Iceland

As many people come to Iceland by a plane the first impression that they get of the country is that it must be barren and covered with lava, as that is the view they see on their way from Keflavík airport in to the Capital. This is a misleading first impression. Iceland has a very varied landscape; it is magnificent in some places while there's nothing special in other places.

Iceland is the second-largest island in Europe, after Great Britain. It's the western-most country in Europe, located high in the North Atlantic, atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which is an area of active volcanism. The island was actually formed by numerous volcanos, many of which are still active, sometimes creating new islands out of the sea.

Vegetation covers less than one-fifth of Iceland's area and only about 1.1% is cultivated. Trees, mostly birch, grow in some places, along with some willows. The rest of the country is barren mountains, and deserts (lava beds cover some 11% of Iceland) and glaciers (12%). Vatnajökull (Lakes' Glacier) in the southeast is the largest Ice field in Europe and Ódáðahraun (Lava of ill deeds) north of Vatnajökull is the largest lava bed on earth. Rivers and waterfalls are plenty, and provide hydroelectric power. Over 90% of homes are heated by hot springs, which also keep greenhouses warm, where the famous Icelandic bananas are grown.

Fishing accounts for Iceland's main exports, although it employs only about 12% of the work force. The country has no railroads, but a network of highways and secondary roads provides access to all inhabited parts of Iceland. Air transportation also plays an important role, both locally and internationally, through the main airports at Reykjavík and at Keflavík, where also a U.S. Naval Air Station is located (Iceland has no military force of its own but is a founding member of NATO).

Iceland is a constitutional republic governed by a general assembly, the Althing (Alþingi), which is sometimes called the oldest democratic institution in existence. The President is elected every four years by universal suffrage for all persons over 18 years of age. Icelanders seem to like their Presidents, because a President running for re-election has in nine times out of ten gone unopposed, and the tenth time won by a landslide. Real executive power is held by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

Iceland's population is a homogeneous mixture of Scandinavian and Celtic origin. Unlike the other Nordic countries there are no dialects to speak of. The language spoken in Iceland has changed very little since the island was settled, some 11 centuries ago. Icelandic and Faroese are the only Scandinavian languages to have kept the complicated inflection system of the Old Norse spoken during the Viking age.

Reykjavík is the most northerly capital in the world and the largest city of Iceland, situated on Faxa Bay on the southwest coast. It is here that Iceland's first settler, Ingólfr Arnarson, landed in 874. According to the sagas, when he approached the shore, he threw two carved, wooden pillars to the water and swore that he would settle where they came ashore. The settlement began as a small fishing village, a charter was granted in 1786, and the city became an episcopal see in 1796. Reykjavík has been the seat of the Althing since 1843, and it was made the capital of Iceland in 1918. Ingólfr named the place Reykjavík (Smoky Bay), perhaps because of the geysers and hot steam pouring up from the ground. However, Reykjavík is in fact probably one of world's most smoke-free cities, due to its extensive use of clean, geothermal power.

More than half of Iceland's population lives in or near Reykjavík, making it the heart of the country's cultural, commercial, and governmental life. It's a modern city, but the old center, including the Parliament House (1881) and the mid-18th century Government Building, has been carefully preserved. Close to them are the National Library and the National Theater, and the statue of Ingólfr Arnarson. Interesting churches in Reykjavík include the the old cathedral near the Parliament, and the the new, 75m high Hallgríms-kirkja; there's a great view over the city from the spire. Other places worth visiting are the University (1911), the National Museum (1863) which houses exhibits from around the world, items from the Viking age and Iceland's nautical past, and the Árni Magnússon Institute (where the priceless saga manuscripts are on display.

The newest sight of the city is the City Hall (opened in 1992), which is built partly on a lake; apart from being an administrative center, it also houses exhibitions, and a cafe with views on to the lake. Árbær Folk Museum is in the outskirts of the city, and has a collection of old, traditional buildings, mostly from Reykjavík, but also from elsewhere in Iceland. The Nordic House designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto has a library, cafe, a permanent exhibition devoted to the Nordic way of life, and stages concerts, etc.

Facts

Name: Lýðveldið Ísland / The Republic of Iceland [ Ic/En ]


Flag: a red Nordic cross outlined in white on a blue background
Languages: Icelandic

Area: 103,000 km² / 39,758 sq mi.
Terrain: mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks and ice fields; coast highly indented by bays and fjords, particularly in the north and northwest.
Highest mountain: Hvannadalshnúkur, 2119 m.

Population: 267,000 (1996)
Life expectancy: male: 76.5, female: 81.0 (1993)

Capital: Reykjavík (pop. 101,824) (1993)
Other major towns: Kópavogur: (17,172), Hafnarfjörður: (16,787) Akureyri: (14,799) (1993)

Religion: Evangelical-Lutheran (96%) (official State religion)
Currency: króna (Icelandic crown, ISK).

Climate: coolish, but temperate, warmed by the Gulf stream. Average temp. in Reykjavík: -2°C - 2°C in Jan. and 9°C - 14°C in July.

Exports: Fishery products: 78.7%, Industrial products: 17.6%, Agricultural products: 1.7%, Other products: 2.0% (1993)


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Lysator article "Iceland".


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