13 Surprising Facts About Iceland You Didn't Know About

The country of active volcanoes, hot springs and geysers - Iceland will captivate with the unique beauty of nature. This island-state is lost in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean near the Arctic Circle. It attracts tourists from all over the world with its natural attractions that you will not see anywhere else in the world.

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Source: supercoolpics.com

1. In Iceland, there is practically no such thing as a surname; mostly they are citizens of foreign origin (10% of the population). The analogues of the surname are the patronym (a form derived from the name of the father) or matronym (the form derived from the name of the mother) with the prefix son for men and dóttir for women. For example, Bjork Gudmundsdottir (daughter of Gudmund) is a famous Icelandic singer and composer. In rare cases, there is a combination of patronymic and matronymic. (Ben Husmann)

2. Crime in Iceland is practically zero. The police here do not bother to carry weapons, and mothers leave strollers with children right on the street. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see babies sleeping in a stroller near cafes or shops. (Sveinn Joelsson)

3. Locals prefer to leave their babies outside so that they can sleep peacefully and breathe fresh air. (Cassiano Rabelo)

4. The Icelandic Parliament is the oldest in Europe. For the first time, the so-called Althing (from Icelandic “general assembly”) took place in 930 on the territory of the modern Thingvellir National Park, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Meetings here continued until 1798. (Joe Michaels)

5. Now the Althingi Iceland building is located in Reykjavik. It is a unicameral parliament with 63 deputies. (Sergio Morchon)

6. Iceland is a country with a unique landscape. This is a volcanic plateau with peaks up to 2 km, hot springs, active volcanoes, geysers; 11.8 thousand km² out of a total area of 103 thousand km² are covered by glaciers. (Vincent Moschetti)

7. Despite the photographs of the mountain peaks of Iceland that you may have seen, there is actually not a single full-fledged mountain in the country. If you look closely at the photographs, you can see that almost all the mountains and hills have a flat top, because they, like their valleys, appeared due to glaciers. Iceland has been literally "carved out" by glaciers that have formed deep valleys and high mountain ranges. The country is also home to a number of volcanoes that the uninformed observer might mistake for mountains. (Trey Ratcliff)

8. Iceland is one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world. It is full of volcanoes, allowing the locals to use geothermal energy sources. In addition, Icelanders can also use abundant waterways as sources of energy. The country practically does not burn fossil fuels. (frigersson)

9. Iceland is one of two places on the planet where you can observe the divergence of plates (North American and Eurasian) not only under water, but also on the surface. Every year the gap between them increases by about 2 cm. Also, in the region of the northern coast of the country, divers have the opportunity to swim in the place of their fault. (Diueine Monteiro)

10. From 1915 to 1989, dry law was in effect in Iceland; at the same time, for the last 54 years, it has extended only to beer. Therefore, after the lifting of the ban, beer gained unprecedented popularity in the country. Beer Day is celebrated annually on March 1st. As part of the celebration, Icelanders consume a huge amount of this drink. It is also worth noting that beer can only be purchased at state-run liquor stores. Independent sellers are prohibited from selling alcohol in the country. (Didier Baertschiger)

11. In addition to beer, Icelanders are not indifferent to sauces and gravies, which are added to almost all dishes. (Chris Zielecki)

12. No matter what the temperature is outside, Icelanders barbecue. The grill here is not hidden in a closet even in winter, it is used all year round. And of course, grilled foods will be generously drizzled with your favorite sauces or gravies. (Mike)

13. Nudity is not condemned in Iceland. Locals are absolutely not shy about being naked in public. Mostly naked people can be seen at the geothermal pools, which are in abundance here. (Chris Connolly)

14. Pause and talk out loud. You spoke on the exhale, right? Another thing that distinguishes the Icelanders is that they pronounce some words and even whole phrases not on the exhale, but on the inhale. This is typical of other Northern European languages as well. (Trey Ratcliff)

15. There are practically no trees in Iceland. Only a few species grow here. Many of the trees were cut down by the first settlers to build houses. (Diueine Monteiro)