Iceland
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Country Profile
Photography (*)
Iceberg - Jökulsárlón |
The Sun Doesn't Set - Höfn |
Mystical Mountain - Grundarfjördur |
Glacier - Krafla |
Northern Farm - Djúpivogur |
Höfn's Port |
Viti Crater - Krafla |
Boat - Ólafsvík |
Waterfall - Djúpivogur |
Goðafoss - Mývatn |
Road to the Storm - Borgarnes |
Icebergs in the Lake - Jökulsárlón |
Perlan - Reykjavík |
Volcanic Effect - Krafla |
Ólafsvík |
History
There is evidence of early visits to the island by Irish monks. But the first official settler in Iceland was the Norse explorer Ign ólfur Arnarson who established his home in Reykjavík around the year 874. He was followed by more emigrant Norsemen and their Irish slaves.
Iceland was a free state and Christianity was adopted in 1000. But civil conflict and internal struggles brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown in 1262, and then to Denmark-Norway when the two kingdoms united in the late 14 th century. In 1814, following the wars of Napoleon, the two kingdoms separated and Iceland remained dependent of Denmark.
In 1918 Iceland became a fully sovereign state united with Denmark under a common king. But during World War II, communications with Denmark were cessed. Iceland wanted to remain neutral, but it was occupied for military strategy by first the British and than by the United State army. Following World War II, Iceland became and independent republic in 1944.
The period after the war was characterized by a significant economic growth, with fish making up a large proportion of exports. In 1985 Iceland declared itself a nuclear-free zone. The country is not part of the EU but it is a member of NATO, even if it has no armed forces.
Geography
Iceland is a country of north-western Europe, consisting of a main island and a few islets, all located in the North Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Arctic Circle. In many perspectives, Iceland is included in Scandinavia because of linguistic and cultural likeness.
Due to its location, Iceland is very geologically active, having many volcanoes and tremendous landscapes. Its interior, which is cold and uninhabitable, consists of sand fields, mountains and glaciers. The surrounding lowlands are crossed by big glacial rivers that flow to the sea. Many fjords scatter Iceland's long coastline, where most towns are located.
Iceland has a warmer climate than most places of similar latitude, due to the Gulf Stream, providing habitable environment. When humans arrived, forest and woodland covered 25-45 % of the island. Trees were seriously exploited over the years for firewood and construction, reducing the forests at a dangerous minimum. But since the early twentieth century, plantation of new forests has increased the number of trees, including foreign species.
When settlers arrived to Iceland, the only native land mammal was the arctic fox. Humans brought animals with them for agriculture, which include sheep, cattle and horses. There are no native amphibians or reptiles on the island.
Iceland has widespread availability of geothermal power, allowing residents to heat their homes and have hot water at very low costs.
Culture
The original settlers to Iceland were Nordic and Irish. The population today is very homogenous, with 3.6% born outside of the Island, consisting mostly of Poles, Danes, ex-Yugoslavians, Filipinos and Germans.
The spoken language is Icelandic, which is the closest language to Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. Icelanders place a lot of importance on their Viking heritage, and their self-reliance.
Iceland has many famous music personalities with the singer Björk being the most known worldwide. Other famous Icelanders include the rock band The Sugarcubes, the TV presenter Magnus Magnusson, and the novelist and Nobel Prize winner Emiliana Torrini. In sports, Icelanders are known for their strength, and men perform well in the World's Strongest Man's competition.
Interesting Facts
- Reykjavík is the most northern capital city in the world.
- Dettifoss, located in north-eastern Iceland, is the most powerful waterfall in Europe.
- The word geyser comes from the name of one in Iceland, Geysir.
- In 1783-1784, a famine was caused by the volcanic eruption of mount Laki, which killed a quarter of Iceland's population.
- Surtsey is one of the youngest islands in the world. It rose following a series of volcanic eruptions between 1963 and 1968.
See Also
Australia
Brazil
Canada
China
References
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).
BBC News - Country Profile: Iceland (news.bbc.co.uk).
Iceland facts on National Geographic (www3.nationalgeographic.com).
World Flag Database (www.flags.net).
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* All photographs have been taken by Dr Anto Youssef. For specific informations about a picture, please write to: anto.y@studiodentaire.com. |