ENERGY
Because of its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hotbed of volcanic and geothermal activity: thirty volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, the last one Eyjafjallajökull, in the spring 2010. Most famous and active volcano is Hekla. Natural hot water supplies the majority of the population with inexpensive, pollutionfree heating.
PEOPLE
Iceland’s population is about 317,000, about six percent of which are foreignborn.
It’s growing at a rate of 2.6 percent per year. Only 2 percent of Icelanders live in rural areas, the rest live in urban areas, and the majority, about 75 percent, live in the capital area of Reykjavík.
HISTORY
It is believed that the first permanent settler in Iceland was Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking who settled in A.D. 874 and named his home Reykjavík (smoky bay) after the steam rising from the surrounding countryside. In 930, Icelanders founded Althingi, which still functions as the legislative body, making it the world’s oldest parliament. In 1262, Iceland lost its independence to Norway and in 1380 came under Danish control with Norway. On 17 June 1944, Iceland became independent of Denmark in a ceremony that took place at Thingvellir, the old site of Althingi, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TIME
Despite its mid-Atlantic location, Iceland observes Greenwich Mean Time yeararound and does not go on daylight saving time.
Because of its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hotbed of volcanic and geothermal activity: thirty volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, the last one Eyjafjallajökull, in the spring 2010. Most famous and active volcano is Hekla. Natural hot water supplies the majority of the population with inexpensive, pollutionfree heating.
PEOPLE
Iceland’s population is about 317,000, about six percent of which are foreignborn.
It’s growing at a rate of 2.6 percent per year. Only 2 percent of Icelanders live in rural areas, the rest live in urban areas, and the majority, about 75 percent, live in the capital area of Reykjavík.
HISTORY
It is believed that the first permanent settler in Iceland was Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking who settled in A.D. 874 and named his home Reykjavík (smoky bay) after the steam rising from the surrounding countryside. In 930, Icelanders founded Althingi, which still functions as the legislative body, making it the world’s oldest parliament. In 1262, Iceland lost its independence to Norway and in 1380 came under Danish control with Norway. On 17 June 1944, Iceland became independent of Denmark in a ceremony that took place at Thingvellir, the old site of Althingi, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TIME
Despite its mid-Atlantic location, Iceland observes Greenwich Mean Time yeararound and does not go on daylight saving time.
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