Iceland | Geography | People | Economy | Tourism and Relations

1. Iceland | Geography | People | Economy | Tourism and Relations The Republic of Iceland is a beautiful Nordic country that is popular for having many active volcanoes and enjoyable thermal pools. Do you know? Iceland is actually Greener than Greenland, however, Greenland is colder, and Icy though names are just opposite of each other. Geography Iceland is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean with a total land area of 103000 km2. It is the 18th largest island in the world and the second-largest in all of Europe. The country lies quite far from the European Peninsula which is basically placed east of Greenland and just south of the Arctic Circle. About 11% of the total land is covered by Glaciers and most of the country is still untouched. Geographically, Iceland is divided into 8 different regions: Capital Region "Greater Reykjavík", Southern Peninsula, West, Westfjords, Northwest, Northeast, East, and South. Iceland is mostly known for its main island however, they do have some smaller islands and archipelagos off their coasts. The most popular is Heimaey which has over 4 thousand people. Over 80% of the country is mountainous with hundreds of volcanoes and about 30 of them are active. The entire Island is geothermal. Wherever you go, there are chances to find a natural hot spring. Iceland's geography is rugged but the islanders have developed really great infrastructure despite various geographical difficulties.

2. ReykjavÃk is the capital of Iceland and is also the northernmost capital city in the world. Demographics Iceland has a tiny population of about 341 thousand people and is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Ethnically, about 92% of the country identifies as of Icelandic origin whereas about 4% are Polish and the remainder is immigrants from all over. Fact: About one-third of the entire country lives in the ReykjavÃk Metropolitan area. The Icelandic language is incredibly unique and considered one of the hardest languages in the world to learn. There is a vast difference in the Icelandic language as compared to other Nordic languages. Most Nordic people have found it hard to crack the Icelandic language. Except for the Faroese people on the Faroe Islands because they have a similar sense of pronunciation and grammar like the Icelanders. Icelanders are awesome people to socialize with. Iceland has one of the lowest crime rates in the entire world, sometimes they rank at number one position. As of 2021, Iceland is the 2nd happiest country in the world after Finland. Meanwhile, they are also the world's most peaceful country according to "The Global Peace Index". Some of the popular Icelandic food dishes are sheep's head, stockfish jerky, head cheese, and sheep testicles. It seems weird, right? Do you know? In Iceland, nobody has a surname. They adopt their father's first name and they just add -son the last of their name. Economy Iceland has a highly advanced economy with an estimated GDP of 23.5 billion USD in 2021. Service sectors contribute around 74% of the total GDP of Iceland whereas Industries and agriculture sectors contribute nearly 10% of the combined GDP. Despite a very small population in the country, they have maintained a stable economy. Basically, the Economy of Iceland is Export driven and the major trading partners are The UK, The US, Norway, and China. Surprisingly, 53% of their trade is done within the territory of the European Union. Marine Equipments, Fishes and Aluminum are the major production sectors of Iceland whereas tourism industries are booming after 2010 which shows positive signs of economic growth of Iceland.

3. According to OECD, Iceland has the 2nd highest pay rate in the world just below Luxembourg. Tourism In terms of tourism, Iceland is a really beautiful country. They have a lot of things to offer like Thermal baths, Rugged and Volcanic Landscapes to Explore, Clean Cities, and Beautiful Glaciers. Some Notable Tourism Spots in Iceland The National Gallery The Blue Lagoon The Viking World Museum Gullfoss Waterfall Borgarnes The US Navy D-3 plane wreckage site. The Höfn Viking Village. The Sea Monster Museum. Because of the extreme landscape, Iceland offers many adventurous activities to do like Skiing, Paragliding, Rappel, and Snow Skating. Tourism is increasing each year and they get 3 times as many tourists as their population every year. All over the country, you can see small and colorful houses which are made to tolerate the extremely cold winters of Iceland. The country has iconic landmarks and unique cultures. Entire Iceland is just like a wonderland in itself. Like Sweden, Finland, and Norway, you can have a chance to see the Aurora "Northern Lights" in Iceland. Iceland is an extremely safe country to visit however, it is very expensive. Normally, a cup of coffee costs around 3-4 Euros. Nature and Wildlife

4. Iceland's nature is untouched and mostly consists of mountains and Ice sheets. Ecologically, they perform best on all parameters. Do you know? Iceland has the clearest water diving spot in the world where visibility can go up to 100 meters. You can drink water from any stream, pond, lake, or river in Iceland because the whole island is like a filtration device for the glaciers. They found how to generate power with the hot springs. Geothermal energy provides about 66% of Iceland's power. Nonetheless, only about 1% percent of their land is arable. Mostly in the South lowlands where Root Vegetables, Cabbage, and Cauliflower are grown. Because of Hundreds of geothermally heated greenhouses they can harvest tomatoes, cucumbers, and bananas which are mostly grown in warm climates. They have made it possible to make Iceland the Northernmost banana-producing country in the world. There are a variety of arctic wildlife like Puffins, Foxes, Seals, Narwhals, Gyrfalcon and the famous Icelandic horses. Do you know? Iceland is the only country with no Mosquitoes. International Relations First of all, Iceland has always had good ties to the rest of the world. They have maintained diplomatic relations with almost every country. The US was the first country to recognize Iceland as a sovereign state after independence from Denmark. But also the largest communities of Icelanders are in The Us outside of Iceland. Finland is another close friend of Iceland and they have a similar kind of climate. They are not considered Scandinavian and they totally get each other every time. Denmark also gets along with Iceland. Most Icelanders learn Danish at the school level before they learn English, even though they think it's pretty useless. When it comes to their best friends, most Icelanders will say Norway and the Faroe Islands because Icelanders have historical roots in Norway and the two have very close relations. Being situated quite far from the rest of Europe, Iceland is an active member of the European Union and Schengen Visa-Free Zone. They are Co-operative with almost all EU sisters. In conclusion: Iceland is a land where cold meets hot, old meets new, small meet big, where you can bathe in a natural thermal pool with Sheep's testicles on your dinner plate.