Iceland is known for its beautiful landscapes that are very popular with many bloggers, but did you know these 15 facts already?
1. 2/3th of the total population of Iceland (330 000 people) live in the surroundings of Reykjavik, of which 1/3rd live in the center of Reykjavik itself.
2. All houses and various main roads are heated by the many geysers. Iceland is the definition of a ‘green country’ with a lot of green energy, literally and figuratively! Currently, no green energy is exported abroad. The opinions of the local population about this topic are very different.
3. It is a tradition to give each other a book at Christmas. This can play a role in the fact that 1/7th of the population itself publishes a book!
4. ‘Greenland‘ had been a better name for Iceland. The first settler who intended to stay in Iceland, saw his cattle starving during the first winter on the island. Because of this he was forced to leave the island because of the cold and the island of Iceland. He gave it the name ‘Iceland’ to keep people from going to the island.
5. Icelandic horses are typical horses that can be found all over the island. They are extremely stubborn, friendly and are incredibly resistant to the cold. These characteristic horses are also the only breed with 5 courses.
The Icelandic horses are everywhere over the island
6. The largest source of income is fishing, with on the second place the emerging tourism.
7. The river ‘Elliðaár‘ runs through the city of Reykjavik, which contains a lot of salmon but is unavoidable for boats. You can fish here, but this is very expensive!
8. There are 140 volcanoes on the island, of which 40 are still active. Katla is the largest volcano and erupts every 100 years, normally this would be in 2017-2018. This eruption would result in major flooding. Since the warm lava can melt large pieces of ice and snow
The famous Gletsjer Eyjafjallajökull which erupted in 2010
9. Iceland has 7 universities and this for 330 000 inhabitants, so plenty of choice!
10. Because of the activity of the tectonic plates (of America and Europe), Iceland is getting bigger and bigger. Iceland is currently the 2nd largest island in Europe.
11. Reykjavik is the most northerly capital of Europe.
12. The shortest days of the year are in December and January with about 5 hours of light per day. The longest days are in June and have 23 hours of light.
13. The climate is very unpredictable. Due to the changing weather, the weather forecast is broadcasted 6 times a day.
14. The northern lights can be seen officially everywhere in Iceland, but it must be open air without clouds or pollution. Unfortunately, you do not always see the northern lights, you can not control them, so you need some luck. The biggest chance of seeing the northern lights is between 9 pm and 3.00 am.
The Northern Lights
15. There are more cars than people. This is also the best way to get around Iceland. Public transport is not fully developed and is largely limited to the city of Reykjavik.
Our combi jeep of Lagoon Car Rental
Route 1
If you want to know more about the highlights, we wrote a blogpost about our highlights of Iceland!
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