Iceland Information

The most fitting word that can be used to describe Iceland would probably be "adventure". It’s more than just an isolated island in the North Atlantic Ocean. In Iceland you will find stunning nature and beautiful landscape that is beyond compare. Whether you want to climb mountains, go whale watching, look at amazing waterfalls, watch a spurting geyser, go river rafting, play golf, soak in a geothermal pool, shop for unique Icelandic design, walk around Reykjavik city, dine in fabulous restaurants, party all night long or get closer to the northern lights, Iceland is the destination for you.

Iceland is a small island, located between Greenland to the west and Great Britain to the southeast. It´s the second largest island in Europe (103.000 sq km). Iceland is the least populated country in the world, with only 319.000 people. Almost 80% of the country is uninhabited, as much of it´s terrain consists of plateaux, mountain peaks and fertile lowlands.

Iceland used to be quite forested a long time ago but today it is largely barren and void of trees. We make up for it with gorgeous fjords, glaciers, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes, geysers and other natural wonders.

Icelandic is the official language of Iceland. It's a north Germanic language derived from old Norse, and hasn't changed much throughout the centuries. Judging by ancient Icelandic literature, it´s almost the same today as it was back then. Most Icelanders speak English very well, and many of them can speak Danish or another Scandinavian language.

A big majority of Icelanders are members of the Lutheran State Church, or about 80%. Another 5% of the nation are registered in other Christian denominations and almost 5% practice the traditional Norse religion ásatrú.

Icelandic culture has it’s roots in Norse tradition. Ancient Icelandic literature is popular, especially the sagas and eddas. They were written during the high and late middle ages and have been very well preserved through the years. Icelanders pride themselves in independence and self-sufficiency. They are also quite progressive when it comes to human rights, especially regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered matters. Same-sex couples have all the same rights as different-sex couples do in Iceland since June 2010.

The music scene in Iceland is very alive and vibrant. Icelandic contemporary music consists of a big group of bands. You might even think that all Icelanders had musical education, because it seems like everyone is in a band or about to form one. Many Icelandic mucisians have caught attention overseas, such as Múm, Sugarcubes, Sigur Rós, Emiliana Torrini, Björk, GusGus, and most recently Of Monsters and Men. Iceland Airwaves music festival is without a doubt the Icelandic music harvest festival.

Much of Icelandic cuisine is based on fish, lamb and dairy products. Traditional Icelandic food is admittedly… different. Þorramatur is the traditional Icelandic cusine. It consists of many dishes, such as skyr, cured shark, cured ram, singed sheep heads and black pudding. Don’t get discouraged, it’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s usually only consumed around the month of Þorri, which starts in January and ends in February.

The main traditional sport in Iceland is Glíma, a form of wrestling thought to have originated in medieval times. How cool is that? Handball is however sometimes said to be the national sport, as the Icelandic handball team is one of the best teams in the world.

There are countless interesting things to learn about Iceland. If you want to learn more than what you just read…. I guess you just have to book your flight as soon as possible!

Videos of Iceland: