Iceland

Capital of Iceland: Reykjavík
Population of Iceland: 311,058
Total area of Iceland: 103,000 km2

Iceland is an island nation located to the north and west of the main body of Europe. Its flag is blue with a red, bordered by white, off-center cross that extends from top to bottom and from left to right. Its coat of arms consists of a Viking, a bull, an eagle, all surrounding a mock-up of the Icelandic flag.

Iceland population

Its population comes from ancient Nordic and Gaelic peoples. This was confirmed by DNA research of the area. One study indicated that more men were Nordic and more women were considered Gaelic. The population has been relatively isolated throughout history. Because of volcanic eruptions and famine, the population has changed greatly over the years. The population is currently quite small for a European country at slightly over 300,000 individuals. It is expected to rise over the next twenty years. Immigrants to Iceland come primarily from Poland. The capital city is Reykjavik, where the largest percentage of the population lives. The official language is Icelandic, which is a Northern Germanic language. It is related to the Faroese language. English is also widely spoken as well as Danish. The Church of Iceland is the state church and is considered a Lutheran religion. Eighty percent of all Icelanders belong to that religion.  

History of Iceland

Iceland began to be settled around 874 CE when Norwegians came to live there. The Norsemen began to settle in Iceland with Gaelic people used as slaves. Island was considered part of the monarchies of Norway and later Denmark until 1918. It won its independence after WWI. It survived in part because of its agriculture and fishery occupations, which are still strong today. In 1994, Iceland was part of the European Economic Area, making it able to have a stronger economy based on financial services, as well as on its fishery and agricultural trade. It played a great role in the cold war with Russia and was occupied by US forces until 1994.

Iceland Tourism

One of the ironic things about Iceland lies in its name. Rather than being covered in ice, Iceland features a wild, and is considered one of the world’s most volcanically active countries. Need a breath of fresh air? Iceland’s clean, green little capital, Reykjavík features a wonderful blend of old-fashioned architecture together with modern buildings. Taste what Iceland has to offer as you dine in one of its restaurants featuring home-grown organic food and fresh fish. Take a relaxing soak in the Blue Lagoon, which is renowned for its health benefits that bring many visitors to this remote location. Horse riding is a unique experience with the Icelandic horse, a strong and gentle animal which has adapted to the country’s terrain and used to navigating through lava fields and deserted beaches. Should you decide to visit from March to September, you get to view one of nature’s most magical spectacles, the Northern Lights.

In Iceland, the normal form of greeting is through handshaking. An Icelander is normally called by his first name as his surname is a combination of his father’s Christian name and ‘son’ or daughter. An example of this if the person is named John and he is the son of Magnus. He would be called John Magnusson. Fru (Mrs) and Herra (Mr) are how people are addressed. When visitors are invited to homes, whether friendly or for business purposes, they should observe normal courtesies. People from Iceland are careful about appearances and they dress up whenever there is an occasion.