Situated in the North Atlantic Ocean very near the Arctic Circle, Iceland is an island country in Europe that consists of more glaciers and active volcanoes than any other country in the world.The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, which houses more than 60% of Iceland’s population. The official Iceland language is called Icelandic, but most people of the nation learn English as a second language.The land of the Vikings and Celts, Iceland has one of the lowest population densities in the world. It is the second-largest European island after Great Britain. The Icelanders believe that elves are real and they reside in fields of lava. Although Iceland sees a stormy climate throughout the year, the Icelanders love their ice cream. They can even withstand the wind and the rain for ice cream. An interesting fact about Iceland is that it is the world’s safest country. The crime rate in the country is one of the lowest in the world and it does not even have a standing army. The word ‘geyser’ has come from Iceland due to the presence of so many hot water geysers all over the country. The people of the nation can be seen enjoying a bath in hot springs at any time of the year. Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik is progressing towards being a carbon-neutral city by the year 2040. Since the nation uses renewable energy sources for the major production of electricity, it is consequently very eco-friendly.If you enjoy reading this article on interesting facts about Iceland, you can also read similar articles on Austria facts and Finland facts.Iceland History Iceland has the oldest surviving parliament on the globe, the Alþingi (called ‘Althing’ in English). It goes back all way to the year 930 when the Vikings and Celts lived here. It was located in Thingvellir that is now the sight of a national park. The Alþingi ran util 1800 and after a hiatus of 45 years, it was once again set up in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. The modern-day Thingvellir National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its historical significance. It is the meeting place of Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The meeting point is famous as a diving and snorkeling spot as the clear water allows you to see all the way down. This is the only place on the planet where snorkeling can be done between two tectonic plates.The country is one of the last places on the planet to have human settlements. The island nation is a fairly young landmass on Earth and it was discovered by the Vikings from Norway by accident.Iceland was taken over by the Danes and the Norwegians at some point in history. It became an independent nation in 1918 when it got freedom from the Kingdom of Denmark.The American troops and the British army occupied Iceland when World War II occurred. It has been a republic country since 1944.Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the first democratically elected female president served Iceland from 1980-1996. It is the first country to have seen the world’s first openly gay prime minister and Iceland’s first female prime minister in Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir who was in office from 2019-2013.The flag of Iceland has three colors that represent the geography of the nation, red, blue, and white. The red is a symbol of the raging lava from the volcanoes, the blue represents the mountains and the water surrounding the island nation, and the white is symbolic of the many snowcapped glaciers all around the nation. Matthías Þórðarson, who is a national conservationist, made the suggestions. The three colors, red, white, and blue; are also the national colors of Iceland.The capital of Reykjavik is the northernmost capital city that you will find in the world. It takes only a few hours to reach the city from London and New York. The name ‘Reykjavik’ means ‘smoky bay’. It is interesting to note that once the city had elected a comedian, Jón Gnarr, as mayor in 2010 after he jokingly ran for the post. He did end up serving in his office for four years.What is Iceland famous for?The largest glacier in the entire European continent is present in Iceland. Vatnajökull is a huge glacier that covers eight percent of the landmass of the country. On the whole eleven percent of the country is covered by glaciers and it is one of the top draws of Iceland.The Icelandic language is famously difficult to understand and many words such as Eyjafjallajökull are tongue twisters. But you should have not difficulty when speaking to the locals who also learn English for the travelers. There is a similarity between Icelandic and Old Norse. Hence it is no surprise that many Icelanders can read ancient Viking texts written some thousand years ago. The weather is so stormy that there are more than a hundred Icelandic words to talk about storms.The Icelandic children are visited by thirteen Yule lads for thirteen days before Christmas. Instead of Santa Claus, these Yule Lads visit the children and deliver a gift for each. The gift depends on the child’s behavior in the year. Each Yule Lad has a distinct personality that is reflected in the gifts. While Hurðaskellir slams doors in the dead of the night, Pottasleikir steals leftovers. The other eleven Yule Lads have their own idiosyncrasies.Among the interesting facts of Iceland, you will be pleased to learn that the people of the island nation love books. They also have a holiday surrounding the theme of book gifting on Christmas Eve called Jolabokaflod. About a tenth of Iceland’s population will publish at least one book in their life. The country also holds the distinction of publishing more books per capita in the entire world than any other nation. Halldór Kiljan Laxness from Iceland won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955. He is one of the most famous Icelanders in the island country.A visit to Iceland is incomplete without taking a dip in the hot springs that have been around since the Viking age. There are more than fifteen geysers in the Reykjavik region alone that uses geothermal energy for the heating process. These places are not only used by people looking for fitness but also visited by families and gatherings of friends. Blue Lagoon is the most famous geothermal spa in Iceland and it is one of the wonders of the world. Iceland Population Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated nations in the world. The low population has also contributed to the fact much of the nation is untouched by humans and as a result, the beauty of the island remains pristine. The glaciers and active volcanoes make sure that their people cannot reside in these areas.About 60% of the Icelanders reside in the capital city of Reykjavik. It is one of the best places to explore by waling with its bars and cafes. The National Museum of Iceland is also located in Reykjavik. You can go whale watching from Reykjavik harbor and spot large humpback whales in their natural habitat.The average population density in Iceland is about eight people per square mile (three people per kilometer). Most of them reside in the capital region and some along the southwestern coastline.As the country has very few people, you should not be surprised if you happen to come across the president jogging in the city or you see Björk dining inside a restaurant.Iceland is the only NATO country that has no standing army. It also does not have a navy or an air force. The employees of the only Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) do not carry arms. Neither do they have a uniform. It is a mall group safekeeping force of about two hundred members. It is the safest country in the whole world with an almost negligible crime rate. It is very rare for a violent crime to occur in Iceland. The small population of 333,000 people knows one another and the level of trust is high. The lack of armed forces means that Iceland has no full-time and professional military force.Weird Facts About IcelandA large portion of the Icelanders believes in mystical creatures like trolls and elves. In the capital of Reykjavik, there is also an Elf School that is your one-stop place to know all about elves. Inside the school, you will also find information about the local people who are said to have interacted with these creatures. More than 62% of Icelanders believe that these creatures are real. Little elf homes can be seen erected into the landscape all through the nation. The folklore of Iceland is full of tales about the Huldufólk that means ‘hidden people’. They are said to live near volcanoes in lava fields. The Reynisdrangar sea stacks are strange-looking stone pillars that rise from the Atlantic Ocean. People say these are petrified trolls who turned into rocks after being exposed to sunrise and they became frozen like that for all eternity.An interesting fact to note is the duration of workweeks in Iceland. It has the longest of all countries in Europe. Most Icelanders work for forty-five hours a week on average.Iceland celebrates March 1 as ‘Beer Day’ or ‘Bjórdagurinn’. On this day in 1989, a 74-year-old ban on beer was lifted in the country. Alcohol was banned in Iceland via a vote that took place in 1908. It was seen that the ban was affecting the economic stability of the nation as Iceland was dependent on many nations such as Spain for the import of wine. So, beer was prohibited in Iceland from 1915. It is currently the most popular of all alcoholic beverages in Iceland.One of the most interesting Iceland facts for kids is that there is not a single McDonald’s operating in the island country. The last store with the Golden Arches logo closed in 2009 and since then, no new one has opened. This happened after the financial crash of 2008. Ingredients for the burgers had to be imported whose price rose and consequently the food prices also increased. The domino effect of this event led to the shutting down of the branches that were open in Reykjavik. The National Museum of the country has the last cheeseburger on display encased in glass for visitors to see.The Icelandic horse is known for its long hair during winter and shorter hair during summer. They are pure breeds very well known all over the world for their muscular bodies. These horses are scattered all around Iceland and they even played an active role in the history of the island nation. No other breed of horse can be seen in Iceland. Horse riding is a popular sport in the country.The only native mammal that is unique to Iceland is the Arctic fox. This species has been there since the ice age. Pet dogs used to be banned due to health concerns but the former rule has been changed.A large section of travelers visits Iceland for the sole purpose of seeing the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. It is one of the few countries in Europe from where you can view this. This beautiful sight of nature is best viewed between September and March. When the atmosphere interacts with solar particles in the magnetic field of the planet, one can witness the spectacular views of the Northern Lights.Icelandic króna is the unit of currency that you have to use while visiting Iceland. It is different from the Euro that is used in several European countries.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Iceland facts then why not take a look at Hungary facts, or Jamaica facts.
Situated in the North Atlantic Ocean very near the Arctic Circle, Iceland is an island country in Europe that consists of more glaciers and active volcanoes than any other country in the world.
