The subject of our review today will be Iceland. Description of the country, interesting facts, attractions - all this in the material below.
General information
Iceland is an island and a state. The area of the territory is 103 thousand square meters. km, where about 322 thousand people live. The capital is the city of Reykjavik, where one third of the total population of the country is concentrated, and with the suburbs - more than half. The official language is Icelandic, and the currency is the Icelandic krone, which in 2016 was 122 kroons per 1 USD. Iceland is a parliamentary republic, headed by a president who is elected for 4 years. To enter the country, Russian citizens need a passport and a Schengen visa.
Location
Iceland - the country of ice - is located at the northern tip of the Atlantic Ocean, there are no more large areas of land up to the North Pole. Its northern part is located near the Arctic Circle.
The island is remote from the rest of Europe: from the nearest Faroe Islands at 420 km, from the island of Great Britain at 860 km, and from the nearest point on the continental coast of Norway at 970 km. An interesting fact is that despiteOn this, Iceland belongs to European countries, although it is much closer to the North American island of Greenland - 287 km.
Iceland: interesting facts about the country
The discovery of Iceland dates back to the end of the 8th century by Irish monks, and after them the Normans Nadod and Floki got here. Following these events, at the end of the 9th century, the active settlement of the island by the Vikings began - immigrants from Norway, who for half a century managed to master almost all the lands suitable for habitation and economic development.
In 1264, Iceland was annexed to Norway, and in 1381, it is part of Denmark. The country gained its independence only in 1944.
The inhabitants of the island are a courageous and proud people, respecting their historical past and cultural traditions. In particular, to the old Icelandic legends - sagas, telling about tribal strife, exciting events, about elves, gnomes and other mysterious characters, in whose existence some residents still believe.
An interesting fact about the country of Iceland is that there is practically no crime here - there is only one prison, and no more than a dozen people are kept in it. The police here go without weapons, but there is no army at all.
The basis of the modern economy is made up of only two industries - aluminum processing and fishing. By the way, it will be said that the islanders are second only to Norway in the annual volume of catch from European countries.
Iceland is among theprosperous states. Thus, the average per capita annual income here is $39,000 (according to our ruble standards, every resident here, including a baby, is a millionaire).
Nature
The country of Iceland, for all its modest size, is the world's largest island of volcanic origin. The relief of the island is predominantly mountainous, the peaks are the vents of extinct and active volcanoes. The highest of them is the Hvannadalshnukur peak (2110 m), located on the southwestern coast. The lowest point is not far away - this is the glacial lake lagoon (0 meters above sea level).
Many of the active volcanoes from time to time declare themselves with powerful eruptions. The largest volcano of the island is the famous Hekla (1488 meters), located near the "Great Reykjavik" and frightened the locals with its eruption in 2000.
The longest river of the island is Tjoursau (237 km). Of other water bodies, glaciers and glacial lakes abound, found everywhere and in innumerable numbers.
Iceland is unique in its diversity of natural landscapes. In addition to glaciers, the surface of the country in many places is covered with lava fields. Geysers and hot springs are often found in these areas. Rocky placers covered with dense mosses and lichens, islands of birch forests and meadows of grassy herbs are widespread throughout the island. Waterfalls give special picturesqueness to the area in various parts of the island. On the west coastNumerous fjords amaze with their beauty. National parks have been created to protect the stunning nature in the country.
Climate and typical weather
Iceland is a northern country that doesn't quite live up to its icy name. The warm currents washing over it, especially from the south of the Gulf Stream, do not allow it to become a cold, harsh desert.
Winters here are relatively warm, with an average monthly temperature of -1 °C, which many of Russia's southern territories can envy. However, during some periods of this season, cold winds are frequent, which, together with accumulations of drifting Arctic ice, especially in the southeast, cause sharp drops in temperature to -30 ° C. Daylight hours - no more than five hours.
Summer is not hot here. Average temperatures in July are only +12 °C. It is warmest on the south coast - up to +20 °C, with highs up to + 30 °C. In summer, the entire island is illuminated by the sun around the clock, and there are white nights characteristic of the polar latitudes.
Precipitation across the island is distributed unevenly. For example, on the west coast their number ranges from 1300 to 2000 mm per year, on the northeast their norm is up to 750 mm, and in the mountainous part of the southern regions they can be up to 4000 mm.
The weather here is very changeable, and it is no exaggeration to say that it can change in just a few minutes. It had just been warm and sunny, when suddenly the sky was overcast, and a cold, dank wind blew. The inhabitants of the country with a joke sayto his visiting guests and tourists: “If suddenly you don’t like something in the weather, then don’t despair, wait for half an hour, and it will change.”
Sights of Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the main city, the capital of Iceland. What country can not boast of a huge number of attractions? So Iceland has something to show tourists. In particular, its main city houses historical and architectural monuments, museums and modern institutions. Among them, the attention of tourists is attracted by:
- The Temple of Hallgrimskirkja is a cult Lutheran building of the middle of the 20th century, in the form of a volcanic eruption. Inside is a large organ. In front of the church is a statue of Leif Ericsson the Happy.
- The Cathedral, which is the main temple built at the end of the 18th century.
- The building of the Althingi (Parliament) in the style of classicism, erected in the 19th century.
- Perlan, or pearl, looks like a camomile with a blue dome. It is located on a high hill and has a rotating platform for viewing the panorama of the city. Inside the building are the Saga Museum, a winter garden, an artificial geyser, shopping pavilions and restaurants.
- Kaffi Reykjavik - this bar is unusual in that it consists of solid ice blocks, and drinks are always served in ice glasses.
- Kharpa Concert Hall. Its façades are made up of multi-coloured glass cells, which, with the help of built-in LEDs, impress visitors with a play of colors.
Blue Lagoon
The lagoon is geothermalsource and resort with all the proper infrastructure. This is perhaps the most famous and visited place for hundreds of thousands of tourists. A lagoon is an artificially created body of water with a constant temperature of 40 °C. This is the only place of its kind on the planet that is filled with visitors all year round. Bathing in the mineral-rich waters of the lake has been found to help heal skin conditions.
Valley of Geysers
Arose in the XIII century after a strong earthquake. The main source, called the Great Geysir, throws out a jet of water of very high temperature to a height of up to 70 meters from a depth of more than two thousand meters. The contemplation of this majestic spectacle leaves a strong impression. There are also places for bathing in less hot springs. Residents use the natural heat of geysers to heat their homes.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
The waterfall is located in the south of the island and is very popular with tourists. Water falls from a height of 60 meters. It flows down from the rocks that used to be the coastline, but now a picturesque valley has formed on this place. The beauty of the waterfall (combined with the surrounding landscape) has no equal. That's why his photos are featured on calendars and postcards.
Colored Mountains
In the warm season of the year in the Landmannalaugar National Park you can see an amazing sight - colorful mountains. The slopes of the mountains shine with unusual stripes - brown, yellow, pink, blue, purple, green, white and black. The reason for thisthe phenomenon is associated with the volcanic origin of rocks. The location of the park near the Hekla volcano makes it one of the most popular tourist centers in the country.
Vatnajokull National Park
What else can you say about Iceland? Facts about the country, all its sights simply cannot be listed in one article. But still I would like to mention this park. It was created in 2008. It covers almost 12% of Iceland and is the largest in Europe. The main highlight of the park is the eponymous glacier with an area of up to 8100 square meters. km and ice thickness up to 500 meters. Under its shell, there are beautiful ice caves, as well as seven active volcanoes.
Vatnajökull's entertainment options include walks in beautiful places, winter sports, but bathing in hot springs located inside ice caves is in particular demand.
Undoubtedly, this is only a small part of the natural attractions of the country of Iceland, many more interesting and mysterious things await tourists in its open spaces.
