son". The point is that in Iceland, instead of surnames, patronymics are used, in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic. For boys, the particle "sleep" (son) is added to the father's name, for girls - "dottir" (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different genders in a family, then they will have different "surnames", for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son of Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, in the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the mother's name.

Photo: Icelandic wedding

3. However, this does not mean that Icelanders do not at all seek to preserve their surname, they simply do it in a peculiar way, some give children the same names after a generation, that is, they call the child by their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, one can trace the line kind.

4. The classic names of Icelanders are familiar to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means “the main stone,” in Iceland are the same normal human names as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are: male - Yon and female - Gudrun.

5. In Iceland, in everyday life, especially long and complex names are shortened, for example, a young man named Aðalsteinn can be called simply Ali, Guvrun - Hunna, Stefan - Steppi, Yon - Nonni, and so on.

6. Until recently, it was believed that Icelanders are descendants of Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but recent genetic examination has established that the gene pool of modern Icelanders is dominated by the genes of the Irish, who in ancient Iceland existed as slaves. On the other hand, this is in perfect agreement with the local belief that the Vikings Icelanders stole all beautiful women from England and Ireland for the purpose of amorous drifts, and for reproduction.

Photo: panorama of Reykjavik

7. The Icelandic language, due to the long isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very weakly compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages \u200b\u200bis extremely small. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to the very language of the northern peoples in which the Vikings spoke in ancient times, and the ancient sagas of Icelanders can even read, as they say, without straining.

8. Icelandic everyday sagas, unlike other works of folk art, are a dry listing of facts, because of this, it is sometimes difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the feelings of the heroes or experiences, only a meticulous enumeration of events: he went there, won such and such, married such and such, killed such and such, was killed by such and such. At the same time, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event happened, and in what period of time it happened. Previously, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the lack of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered Icelandic everyday sagas to be historical documents that did not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are still perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art. and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.

Photo: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik

9. Another reflection of this peculiarity of national thinking is the names of geographical objects. In fact, complex and multi-step words are just a definition of the place in question. So, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city of Kopavogur stands for “bay of a young seal”, and the difficult to pronounce name of the famous volcano Eyjafjallajökull, as “Island of mountain glaciers”.

10. Moreover, 90 percent of the country's population is fluent in English. No less curious is the following fact - a foreigner in order to find a job in Iceland does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants who have moved to Iceland, even after 10 years of living in the country, do not know Icelandic; they have more than enough English for life and work. Another interesting thing is that if a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and get it without any problems.

In the photo: the priest of the church Ásatrúarfélagið and his follower

11. Including because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime here. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave babies to sleep in strollers on Reykjavik street, while they themselves go with their friends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often thrown in cars, and Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even sleep in it, not who managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, police in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland has no armed forces, their functions are to some extent performed by the coast guard.

12. Today in Iceland the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagið is very popular, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods. The Ásatrúarfélagið priests are allowed, for example, to perform the wedding ceremony, it is considered an official procedure in the country, while homosexual couples can also be married.
Today, 2,400 people officially rank themselves as followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and even now Iceland is undergoing a large-scale construction of a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods, this will be the first such structure since the time of the Vikings.

In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live

13. The traditional date for the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, people here still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden inhabitants (elves). Elves are huldufouls, these are creatures living in round stones of a certain type, mere mortals cannot see them, except for those cases when the spirits themselves decide to appear to people.
The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or a house, can cause problems, because huldufolk cannot be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations over it.

In the photo: the evil spirits of Yule Lad

14. Christmas in Icelandic will be Yule, that is, it is a direct copy of the word "Yule" - the ancient holiday of the winter solstice among the Germanic peoples, so it is not surprising that Santa Claus is an unpopular character here. Here Yule Lad is working for him at Christmas, but they do not give gifts to children, on the contrary, the heroes of folklore are the evil spirits of winter. There are fifteen spirits, and they come from the very Hidden inhabitants of the huldufoulk. The spirits come to the cities strictly according to the schedule, the first to descend from the mountains on December 12 are Gryla and Leppaludi - mom and dad of thirteen Yule Lad. In this case, dad is a lazy and overweight male spirit, and his wife is an evil old woman, an analogue of the Russian Baba Yaga, by the way, she also has a hook. Following their parents, one after another, their children come to the cities - the evil spirits of Yule.
Each of the spirits, according to beliefs, is engaged in sabotage to the best of its ability and capabilities: one steals dishes, another blows out candles in houses, a third steals sausages, a fourth licks milk supplies, the fifth tangles sheep's wool, in a word, everything is in business. The evil cat Yolokotturin accompanies the spirits, according to legend, she steals small children and eats them. Yule Lad figurines in Reykjavik can be seen on Christmas eve at every corner, their images are also pasted on Icelandair planes, and projections with them are broadcast on store windows and house facades.

15. It is believed that the national dish of Iceland - haukarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. The Greenland shark has no urinary tract, its meat contains poisonous ammonia, therefore, in order for the meat to become edible, it is left to rot out underground or in the basement for three months. Haukarl tastes (and smells) pure urea, so it usually stinks in some dirty public toilet. So, in fact, modern Icelanders almost never eat haukarl - this is entertainment for tourists, many of local residents never tasted this muck, as they say, one smell was enough for a complete understanding of the scale of the disaster.

16. But the fried chicken breast is a dead end, on the contrary, a popular local dish, a kind of delicacy. Puffins are caught in the summer, when they arrive on the island to nest, the meat of the puffin is very tasty, but I really feel sorry for the bird, look how cute they are, they even know how to kiss! In a word, he ate and cried, ate and cried.
Many more are shocked that whales are eaten in Iceland, by the way, they taste like steak. But, according to the Icelandic fishermen, if you do not thin out the population of whales, then they multiply very quickly, and then eat all the commercial fish. Iceland regularly violates quotas for slaughtering whales, and animal rights activists, and the whole of Europe, are regularly unhappy with this.

Photo: Icelandic national dish Plokkfiskur

17. In general, if we talk about Icelandic cuisine, then cod, haddock, smoked salmon, lamb in various forms, in particular - lamb fillets, small lobsters (they are slightly larger than large shrimps) and, of course, herring are popular here ... Of course, potatoes are popular from vegetables; by the way, the delicious local dish Plokkfiskur is prepared from the leftovers of haddock and potatoes.
In addition, Icelanders are very fond of sprinkling food with ketchup and mayonnaise, the most popular local drink is Coca-Cola. For sweets, candies and lollipops with licorice are held in high esteem, and in the summer, locals lean on berries, which are doing well in Iceland. But in the country there are no McDonald's restaurants, the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.

18. Even in Iceland, they eat horse meat, and this is also a bit sad, because local horses are a real miracle of nature. They are short, hardy, and in winter they are covered with thick hair. At the same time, Icelandic horses are not frightened, there are no predators dangerous for them on the island, so horses are not used to fearing for their lives, they easily approach strangers, allow themselves to be stroked and fed.

How the horses originally got to the island is still debated. In ancient times, the Icelanders assumed that all local horses were descendants of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin, historians believe that horses were brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th-10th centuries AD, and geneticists claim that horses were brought to the island from the shores of Scotland. Hippotherapy is also popular in Iceland - treatment of neurological disorders through communication with horses.

19. Iceland stands on thermal springs, therefore, renewable energy sources are mainly used here. As a result, thermal water flows from the tap, which, however, smells very strongly of hydrogen sulfide, but you gradually sniff at it, the houses are also generously heated, and since the pipes with hot thermal water in Reykjavik are laid right under the sidewalk, the streets of the Icelandic capital can never ice, so there is no point in sprinkling them with chemistry.

In the photo: Icelandic jeep for driving on winter off-road

20. But do not think that everything is so beautiful. Outside the cities, many roads in Iceland in winter become impassable: there is icing, drift, and snow blockages here. Therefore, the most popular type of car used in the event that you need to travel from Reykjavik to Akureyri in winter is a jeep, and the more the better. On excursions to national parks or to geysers, tourists are carried on such monsters as in the photo below.

21. But what is wonderful in Iceland is the outdoor thermal pools with hot water. About the famous Blue lagoon, erected near the thermal power plant, of course, everyone heard, but it is more entertainment for tourists. Icelanders themselves most often go to ordinary thermal pools, which are open in an amount of about one in 10 houses. Everything is simple there: you go in, wash, climb into the outdoor thermal pool. When buying a subscription, the cost of a visit is around 2 euros.

Curiously, when visiting the thermal pool, guests must wash their hair, and since most of the pools are located in the open air, the very fact that the locals bathe with their heads wet and do not get sick is admirable. In general, a visit to the thermal baths in Iceland is the same kind of evening entertainment as going to a bar, it is here that young people most often invite girls for their first date. It turns out very convenient, and cheaper than going to a bar, and you can immediately see a person in all the details.

22. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature rarely drops below minus 6 degrees, but the piercing and sometimes knocking wind compensates for this in full. But in summer it is never hot in Iceland, the air temperature here rarely rises above 20 degrees, and the same wind, do not forget about the wind.

23. If until recently the most popular resort for the Russians it was Turkey, then the same function for the Icelanders is still performed Canary Islands... The reasons for the love of Icelanders to the Canary Islands are prosaic: nature is similar, flying is relatively close, very budgetary by Icelandic standards, but, most importantly, warm, and the fact that the water in the ocean is cool does not bother them at all.

Photo: Northern Lights over Reykjavik

24. In winter, Iceland is not just dark, but very dark, December 21 - the shortest day of the year - dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. But in winter, you can regularly observe the Northern Lights here, in Iceland it is usually green, and there is even a website that shows the probability of occurrence Northern Lights in one or another region of the country, its address is: http://www.vedur.is.
In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply about nothing, in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

Photo: Icelandic Parliament building

25. The state structure of Iceland is based on democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth turning to the history of the country: as the island was settled in the regions of Iceland, tinges were formed - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. At the Tings, courts were held, disputes were resolved and a collective discussion of vital issues concerning the community took place. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general gathering - althing, in order to settle relations between the regions. As a rule, success during the althing was achieved by those who had the powerful support of wealthy landowners. The first althing took place in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland fell under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was captured by Great Britain, which, in turn, handed Iceland over to the United States. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over England for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge for the years of occupation.
However, the Icelandic Althing was re-assembled in 1845 and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. The entire population of the country took part in the finalization of the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012, the proposals of citizens were accepted through social networks and even through youtube. But, most curious, with all this, the country has had the same president over the past 16 years - Oulavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. For the second term, Grimsson remained due to the absence of candidates for the presidency, for the third time he won in the voting, for the fourth term he again went due to the lack of candidates for the presidency, and for the fifth time he won the elections again. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Goudni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.

In the photo: Haftor Bjödnson as Grigor "The Mountain" Kligon

26. In Iceland - socialism, here everyone gets about the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important,” that is, no matter whether you work as a waiter or a scientist, you are equally worthy of respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Haftor Bjödsson - the strongest man on the planet and the performer of the role of Grigor "Mountain" Kligon in "Game of Thrones", like many Icelanders , for a long time not only engaged in bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.

In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.

27. And the local population is very fond of reading, today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

In the photo: a girl in a lapel

28. Iceland has absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriage has been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, try to maintain friendly relations when parting, because the country is small and it will still not work to completely stop communication. Icelanders marry easily and divorce easily, in case of divorce, children usually live 50-50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists, they do not allow themselves to pay for themselves in restaurants, they themselves pull bags, make repairs, nail nails and so on without any difficulties. True, the pluses of tolerance give rise to minuses, in Iceland with personal space it is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.

29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Austrian economy, which is based on self-reliance and building a system of closed reproduction of a community with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment. No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more than local ones, and the choice is not great. With wine, in general, it's funny, it's expensive, regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and frank chatter will cost about the same. Clothes - also, mostly local production... And the main national thing that any Icelander has in his wardrobe is lopapeysa - a knitted jacket made of sheep wool with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, Lapeys is quite expensive, but the thing is worn for years.

30. Iceland, according to statistics, is one of the most active countries in
in social networks. Almost all of its inhabitants have accounts on facebook, however, in addition to facebook, there is also a local social network www.ja.is in the country, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also the phone number, address and place on the map where their houses are located. So if you want to meet one of the Icelandic national football team players and he still lives in the country, look for him on www.ja.is, he will definitely be there.

The nature here is inspiring and the people are very friendly.

This island will not leave you indifferent. No wonder Iceland has a huge number of writers - environment able to motivate to create something interesting and unusual.

There are also many unusual things to see in Iceland, and here you will learn about the most interesting of them.

1. The most popular food in Iceland is hot dogs. They are sold almost everywhere - at gas stations, in restaurants and in roadside establishments.

2. In 1998, a study was carried out, as a result of which it turned out that the majority of Icelanders believed in the existence of elves.

Some believe that elves can be of different sizes, from a few centimeters to 3 meters in height.

They can live in houses, sometimes high-rise ones, and if left alone, they will just go about their business.

Iceland on the map

3. Nearly all electricity and heating in Iceland comes from geothermal and hydroelectric power plants.

4. In Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, there is the Phallological Museum, which displays preserved mammalian penises.

5.Since 2010, strip clubs have been prohibited by law in Iceland.

10. Reykjavik is the most northern city from all cities of independent states.

Life in Iceland

11. In Iceland, in frosty weather, you can see strollers with children, whom their parents left to breathe fresh air while the kids are sleeping.

12. In most cases, Icelanders do not have a surname in the usual sense for us. Their last name is actually the name of their father, but with the prefix -dottir (-daughter) or -son (son). For example, Olafur Jónsson means that Olafur is the son of Jónsson.

13. Until 1989, beer was prohibited in Iceland.

14. Iceland has the best pool per capita ratio in the world. Thanks to the wealth of geothermal energy, anyone in the country can visit a pool, even an outdoor one, for a modest price.

How they live in Iceland

15. Iceland has no standing army.

16. Iceland's climate is not as cold as many think. The average temperature in winter is about 2 degrees Celsius.

Iceland is a small and distant country located in the west of Northern Europe in the North Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps Iceland will not be included in the thirty countries where most people would like to go on vacation, because few people remember about it at all. But recently, thanks to the Euro 2016 championship, the whole world learned about this small country.

Europe not only learned about Iceland, but fell in love with this unique country, where only 330 thousand people live, and Icelandic football players, it turned out, play so selflessly and united that they literally swept away the almost invincible England. Now everyone loves the Icelandic national team, which plays in such a way that it takes your breath away, loves what they do and especially their fans. The video, where, after winning the 1/8 finals, the entire sector of fans repeated Icelandic applause for the players after the players, won over all football fans.

Here are 19 facts that make Iceland more remarkable and unique.

(19 photos total)

Such a unity of the team and fans would be the envy of many national football teams.

On the Instagram of the main Icelandic celebrity, singer Bjork, 410 thousand people are subscribed (80 thousand more than the population of Iceland).

Icelanders meet and socialize in hot pools. Nowhere else.

Iceland does not have a standing army. According to Forbes, the country ranks first in the world for peacefulness.

There are no mosquitoes. That is, it does not exist at all, does not exist.

Dog coldness in Iceland is a myth. The average temperature of the winter months does not drop below minus 4 degrees Celsius.

There cannot be a Lokomotiv club in Iceland, because there is no railways.

There are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland. The latter closed back in 2008 at the height of the crisis.

Until 1989, beer was considered an illegal drink in Iceland.

Strip clubs have been banned since 2010.

Icelandic police do not carry weapons because there is practically no crime in the country.

The match of Euro 2016 Hungary - Iceland was watched on TV by 98% of the country's population.

The shortest season in Iceland's top league is from May to September.

On April 24, 1996, in the game against Estonia, Arnor Gudjohnsen was replaced by his son Eidur. This is the first time in the history of football that a father and son have participated in the same international match.

Hannes Haldersson, the main goalkeeper of the national team, made his living as a director three years ago. In particular, he produced the video for Iceland's representatives at Eurovision 2012.

Gudmundur Benediktsson, the most emotional commentator who was coach of Reykjavik a couple of days ago, is married to the granddaughter of Albert Gudmundsson, Iceland's first professional footballer. He managed to play for Milan and Arsenal, and then became the Minister of Finance of Iceland.

The captain of the national team, Aron Gunnarsson, started playing football only at the age of 15. Prior to that, he was a promising handball player and played three matches in the Icelandic Senior Championship.

Iceland will be the subject of our review today. Description of the country, interesting facts, sights - all this in the material below.

general information

Iceland is an island and a state. is 103 thousand sq. km, where about 322 thousand people live. The capital is the city of Reykjavik, where one third of the country's total population is concentrated, and more than half with the suburbs. The official language is Icelandic, and the currency is the Icelandic krone, which in 2016 was at 122 kroons for 1 USD. Iceland is a parliamentary republic headed by a president who is elected for a 4-year term. To enter the country, Russian citizens need a passport and a Schengen visa.

Location

Iceland - a land of ice - is located in the northern tip of the Atlantic Ocean, up to the North Pole there are no more large areas of land. Its northern part is located near the Arctic Circle.

The island is removed from the rest of Europe: from the nearest Faroe Islands at 420 km, from the island of Great Britain at 860 km, and from the nearest point on the continental coast of Norway at 970 km. An interesting fact is that, despite this, Iceland belongs to European countries, although it is much closer to the North American island of Greenland - by 287 km.

Iceland: interesting facts about the country

The discovery of Iceland dates back to the end of the 8th century by Irish monks, and after them the Normans Nadod and Floki arrived here. Following these events, at the end of the 9th century, the island began to be actively populated by Vikings - immigrants from Norway, who for half a century managed to master almost all land suitable for living and economic development.

In 1264, Iceland was annexed to Norway, and in 1381, it is part of Denmark. The country gained its independence only in 1944.

The inhabitants of the island are a courageous and proud people who respect their historical past and cultural traditions. Especially to the old Icelandic legends - sagas telling about family strife, exciting events, about elves, dwarfs and other mysterious characters, in the existence of which some residents still believe.

Iceland is that there is practically no crime - there is only one prison, and it contains no more than a dozen people. The police are here without weapons, but there is no army at all.

The basis of the modern economy is made up of only two industries - aluminum processing and fishing. By the way, it will be said that the islanders are second only to Norway in annual catch volumes from European countries.

Iceland is one of the prosperous states. So, the average per capita annual income here is $ 39,000 (by our ruble standards, every resident here, including an infant, is a millionaire).

Nature

The country of Iceland, for all its modest size, is the largest volcanic island in the world. The relief of the island is predominantly mountainous, the peaks are the vents of extinct and active volcanoes. The highest of them is the Khvannadalskhnukur peak (2110 m), located in the south west coast... The lowest point is not far away - this is the glacial lake lagoon (0 meters above sea level).

Many of the active volcanoes from time to time declare themselves powerful eruptions. The largest volcano on the island is the famous Hekla (1488 meters), located not far from the "Greater Reykjavik" and scared the locals with its eruption in 2000.

The longest river on the island is Tjoursau (237 km). Among other water bodies, glaciers and glacial lakes abound, which are ubiquitous and innumerable.

Iceland is unique in its variety of natural landscapes. In addition to glaciers, the surface of the country is covered with lava fields in many places. Geysers and hot springs are common in these areas. Stony placers covered with dense moss and lichens, islets of birch forests and meadows of gramineous herbs are widespread on the island. Waterfalls make the area in different parts of the island especially picturesque. On the west coast, numerous fjords are striking with their beauty. National parks have been created in the country to protect the stunning nature.

Climate and typical weather

Iceland - northern countrywhich doesn't quite live up to its icy name. The Gulf Stream, especially from the south, washing it, prevent it from becoming a cold, harsh desert.

Winters are relatively warm here, with an average monthly temperature of -1 ° C, which can be the envy of many of Russia's southern territories. However, in some periods of this season, cold winds are frequent, which, together with accumulations of drifting Arctic ice, especially in the southeast, cause sharp drops in temperature to -30 ° C. The duration of daylight hours is no more than five hours.

Summer is not hot here. Average July temperatures are only + 12 ° C. The warmest on the southern coast - up to +20 ° C, with highs up to + 30 ° C. In summer, the whole island is illuminated by the sun around the clock, and there are white nights characteristic of the polar latitudes.

Precipitation is unevenly distributed over the island. For example, on the west coast, their number ranges from 1300 to 2000 mm per year, on the northeastern coast their rate is up to 750 mm, and in the mountainous part southern regions can have values \u200b\u200bup to 4000 mm.

The weather here is very changeable, and without exaggeration, we can say that it can change in just a few minutes. It had just been warm and sunny, when suddenly the sky was clouded over, and a cold, dank wind blew. Residents of the country jokingly tell their visiting guests and tourists: "If suddenly you didn't like something about the weather, then don't despair, wait half an hour and it will change."

Reykjavik landmarks

Reykjavik is the main city, the capital of Iceland. What country cannot boast of a huge number of attractions? Iceland also has something to show tourists. In particular, its main city houses historical and architectural monuments, museums and modern institutions. Among them, the attention of tourists is attracted by:

• The Hallgrimskirkja Temple is a cult Lutheran building of the mid-20th century, in the form of a volcanic eruption. There is a large organ inside. In front of the church is the statue of the Happy.
• The Cathedral, which is the main church built at the end of the 18th century.
• The building of the Althing (parliament) in the classicist style, erected in the 19th century.
• Perlan, or pearl, looks like a chamomile with a blue dome. It is located on a high hill and has a revolving platform for viewing the panorama of the city. Inside the building there is a Saga Museum, a winter garden, an artificial geyser, shopping pavilions and restaurants.
• Kaffi Reykjavik - This bar is unusual in that it consists of solid blocks of ice, and drinks are certainly served in ice glasses.
• Concert hall "Harpa". Its facades consist of multi-colored glass cells, which, using built-in LEDs, impress visitors with a play of colors.

Blue Lagoon

The lagoon is a geothermal source and resort with all the necessary infrastructure. This is perhaps the most famous and visited place for hundreds of thousands of tourists. The lagoon is an artificially created reservoir with a constant temperature of 40 ° C. This is the only place of its kind on the planet that is filled with visitors all year round... It has been found that bathing in the mineral-rich waters of the lake helps heal skin conditions.

Valley of Geysers

It arose in the XIII century after a strong earthquake. The main source, called the Great Geysir, throws out a jet of water of very high temperature to a height of 70 meters from a depth of more than two thousand meters. The contemplation of this magnificent sight leaves a strong impression. There are also places for swimming in less hot springs. Residents use the natural warmth of the geysers to heat their homes.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

The waterfall is located in the south of the island and is very popular with tourists. Water falls from a height of 60 meters. It flows down from the rocks that used to be the coastline, but now a picturesque valley has formed on this place. The beauty of the waterfall (combined with the surrounding landscape) has no equal. That is why his photographs are featured on calendars and postcards.

Colored mountains

During the warm season of the year in national park Landmannalaugar can be seen a striking sight - colorful mountains. The mountain slopes gleam with unusual stripes - brown, yellow, pink, blue, purple, green, white and black. The reason for this phenomenon is associated with the volcanic origin of rocks. The location of the park near the Hekla volcano makes it one of the most popular tourist centers country.

Vatnajökull National Park

What else can you tell us about Iceland? Facts about the country, all its attractions simply cannot be listed in one article. But still I would like to mention this park. It was created in 2008. It covers almost 12% of Iceland and is the largest in Europe. The main highlight of the park is the glacier of the same name with an area of \u200b\u200bup to 8100 sq. km and ice thickness up to 500 meters. There are beautiful ones under his shell ice cavesas well as seven active volcanoes.

For entertainment in Vatnajökull, tourists can take walks in beautiful places, to engage in winter sports, but bathing in hot springs located inside ice caves is in special demand.

Undoubtedly, this is only a small part of the natural attractions of the country of Iceland.There are many more interesting and mysterious things awaiting tourists in its vastness.

Iceland is called the "ice country" or "land of ice". It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean on the island of Iceland and a group of small islands.

Iceland consists of 8 regions: Hövüdborgarsweidid, Vesturland, Sudurnes, Vestfirdir, Nordurland-Eistra, Nordurland-Vestra, Syduyurland, Eysturland.

Reykjavik - the capital of a country with a population of 180 thousand people - is the cultural, business and financial center of the country. It is also the seat of the government and parliament. In addition to Reykjavik, major cities are Habnarfjordur (19 thousand people), Kopavogur (21 thousand people), Akureyri (17 thousand people), Seidisfjordur, Husavik, Akranes.

The country is headed by a president who is elected for a 4-year term through direct general elections. The Icelandic government includes the Prime Minister and ministers who are members of the Progressive Party and the Independence Party.

Legislature - Parliament (Althing) - consists of one chamber and has existed since 930. Iceland's constitution was adopted in 1920.

Until recently, fishing and fish processing were the main sources of income for Iceland. In 2001, they accounted for 32% of the industry. But in the last decade, there has been an active diversification of industrial production, which has become possible thanks to the use of renewable cheap energy.

At present, aluminum plants are being actively built. Other promising industries for Iceland include banking, tourism, biotechnology, and information technology. Iceland belongs to the industrialized countries.

In 2007, Iceland was recognized by the UN as the best country for life in the world.

	Reykjavik
Population	317 630 people
Population density
	icelandic
Religion	lutheranism
Form of government	parliamentary republic
	icelandic krone
Timezone
International dialing code
Domain zone on the Internet
Electricity

Climate and weather

On the southwestern coast, where Reykjavik is located, the average temperature in winter is -1 ºС, in summer - +11 ºС. The waters around the island of Iceland never freeze.

Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, the climate is western and south coasts Iceland's winter is quite mild. At the same time, a large amount of precipitation falls in the form of rains. On average, January in Reykjavik has only 3 sunny days, July is even less - 1. The warmest period of the year is from July to August. The east and north of Iceland tend to be sunnier and warmer. Most of the sun is in the central part of the north of the island - in the region Akureiri and lakes Miwati... The warmest, usually in the eastern part, in the area Egilsstdoir... But even in these relatively favorable areas, unpleasant cold winds blow. On the coasts of the island, the weather is often worse than in the central parts. But on the inner part of the island, powerful winds and storms can interfere with rest. They lift large masses of sand into the air and create the so-called "sula".

Nature

The geological age of Iceland is small: the island was formed about 60 million years ago as a result of volcanic eruptions. The most ancient areas are in the north, west and east.

In the west, in the area Snйfellsnes, there are many volcanoes, 20 of which were active when Iceland was already inhabited. In 1783, the volcano Laki erupted, located southwest of Vatnajökull. The lava escaped from the eruption covered an area of \u200b\u200b570 square meters. km. In 1947 and 1970, the volcano Hekla erupted. In 1963, Surtsey Island was formed as a result of an underwater eruption.

There are many hot springs throughout the island. There are about 250 of them. The most famous gushing source is the Big Geyser. 85% of homes in Iceland are heated with energy from hot springs. Also their warm water is used in swimming pools and greenhouses.

The northern, eastern and northwestern coastlines are indented by many fjords and bays.

Glaciers and ice caps cover an area of \u200b\u200b11,900 km 2. The largest ice cap - Vatnajökull - is located in the southeast of the country and covers 8,300 sq. Km .. In the same area is the most high point Iceland - Hvannadalshnukurreaching a height of 2,119 meters.

There are many fairly large rivers in the country, but they are all non-navigable. Rivers often fork and change direction, which impedes traffic. The largest Icelandic islands - Turisvatiand Tingwadlavati.

Iceland is home to over 80 bird species. There are some species of whales and two species of seals in coastal waters. Fish species of great importance for Iceland are sea bass, halibut, cod, haddock.

sights

In 2000, Reykjavik (translated as "Smoky Bay") was declared cultural capital the world. central part cities - Old Reykjavik is a huge space with many lakes and lawns, which are replaced by old traditional buildings. Stables and sheepfolds are still found in this place today. Of course, they no longer contain livestock. Most of them have turned into cafes and shops. The most notable old buildings in Reykjavik are the 18th century government building and the House of Parliament, built in 1881. From museums in Reykjavik, the National Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland and the City art Museum Reykjavik. In Reykjavik, a luxurious botanical garden is open to visitors.

Iceland has a large number of waterfalls. The most famous of them are - Gullfoss, or the Golden Falls, Goudafoss, or the Waterfall of the Gods, Skogarfossand Dechtifoss, or Cascading waterfall.

The northern capital of Iceland is the city Akureyriwhich is on the shore Eyjafjord... There is a lake nearby Miwati, or Mosquito Lake, which never freezes.

Iceland is one of the centers extreme tourism and sport fishing. Here you can go rock climbing or go hiking. Such popular entertainment as safari is widespread here. You can go on horseback riding, salmon and trout fishing in streams and lakes. Diving enthusiasts can dive into the depths of mineral waters.

Food

Icelandic cuisine is not varied and rich. The reason for this is the monotonous flora and fauna and the harsh climate. Spanish national dishes are always extremely simple, but very tasty. The most popular dishes in Iceland are roast lamb and Icelandic chowder.

Original national Icelandic dishes - hrutspungur, hakarl and svid. Khrutspungur is a pickled lamb testicles that are pressed into cookies. Hakarl - This is rotten shark meat, placed in the ground for six months to bring it to the required stage of decomposition. Tes - a whole sheep's head, which is sawn into two halves, brought to a boil and consumed almost raw.

Less exotic dishes - blakey (charred meat) luindi and hardfiskure (haddock). You can also serve fur seal meat, whale steak and whale meat. Traditional dairy product in Iceland - skyr - prepared from bacterial cultures and milk cream.

If meat dishes in Iceland do not differ in sophistication, then fish dishes are surprisingly diverse here. The most famous local dishes are halibut, salmon, cod, scallops, shrimp and shark.

Coffee is very popular among drinks. Wine, beer and other spirits are very expensive here. The classic drink in Iceland - brennivine - made from potatoes and flavored with caraway seeds.

Iceland has a very high level of development of the restaurant culture: there are a huge number of restaurants throughout the country, which are highly competitive with each other and provide excellent service to visitors.

Beer was banned from producing and drinking in Iceland for 75 years, and now, in 1989, the ban was lifted. A large glass of beer will cost you $ 8, a small one - $ 4.7. In coffee shops, you only need to pay for one cup of coffee, all the rest will be brought to you for free.

Residence

It is safest to book your accommodation before arriving in Iceland, but if this option is not possible, you will have to act on the spot. For the first few days, you can always find a hostel, tourist base or hotel. Most reasonable prices - at the House of the Salvation Army in Reykjavik and at the Tourist Base, which is also located in the capital. The minimum cost of a room for one night is 33 €.

Since the real estate market in Iceland is vast and the purchase of apartments and houses accounts for 75-85% of the housing stock, the rental market is quite narrow. Renting in Reykjavik will cost you the most.

When renting a home, you pay a month in advance and a security deposit. It is best to ask the landlord to provide you with a written rental agreement.

Anyone over 18 years of age who rents housing under a contract for more than six months can receive monetary compensation. You can write such a statement at the social services bureau.

The average monthly rent for a room with kitchen and bathroom is ISK 40,000 per month. For a modest apartment you will have to pay 70,000-80,000 kroons per month. In suburban areas, the average cost per square meter is 1200 kroons, in the capital - 1500.

Entertainment and recreation

The most important holiday for Icelanders is Independence Day. This holiday takes place on June 17th. At this time, bright theatrical performances were organized throughout the country under open air and costume parades.

In the first week of June, you can get to the holiday Syomannadagurinidedicated to sailors. On this day, tug of war, water rescue and swimming tournaments are held. June 24 is the day of the summer solstice, Midsummer. On the third Thursday of April, Sumardagurini Fursti takes place - a carnival holiday, which is dedicated to the first day of summer. In August, you can attend another local holiday called Pyodhatio Vestmannaeyar... On this day, Icelanders sing songs, make big bonfires, hold festivities and dances. Some parts of Iceland have a holiday Verslunarmannahelgi. It is held in August. On this day, it is customary to go camping with an overnight stay with your family, barbecue.

There are many excursions in Iceland. The most entertaining of them take place in the following places:

• East Iceland
• East fjords
• Westman Islands
• Valley of Geysers
• Thingvellir National Park
• Caldidalur
• Glaciers
• Snayfell
• lake Myuwati
• North Iceland
• fjords of West Iceland
• Central Iceland.

Iceland is a great place to organize hiking, often extreme, hikes. Most noteworthy hiking spots tourist routes are located in Latrabyarg, Landmanialaugar and Horistrandir. Well-equipped ski resorts are found in Akureiri, Reykjavik, Hitarfjalla and Blufjoll. On Mount Langyokull you can go sledging, in the Hallmundarhraun caves you can try yourself in sports caving, plunge into geothermal springs and ride horses. Iceland also hosts the Arctic Open golf tournament (in Akureiri). The competition takes place on one of the nights of the polar summer, which is why it is called the "midnight sun tournament".

Purchases

Icelandic shops are usually open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 14:00 (rarely until 16:00) on Saturdays. Sometimes big shopping centers work on Friday until 22:00. IN summer time all shops are closed on weekends.

The bulk of Iceland's goods are imported, so prices for food, real estate and transportation are very high. Iceland has the second highest cost of living after Japan. If you want not to deny yourself anything, you will have to spend at least $ 500 a day.

Transport

Iceland's largest airline, Air Iceland, is the only air carrier to provide safe domestic passenger services to winter time... The Icelandic road network is one of the most undeveloped in the European region; there are no railways at all.

At the same time, the bus transport company "Bifrightastod Islands" does an excellent job of transporting passengers in very harsh conditions. The largest Icelandic ports are connected by ferries.

There are several government firms in Iceland that provide taxi services 24 hours a day. A fee of about 100 CZK is charged per kilometer, on holidays and at night the price rises by 10-15% Taxis can be found at special parking lots, stopped on the street or called for free by phone.

Communication

There are not many places in Iceland where you can find Wi-fi. But everywhere you can use the services of an Internet cafe.

Standards cellular communication in Iceland - GSM 900/1800.

Telephone communication is very well developed in Iceland. Telephone booths are located at every corner. You can call them using coins in denominations of 10, 50 and 100 kroons, or use a telephone card worth 500 kroons. Calling cards can be bought at a telephone exchange or post office. The cost of a call, both local and international, depends on the day of the week and time of day. You will pay the regular price on weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00. On weekends and weekdays from 19:00 to 8:00 you will be given a 25% discount.

Security

If you are walking in mountainous areas, be very careful and attentive, as volcanic activity is possible in these areas. You risk falling into a mud pit or running into a geyser eruption. When walking, it is best not to deviate from the hiking trail.

With regard to the crime rate, in this sense, Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. Exception in recent times became Reykjavik: cases of petty theft have become more frequent here, and information about more serious violations appears in the news every now and then. Going to a nightclub, be prepared to witness a fight. Don't get involved - just call the police.

Business climate

If you come to work temporarily or permanently in Iceland, you need to register with the National Register. You will be assigned an identification number and the State Revenue Department will give you a tax card. You must also have a work permit. You can consult the Employment Committee or the Immigration Office about its provision.

In Iceland, you can open a company of any form of ownership. If you are a self-employed entrepreneur in Iceland, you will need to pay 38.58% of your profits to the treasury every month. The partnership is taxed at 26% of its profits. Companies and their affiliates pay 18% of their profits to the Icelandic treasury. The most common choice when starting a company is the form of a closed limited liability company. This is due to the low tax rate and the ease of maintaining the company. The tax rate for such firms is 5%.

The property

The real estate market in Iceland is very wide. You can buy an apartment in Iceland only if you have a residence permit. If you want to buy an apartment, you need to consult the State Finance Fund on housing issues or a local bank.

Reykjavik is one of the five cities in the world with the most expensive real estate. In the last decade, house prices in Iceland have been rising.

Iceland has enough real estate to buy and sell. Every year the country is visited by a huge number of tourists, which stimulates the expansion of the real estate market. The important thing is that the influx of tourists to Iceland occurs throughout the year, which is also a prerequisite for the development of the housing market.

In Iceland, driving on the right. In winter, road traffic is hampered by snow drifts and strong winds. Penalties for drunk driving and other traffic violations are very high. But you will never have problems with parking in Reykjavik: there are several multi-storey car parks and a large number of ground ones. Parking is charged on an hourly basis. In a regular parking lot you will pay 80-150 CZK, in a parking lot - 50-100. You need to pay for parking at the machines at the entrance to the parking lot or at the parking attendant.

Iceland is allowed to import no more than three kilograms of food. At the same time, it is forbidden to carry meat, dairy products, raw eggs. If you are over 20 years old, you can take with you up to 1 liter of spirits, 6 liters of beer and 1 liter of wine. After reaching the age of 18, passengers can also take with them up to 200 cigarettes and 250 grams of tobacco.

Icelanders have no surnames. The inhabitants of Iceland have only a name and patronymic. The endings of the patronymics "-son" are worn by men, "-dottir" - by women. You can often meet people with the same last names. Icelanders address each other only by name.

Alcohol can only be bought in state specialty stores. Alcohol is 5-7 times more expensive here than in duty-free at airports.

There are camping areas near the most popular natural monuments. You will have to pay 2-3 dollars for an overnight stay in such an area. In other places, camping is allowed only with the permission of local authorities.

Tipping in Iceland is only given to doormen in hotels and restaurants. In other situations, the tip is already included in the bill.

Visa information

Getting a visa to Iceland is not as difficult as it might seem. To do this, you will need to collect a standard package of documents, including: a valid passport, tickets to the country and back, copies of the necessary passport pages, confirmation of hotel booking.

The visa is issued within 8 working days. The consular fee is about 35 €.

The Icelandic Embassy is located at 121069, Moscow, Khlebny lane, 28.
You can get detailed advice by calling the appropriate phone number (+7 495) 956-7604. The embassy is open all working week from 09:00 to 17:00.