A brief description of Iceland and its culture.

1. Iceland’s Wonders
Cool your senses with a trip to a place of wonder
and rich culture!
Gabrielle Lang

2. Iceland the Country
Iceland is a Nordic island country
between the North Atlantic and the Arctic
Ocean. It has a population of 329,100,
giving the island the lowest population
density of any country in Europe. The
capital and its largest city is Reykjavík.
Reykjavík means “Smoky Bay,” and was
named by the country’s first settler,
Ingólfur Arnarson. Two-thirds of the
country’s population live in Reykjavík and
in the surrounding areas of the
southwest.
Iceland is volcanically active. The interior
consists of a plateau characterized by
sand and lava fields, mountains and
glaciers. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf
Stream and has a temperate climate,
despite a high latitude just outside the
Arctic Circle.

3. Iceland’s Rich Culture
Icelanders are largely descended from
Nordic and Celtic settlers and still share a
strong bond with Scandinavia today.
Children are surnamed with their father’s
first name followed by a suffix “son” or
“dóttir,” (son/daughter of).
Due to high standards in health care and
a healthy diet, Iceland maintains one of
the highest life expectancies in the world.
Icelandic is the national language directly
derived from the Old Norse language
spoken throughout much of Northern
Europe. Iceland’s relative isolation has
protected the original grammatical and
vocabulary structure. Although modern,
Icelandic has undergone changes of
pronunciation and, of course, of
vocabulary. English is spoken by the
majority of the population, as English is a
mandatory school subject from the age of
ten.
Ninety percent of the population belongs
to the Lutheran Church; about one
percent is Roman Catholic. Although the
first settlers were originally Pagan,
Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000
AD through a parliamentary decision.
Some remnants of paganism remain,
mostly through symbolism and
ceremonies.

4. Iceland’s Wonders
Although Reykjavik is the world’s
Northern most capital, Iceland is warmed
by the Gulf Stream, resulting in a
surprisingly mild, coastal climate. The
average summer temperature in Reykjavik
is 10.6°C/51°F in July, with average highs
of 24.3°C/76°F.
The warmest months are from June to
September when visitors can witness the
midnight sun. Alternately, Iceland’s
coldest months are November to January,
when average winter temperature in
Reykjavik are similar to New York City.
There are three National Parks in
Iceland, each with its own particular
points of interest. Þingvellir, is in a rift
valley between the North Atlantic and
Eurasian Plates.
Snæfellsjökull National Park includes a
volcano and glacier, and is steeped in
mystery and romance; it is the only Park
that reaches from the seashore to the
mountaintops.
Vatnajökull National Park is the largest
national park in Europe. The park
encompasses the Vatnajökull glacier, and
other areas.Information taken from Iceland Press Kit: http://www.iceland.is/
Photos taken from http://www.pics4learning.com/

5. Links to find out more
Try the links below to find out more about
the wonderful country of Iceland.
http://www.iceland.is/
http://boingboing.net/2015/07/23/beautiful-video-of-iceland.html
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/iceland/interest-iceland-continues-grow-52468
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpHac3h1Zz0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2m4zvOxGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7lDuUaRD-4