Facts About Iceland

Land 
Iceland is an island of almost 40,000 square miles, equal to that of Ohio. Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnukur, is 6,500 ft. Iceland has the largest glaciers in Europe - in fact, 11% of the country is covered by glaciers. The coastline is dotted with more than one hundred fjords - and green, fertile valleys extend from them. Iceland also has more than 10,000 waterfalls and countless hot springs. 

Energy 
Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hot spot of geothermal activity. Thirty post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, and natural hot water supplies much of the population with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers, too, are harnessed to provide inexpensive hydroelectric power. The electrical current is 220 volts, 50 Hz. 

Language 
The Icelanders still speak the language of the Vikings (Old Norse). When new words are needed, they simply coin words that are combinations or modifications of old words. Iceland is alone in upholding another Norse tradition: the custom of using patronyms rather than surnames. If, for example, Einar has a son named "Petur", the son's name is Petur Einarsson (Peter Einar's Son). If Einar has a daughter whom he names "Margret", she becomes Margret Einarsdottir (Margaret Einar's Daughter). Members of the same family can therefore have different "last names", which often causes confusion to foreigners. If you are looking for someone in the phone directory, you look them up by their first name. 

People 
Of a population numbering just over 288,000, more than half lives in the Greater Reykjavik Area. The native language is Icelandic but most Icelanders speak fluent English. 

Time 
In spite of its mid-Atlantic location, Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time all year round. 

History 
The first permanent settler of Iceland was Ingolfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking who in 874 AD made his home where Reykjavik now stands. In 930 AD, the Viking settlers of Iceland founded one of the world's first republican governments. They established a constitution based on individual freedom, land ownership, and sophisticated inheritance laws. In the year 1000, Icelandic-born Leifur Eiriksson (Leif Eriksson, sometimes called "Leif the Lucky") became the first European to set foot in North America. On another Viking expedition a couple of years later, Icelander Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir had a son, Snorri, who became the first child of European descent to be born in America. The Old Commonwealth Age, described in the classic Icelandic Sagas, lasted until 1262, when Iceland lost its independence. In 1918 it regained independence and in 1944 the present republic was founded. The country is governed by the Althing (Parliament), whose 63 members are elected every four years. Elections every four years are also held for the presidency; President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was elected in June 2000 for the second time. 

Economy 
The economy is heavily dependent upon fisheries, which are the nation's greatest resource. 72% of all exports are made up of seafood products. Yet only a small proportion of the workforce is active in this sector (4.4% in fishing and 5.6% in fish processing). About 66% of the workforce is employed in services. Icelanders enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. 

Health 
Life expectancy, at 80 years for women and 74 for men, is one of the highest in the world, and a comprehensive state health-care system aims to keep it that way. 

Church 
The National Church of Iceland, to which 97 percent of the population belongs, is Evangelical Lutheran. In addition to the many Lutheran churches in Reykjavik, there is a Roman Catholic Cathedral at Landakot, with regular Sunday Mass.