Iceland description of the country for children. Iceland Republic of Iceland

Republic of Iceland.

The name of the country comes from island - "ice country".

Capital of Iceland... Reykjavik is the most the northern capital the world.

Iceland Square... 102819 km2.

Population of Iceland... 272 K people

Location of Iceland... Iceland is an island state in the northern part, 300 km east of and 1000 km west of. Administrative division... It is divided into 23 districts (sisla).

Iceland's form of government... Republic.

Iceland's head of state... President elected for a term of 4 years.

Supreme Legislature of Iceland... A unicameral parliament (althing) with a term of office of 4 years.

Supreme Executive Body of Iceland... Government appointed by the president.

Major cities of Iceland... Kipavogur, Hafnafjerdur, Akureyri, Keflavik, Vestmannajar.

State language of Iceland... Icelandic.

Religion of Iceland... 96% - Lutherans, 3% -.

Ethnic composition of Iceland... 99% are Icelanders.

Icelandic currency... Icelandic krone = 100 air.

Fauna of Iceland... The fauna is characterized by some mouse-like, Arctic foxes; in the interior regions, reindeer and mink live. Polar bears appear on floating ice off the northern coast. Walruses live in coastal waters. Iceland is famous for its variety of birds (over 100 species), as well as a large number of salmon and trout. There are about 150 species of fish in the coastal waters - cod, sea bass, halibut, haddock, herring, etc.

Video source: AirPano.ru

Rivers and lakes of Iceland... The territory of Iceland is covered with a dense network (many have rapids and waterfalls up to 60 m), the largest of which is Tjorsau (237 km). there are many lakes of tectonic and origin. The largest is Tingvadlavatn.

Iceland landmarks... The famous valley of geysers, the national museum, the cathedrals in Reykjavik and Hoular, the monument to Leif Erikson in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the althing. There are over 200 volcanoes on the island.

Useful information for tourists

Tipping in Iceland is usually only given in restaurants and hotels. In all other cases, they are included in the service bill. Tipping is not accepted for hairdressers and taxi drivers. In luxury hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, there is a paid wardrobe. The country is very expensive.

For most of us, Iceland is associated with the singer Bjork, who was born in this distant country, as well as with the Vikings and the snow. But Iceland, it turns out, has amazing nature with geysers, volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls. Iceland's nature is a source of inspiration for many photographers and artists. No matter when you visit Iceland (summer or winter), Icelanders will always welcome you very hospitably.

Geography of Iceland

Iceland is located northwest of Great Britain in the northern part Atlantic Ocean, where it meets the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is an island. Total area Iceland is, together with all the islands, 103,000 sq. Km.

14.3% of Iceland's territory is occupied by lakes and glaciers. Only 23% of Iceland's territory has vegetation that corresponds to the geographic location of this state. The largest lakes in Iceland are Þingvallavatn, Lagarfljót and Mývatn.

Iceland has several volcanoes, some of which are active. Now the most famous Icelandic volcano is Eyjafjallajokudl, due to the eruption of which in 2010 air traffic was paralyzed throughout Europe.

The highest peak in Iceland is Hvannadalshnukur peak, which reaches a height of 2,109 meters.

Capital

The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik, which is now home to more than 125 thousand people. Historians believe that the settlement of people on the territory of modern Reykjavik existed already in the 9th century.

Official language

In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic, which is a Scandinavian language.

Religion

More than 77% of Icelanders are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Iceland. Another 10% of Iceland's inhabitants are Catholics.

State structure

According to the constitution, Iceland is a parliamentary republic, the head of which is a President elected by direct universal suffrage for 4 years.

Legislative power belongs to the unicameral Parliament - Althingi, consisting of 63 deputies.

The main political parties in Iceland are the Social Democratic Alliance, the Independence Party, the Green Left and the Progressive Party.

Climate and weather

The climate in Iceland is subarctic maritime, the same as, for example, in Alaska. The warm current of the Gulf Stream has a decisive influence on the Icelandic climate. The climate on the south coast of Iceland is noticeably milder than on the north coast. The average annual air temperature in Iceland is + 5C, and the average annual precipitation is 779 mm.

The highest average air temperature in Iceland is observed in July and August - + 14C.

Average air temperature in Reykjavik:

• January - 0С
• February - + 0.5C
• March - + 1.5C
• April - + 4C
• May - + 7C
• June - + 10C
• July - + 11.5C
• August - + 11C
• September - + 8C
• October - + 5C
• November - + 2C
• December - 0С

Sea in Iceland

In the north, Iceland is washed by the Greenland Sea, in the northwest, the Danish Strait separates this country from Greenland, and in the east is the Norwegian Sea.

Rivers and lakes

About 14.3% of Iceland's territory is occupied by glaciers and lakes. The largest lakes are Þingvallavatn, Lagarfljót and Mývatn.

Iceland has many rivers, most of which originate in glaciers. The longest Icelandic rivers include Tjorsau (230 km) in the south of the country and Jökulsau au Fjödlum in the northeast.

There are a lot of salmon in Icelandic rivers, and trout in the lakes.

History

Iceland was inhabited by Norse Vikings in the 9th century. The first settlement on the site of modern Reykjavik was founded in 874 by Ingolf Arnason.

In 1262, Iceland fell under the rule of Norway. Around the middle of the 16th century, Lutheranism began to spread in Iceland. Subsequently, this country became completely Lutheran.

In 1814 Spain became part of Denmark. In the middle of the 19th century, a movement developed in Iceland that fought for the independence of this country (by peaceful means). As a result, Denmark recognized Iceland's independence in 1918. Thus, the Kingdom of Iceland was proclaimed, having an allied union with Denmark. In June 1944, Iceland was recognized as an independent republic.

In 1946, Iceland was admitted to the UN, and in 1949 it became a member of the NATO military bloc.

Icelandic culture

The origins of Icelandic culture go back to Norwegian traditions. This is due to the fact that it was the Norse Vikings who first settled Iceland.

Some Viking traditions are still preserved in Iceland. So, at the end of January, Icelanders celebrate Men's Day (Bóndadagur). On this day, Icelandic men used to jump around their house while singing songs loudly. In this way, they tried to appease the harsh January weather. Nowadays, few Icelanders jump around their homes on Men's Day, but on this day women give them various gifts and flowers.

At the end of February, Iceland celebrates Women's Day (Konudagur). On this day, Icelandic men bring coffee to their women in bed in the morning and give them flowers.

Icelandic cuisine

The main products of Icelandic cuisine are fish, meat, vegetables, dairy products, cheese. We advise tourists in Iceland to try the following traditional local dishes:

• Hangikjöt - smoked lamb
• Harðfiskur - dried fish;
• Saltkjöt - salted lamb;
• Bjúgu - smoked sausage;
• Þorramatur - marinated meat or fish (including shark meat);
• Lax is a salmon dish.

The traditional Icelandic soft drink, Skyr, is made from sour milk and resembles yogurt.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages in Iceland, the inhabitants of this country prefer beer and the local potato vodka with caraway seeds Brennivín.

Iceland landmarks

Although Iceland is a very small country, there are many interesting places for tourists. In our opinion, the top ten Icelandic attractions include the following:

Cities and resorts

The largest Icelandic cities are Habnarfjordur, Akureyri, Kopavogur, and of course Reykjavik.

There are a lot of geysers and lakes in Iceland that have medicinal properties. Therefore, it is not surprising that there are several geothermal resorts in this country. The most famous of them is located on the Blue Lagoon Lake.

Souvenirs / shopping

Of course, the protagonists of UEFA EURO 2016 were the Icelandic national team players who managed to snatch victory from the England national team, and, perhaps, this is the only team in the Championship that fans from all over the world treat with warmth. Today we publish a selection of 30 curious facts about what kind of country Iceland is, and what kind of people live there.

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, it is home to a little more than 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the island was only 50 thousand people. About 30 thousand fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, about 10 percent of the country's population.

2. If you paid attention, then all the names of the Icelandic national team players are similar, they end with "son". The point is that in Iceland, instead of surnames, patronymics are used, in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic. For boys, the particle "sleep" (son) is added to the name of the father, for girls - "dottir" (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different sex in a family, then they will have different "surnames", for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son of Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, if the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the mother's name.

3. However, this does not mean that Icelanders do not at all seek to preserve their surname, they simply do it in a peculiar way, some give children the same names after a generation, that is, they name the child by their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, one can trace the line kind.

4. The classic names of Icelanders are familiar to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means "the main stone", in Iceland are the same normal human names as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are: male - Yon and female - Gudrun.

5. In Iceland, in everyday life, especially long and complex names are shortened, for example, a young man named Aðalsteinn can be called simply Ali, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppi, Yon - Nonni, and so on.

6. Until recently, it was believed that Icelanders are descendants of Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but a recent genetic examination found that Irish genes prevail in the gene pool of modern Icelanders, who in ancient Iceland existed as slaves. On the other hand, it fits perfectly with the local belief that the Vikings Icelanders stole everyone from England and Ireland. beautiful women for the purpose of love leaks, well, for reproduction.

7. The Icelandic language, due to the long isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very little compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages ​​is extremely small. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to the very language of the northern peoples in which the Vikings spoke in ancient times, and the ancient sagas of Icelanders can even read, as they say, without straining.

8. Icelandic household sagas, unlike other works folk art, represent a dry listing of facts, because of this, it is sometimes difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the feelings of the heroes or experiences, only a meticulous enumeration of events: he went there, won such and such, married such and such, killed such and such, was killed by such and such. At the same time, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event took place, and in what period of time it happened. Earlier, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the lack of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered the Icelandic household sagas - historical documents that do not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are still perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art, and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.

Photo: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik

9. Another reflection of this feature of national thinking is the name geographic sites... In fact, complex and multi-step words are just a definition of the place about which in question... So, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city of Kopavogur stands for “bay of a young seal”, and the difficult to pronounce name of the famous volcano Eyjafjallajökull, as “Island of mountain glaciers”.

10. At the same time, 90 percent of the country's population is fluent in English. No less curious is the following fact - a foreigner in order to find a job in Iceland does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants who have moved to Iceland, even after 10 years of living in the country, do not know Icelandic; English for both life and work is more than enough for them. Another interesting thing, in the event that a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and get it without any problems.

In the photo: the priest of the church Ásatrúarfélagið and his follower

11. Including because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime here. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave babies to sleep in strollers on Reykjavik street, while they themselves go with their friends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often thrown in cars, and Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even sleep in it, not who managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, the police in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland has no armed forces, their functions are performed to some extent by the coast guard.

12. Today in Iceland, the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagi в is very popular, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods. The Ásatrúarfélagið priests are allowed, for example, to perform a wedding ceremony, it is considered an official procedure in the country, while homosexual couples can also be married.
Today, 2,400 people officially rank themselves as followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and now in Iceland a large-scale construction of a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods is underway, this will be the first such structure since the time of the Vikings.

In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live

13. The traditional date of the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, people here still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden inhabitants (elves). Elves are huldufouls, these are creatures living in round stones of a certain type, ordinary mortals cannot see them, except for those cases when the spirits themselves decide to appear to people.
The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or a house, can cause problems, because huldufolk cannot be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations over it.

14. Christmas in Icelandic will be Yule, that is, it is a direct copy of the word "Yule" - an ancient holiday of the winter solstice among the Germanic peoples, so it is not surprising that Santa Claus is an unpopular character here. Here Yule Lad works for him at Christmas, but they don’t give gifts to children, on the contrary, the heroes of folklore are the evil spirits of winter. There are fifteen spirits, and they come from the very Hidden inhabitants of the huldufoulk. The spirits come to the cities strictly according to the schedule, the first to descend from the mountains on December 12 are Gryla and Leppaludi - mom and dad of thirteen Yule Lad. IN this case, dad is a lazy and overweight male spirit, and his wife is an evil old woman, an analogue of the Russian Baba Yaga, by the way, she also has a hobby. Following their parents, one after another, their children come to the cities - the evil spirits of Yule.
Each of the spirits, according to beliefs, is engaged in sabotage to the best of its ability and capabilities: one steals dishes, another blows out candles in houses, a third steals sausages, a fourth licks milk supplies, a fifth tangles sheep's wool, in a word, everything is in business. The evil cat Yolokotturin accompanies the spirits, according to legend, she steals small children and eats them. Yule Lad figurines in Reykjavik can be seen on Christmas eve at every corner, their images are also pasted on Icelandair planes, and projections with them are broadcast on store windows and house facades.

15. It is believed that the national dish of Iceland - haukarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. The Greenland shark has no urinary tract, its meat contains poisonous ammonia, therefore, in order for the meat to become edible, it is left to rot for three months underground or in the basement. Haucarl tastes (and smells) like pure urea, as it usually stinks in some dirty public toilet. So, in fact, modern Icelanders almost never eat haukarl - this is entertainment for tourists, many of the locals have never tried this nasty thing, as they say, the smell alone was enough to fully understand the scale of the disaster.

16. But the fried chicken breast is a dead end, on the contrary, a popular local dish, a kind of delicacy. Puffins are caught in the summer, when they arrive on the island to nest, the meat of the puffin is very tasty, but I really feel sorry for the bird, look how cute they are, they even know how to kiss! In a word, he ate and cried, ate and cried.
Many more are shocked that whales are eaten in Iceland, by the way, they taste like steak. But, according to the Icelandic fishermen, if you do not thin out the whale population, then they multiply very quickly, and then eat all the commercial fish. Iceland regularly violates quotas for slaughtering whales, and animal rights activists, and the whole of Europe, are regularly unhappy with this.

Photo: Icelandic national dish Plokkfiskur

17. In general, if we talk about Icelandic cuisine, then cod, haddock, smoked salmon, lamb in various forms, in particular - lamb fillets, small lobsters (they are slightly larger than large shrimps) and, of course, herring are popular here ... Of course, potatoes are popular from vegetables, by the way, the delicious local dish Plokkfiskur is prepared from the leftovers of haddock and potatoes.
In addition, Icelanders are very fond of sprinkling food with ketchup and mayonnaise, the most popular local drink is Coca-Cola. For sweets, candies and lollipops with licorice are held in high esteem, and in the summer, locals lean on berries, which are fine in Iceland. But there are no McDonald's restaurants in the country, the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.

18. Even in Iceland, they eat horse meat, and this is also a little sad, because local horses are a real miracle of nature. They are short, hardy, and in winter they are covered with thick hair. At the same time, Icelandic horses are not frightened, there are no predators dangerous for them on the island, so horses are not used to fearing for their lives, they easily approach strangers, allow themselves to be stroked and fed.

How the horses originally got to the island is still debated. In ancient times, Icelanders assumed that all local horses are descendants of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin, historians believe that the Vikings brought horses to Iceland in the 9th-10th centuries AD, and geneticists claim that the horses were brought to the island from the shores of Scotland. Even in Iceland, hippotherapy is popular - the treatment of neurological disorders through communication with horses.

19. Iceland is based on thermal springs, therefore renewable energy sources are mainly used here. As a result, thermal water flows from the tap, which, however, smells very strongly of hydrogen sulfide, but you gradually sniff at it, the houses are also generously heated, and since the pipes with hot thermal water in Reykjavik are laid right under the sidewalk, the streets of the Icelandic capital can never ice, so there is no point in sprinkling them with chemistry.

In the photo: Icelandic jeep for driving on winter off-road

20. But do not think that everything is so beautiful. Outside the cities, many roads in Iceland in winter become impassable: there is ice, drift, and snow blockages here. Therefore, the most popular view cars used if you need to travel from Reykjavik to Akureyri in winter - a jeep, and the more the better. On excursions to national parks or to geysers, tourists are carried on such monsters as in the photo below.

21. But what is really great in Iceland is the thermal pools with hot water built outdoors. Of course, everyone has heard about the famous Blue Lagoon, erected near the thermal power plant, but this is more entertainment for tourists. Icelanders themselves most often go to ordinary thermal pools, which are open in an amount of about one in 10 houses. Everything is simple there: you go in, wash, climb into the open thermal pool. When buying a subscription, the cost of a visit is around 2 euros.

Curiously, when visiting the thermal pool, guests must wash their hair, and since most of the pools are located in the open air, the very fact that the locals bathe with their heads wet and do not get sick is admirable. In general, visiting the thermal baths in Iceland is the same kind of evening entertainment as going to a bar; it is here that young people most often invite girls on their first date. It turns out very convenient, and cheaper than going to a bar, and you can immediately see a person in all the details.

22. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below minus 6 degrees, but the piercing and sometimes knocking wind fully compensates for this. But in summer it is never hot in Iceland, the air temperature here rarely rises above 20 degrees, and the same wind, do not forget about the wind.

23. If until recently Turkey was the most popular resort for Russians, the Canary Islands still perform the same function for Icelanders. The reasons for the love of Icelanders to the Canary Islands are prosaic: nature is similar, flying is relatively close, very budgetary by Icelandic standards, but, most importantly, it is warm, and the fact that the water in the ocean is cool does not bother them at all.

Photo: Northern Lights over Reykjavik

24. In winter, Iceland is not just dark, but very dark, December 21 - the shortest day of the year - dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. But in winter, you can regularly observe the Northern Lights here, in Iceland it is usually green, and there is even a website that shows the probability of the appearance of the Northern Lights in a particular region of the country, its address: http://www.vedur.is ...
In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are just about nothing, in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

Photo: Icelandic Parliament building

25. At the heart state structure Iceland is a democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth turning to the history of the country: as the island was settled in the regions of Iceland, tinges were formed - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. Courts were held at the tings, disputes were resolved and collective discussion took place vital important issues concerning the community. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general gathering - althing, in order to regulate relations between the regions. As a rule, success during the althing was achieved by those who had the strong support of wealthy landowners. The first althing took place in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland fell under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was seized by Great Britain, which, in turn, transferred Iceland to the United States. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over England for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge over the years of occupation.
However, the Icelandic Althing was re-assembled in 1845 and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. The entire population of the country took part in the finalization of the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012, the proposals of citizens were accepted through social networks and even through youtube. But, most curious, with all this, the country has had the same president over the past 16 years - Oulavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. For the second term, Grimsson remained due to the absence of candidates for the post of head of state, for the third time he won in the voting, for the fourth term he again went due to the lack of candidates for the presidency, and for the fifth time he won the elections again. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Houdni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.

In the photo: Haftor Bjödsson as Grigor "The Mountain" Kligon

26. In Iceland - socialism, here everyone gets about the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important,” that is, no matter whether you work as a waiter or a scientist, you are equally worthy of respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Haftor Bjödsson - the strongest man on the planet and the performer of the role of Grigor "Mountain" Kligon in "Game of Thrones", like many Icelanders , for a long time not only engaged in bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.

In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.

27. And the local population is very fond of reading, today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

28. In Iceland, there is absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriage has been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, try to maintain friendly relations when parting, because the country is small and it will still not work to completely stop communication. Icelanders marry easily and divorce easily, in case of divorce, children usually live 50-50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists, they do not allow themselves to pay for themselves in restaurants, they themselves pull bags without any difficulties, make repairs, nail nails, and so on. True, the pluses of tolerance give rise to minuses, in Iceland with personal space it is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.

29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Austrian economy, which is based on self-reliance and building a system of closed reproduction of a community with minimal dependence on exchange with external environment... No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more than local ones, and the choice is not great. With wine, in general, it's funny, it is expensive regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and frank chatter will cost about the same. The clothes are also mainly of local production. And the main national thing in the wardrobe of any Icelander is lopapeysa - a knitted jacket made of sheep wool with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, Lapeys is quite expensive, but the thing is worn for years.

30. Iceland, according to statistics, is one of the most active countries in
in social networks. Almost all of its inhabitants have accounts on facebook, however, in addition to facebook, there is also a local social network www.ja.is, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also their phone number, address and place on the map where their houses are located. So if you want to meet one of the Icelandic national football team players and he still lives in the country, look for him on www.ja.is, he will definitely be there.

In 2000, Reykjavik (translated as "Smoky Bay") was declared the cultural capital of the world. The central part of the city - Old Reykjavik - is a huge space with a large number of lakes and lawns, which are replaced by old traditional buildings. Stables and sheepfolds are still found in this place today. Of course, they no longer contain livestock. Most of them have turned into cafes and shops. The most notable old buildings in Reykjavik are the 18th century government building and the House of Parliament, built in 1881. For museums in Reykjavik, the National Museum, the National Gallery of Iceland and the Reykjavik City Art Museum are worth visiting. In Reykjavik, a luxurious botanical garden is open to visitors.

Iceland has a large number of waterfalls. The most famous of them are Gullfoss, or the Golden Falls, Goudafoss, or the Fall of the Gods, Skougarfoss and Dechtifoss, or the Falling Falls.

The northern capital of Iceland is the city of Akureyri, which is located on the banks of the Eyja Fjord. Nearby is Lake Mivati, or Komarino Lake, which never freezes.

Iceland is one of the centers of extreme tourism and sport fishing. Here you can go rock climbing or go hiking. Such popular entertainment as safari is widespread here. You can go on horseback riding, salmon and trout fishing in streams and lakes. Diving enthusiasts can dive into the depths of mineral waters.

All sights of Iceland

Culture

Despite the fact that the culture of Iceland developed in such a harsh, inaccessible area, it retained all the cheerfulness and independence inherent in it by the descendants of farmers and warriors who fled here from the tyranny of medieval Scandinavia. The development of this new and desolate country began with the construction of strong settlements and farms, and the sources of its rich literary heritage are observed in sagas - these are descriptions of battles, battles, conquests, heroic deeds and religious events based on real events. These sagas are considered the finest examples of Western medieval culture. Iceland also gave the world such wonderful representatives modern literature as Haldor Laxness, Iceland's most famous writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. Traditional Icelandic music is popular all over the world (usually shepherd's songs and hysterical tunes); in particular, the ex-soloist of the group "Sugarcubes" Bjork has achieved a dizzying success.

Although Christianity is recognized as the main religion of Iceland, the ancient Norse religion known as Asatru is gaining popularity, not as a new trend, but as an officially recognized sect. The rebirth of Asatru took place in the 70s of our century among sheep breeders; this religion is based on harmony with nature and on the power of natural forces, represented in the form of ancient deities.

Icelandic cuisine

Icelandic cuisine is special, based on fish and lamb. Local delicacies are called «orramatur. A lot of vegetables are grown in geothermal greenhouses. The most neutral dish is gravlax - graflax (marinated salmon with dill). One of the main national dishes is haukarl - hákarl (rotten shark meat). The caught shark is buried in the sand for six months to achieve a certain degree of decomposition. Then they dig it up and hang it on ropes in special places for a while, and then serve it with local vodka. Further no comment. Another national dish is hrútspungur. This is a special way of marinated testicles of a young lamb, pressed practically into cookies. Or "shvid - svið" - a boiled sheep's head with eyes, sawn in half. Less exotic dishes are hardfishkur - harðfiskur (dried haddock, cod or ocean catfish), blikya (charred meat), hangikjöt (smoked lamb), skir - skyr (Icelandic yogurt) and whale meat. The finest bread is called "laufabrauð". Only in Iceland, "volcanic" bread is baked. For example, in the area of ​​Lake Myvatn. The dough is placed in a metal container and left in the ground for a day, after which the finished loaf is taken out.

They drink mainly coffee in Iceland. In coffee shops, they pay only for the first cup, and everyone else gets it for free. Beer, wine and other spirits are expensive (a large beer is about $ 8, a small one is about $ 5). Until 1989, beer was generally banned in Iceland for 75 years. Icelandic vodka - "brennivinn" - a potato drink flavored with caraway seeds. The country has big choice European spirits and wines. Recommended restaurants that combine traditional Icelandic cuisine with a European menu are Apótekið, La Primavera, Siggi Hall at Odinsveum, Tapas Barinn, Argentina Steakhouse. Vegetarian dishes are prepared at Au Naistum Grösum - Á næstu grösum. The average cost of lunch in a restaurant is $ 20-50 per person. Giving is not accepted.

History

In Iceland, coins of the Roman Empire dating from the 3rd century have been discovered. It is not known whether the Vikings brought them with them, or the islands were still visited long before the 9th century.

Iceland was settled in the 10th century AD. NS. as a result of the unification of Norway under the rule of King Harald I. Many families that came into conflict with Harald were forced to flee in search of a new place to live. Those who reached Iceland at first freely occupied the land on the coast - the sea was a source of not only food, but also a tree (fin), since there were practically no forests in Iceland. The first settler is considered the noble Norwegian Ingolf Arnason, who settled in the area of ​​modern Reykjavik in 874.

With the settlement in Iceland, a state system was formed. In each region there was a ting (meeting, an analogue of the Old Russian veche), at which the court was conducted and disputes were resolved; to solve the most important issues, representatives of the regions gathered at the beginning of the summer for an althing under the control of a lawmaker.

For the first time, the Althingi was convened in 930, and it is from this date that the era of popular rule is counted. It is believed that Icelandic democracy is the oldest surviving in the world. However, usually the one who was right from the point of view of laws won the dispute on the tinga (Old Icelandic law, like any ancient Germanic, was customary and precedent, akin to modern Anglo-Saxon), but the one who managed to enlist the support of a larger number of wealthy landowners. This was facilitated by the fact that the laws were extremely convoluted, with many exceptions and special cases, and knowledge of the laws was a great art.

Iceland's history is well known for the large number of sagas that have come down to us. A common Icelandic saga is a description of the life of one person (or an entire family) over the years, with detailed description major events... The population of Iceland was small, and therefore its history is a history of smaller or larger private affairs and conflicts.

The ancient Icelanders were skilled sailors and Vikings. Eirik the Red reached the shores of America in 1000 and settled in the "Grape Country" - Vinland (it is believed that this was Newfoundland or even New England). The literacy rate among Icelanders was very high, and Scandinavian mythology has survived to this day mainly thanks to the texts of the Elder (poetic) and Younger (prosaic) Edda found in Iceland.

In 1262, Iceland was forced to sign the so-called "Old Treaty" with Norway, according to which it recognized the supreme power of the Norwegian kings, who, in turn, pledged to send several ships with timber, grain and other goods to the Icelanders annually. In 1395, Iceland, together with Norway (which still owned Greenland and the Faroe Islands), through the Kalmar Union, came under the rule of Denmark.

After the dissolution of the Danish-Norwegian union in 1814, Iceland (along with other island possessions of Norway) was "forgotten" to be transferred to Sweden together with Norway, and it remains part of Denmark.

In 1830, Icelandic nationalism was born among Icelandic students in Copenhagen. Leader national movement became the philologist Jon Sigurdson.

In 1845, the parliament was re-established as a legislative body. He received the Old Icelandic name "althing".

In 1851, the convened constituent assembly was dissolved by the authorities for too radical demands, but already in 1854 the Danish trade monopoly in Iceland was completely abolished. In 1855, a law on freedom of the press was introduced.

In 1874, as the millennium of the settlement of Iceland was celebrated, the Danish king Christian IX visited the island for the first time in history and announced further reforms. He granted Iceland its own constitution, according to which the althing, which had previously had deliberative functions, received the rights of the local legislature. The country's taxpayers elected 30 deputies to its composition. The king also appointed 6 more deputies. Executive power remained in the hands of a governor appointed by the Danish government, who was subordinate to the Danish Ministry of Justice. Iceland also received a cabinet minister, who, however, was Danish, lived permanently in Copenhagen and was responsible only to the Danish parliament, not to the Althingi.

In the last decades of the XIX century. the first signs of the process of modernization in the economy began to appear and social structure... Patriarchal forms of management gave way to market relations: large cattle-breeding farms and fishing enterprises arose. Since 1882 cooperation, marketing and trade, began to spread.

In 1885 the Bank of Iceland was established.

As a result of more than a hundred years of peaceful struggle for independence, on December 1, 1918, Iceland was declared an independent kingdom in personal union with Denmark.

During World War II, the German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940 severed ties between Denmark and Iceland. A month later, British naval forces sailed into Reykjavik harbor, breaking Icelandic neutrality. The allied occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war. In 1941, responsibility for the occupation was assumed by the US Army. On June 17, 1944, it gains full independence and becomes a republic. Since then June 17 (Republic Day) has been a public holiday in Iceland.

Iceland joined NATO on March 30, 1949. The post-war period was accompanied by significant economic growth, which was fueled by the Marshall Plan, the industrialization of the fishing industry, and Keynesian government management of the economy.

In the 1970s, the so-called "cod war" took place - a diplomatic dispute with Great Britain over Iceland's expansion of its fishing grounds.

The last major development in Iceland's economy is the country's accession to the European Economic Area in 1994.

In 2007 the UN recognized Iceland the best country for life in the world.

Economy

Previously, Iceland was practically a country of monocultural economy - the main source of income was fishing and fish processing (32% of the industry in 2001). However, in last years there is an intensive diversification of industry based on cheap renewable energy (mainly geothermal sources and hydropower). The Icelandic government has announced a massive program to build aluminum smelters. Biotechnology, tourism, banking are also actively developing, Information Technology... In terms of employment structure, Iceland looks like an industrialized country: in agriculture 7.8%, in industry 22.6%, and in services 69.6%.

The 2008 global financial crisis affected Iceland as well. The Icelandic krona fell by 60%, and the stock market dropped dramatically. Serious problems began in the country's banking system. The country actually found itself on the brink of bankruptcy. In 2009, the country's real GDP decreased by 6.8%, which was due to a drop in the total investments in such sectors of the economy as construction and services by 50%. The crisis also seriously affected the situation on the labor market, as the unemployment rate reached a record 9.4%.

Residence

It is safest to book your accommodation before arriving in Iceland, but if this option is not possible, you will have to act on the spot. For the first few days, you can always find a hostel, tourist base or hotel. The most affordable prices are at the Salvation Army House in Reykjavik and at the Tourist Base, which is also located in the capital. The minimum cost of a room for one night is 33 €.

Since the real estate market in Iceland is vast and the purchase of apartments and houses accounts for 75-85% of the housing stock, the rental market is quite narrow. Renting in Reykjavik will cost you the most.

When renting a home, a payment is made one month in advance and a security deposit. It is best to ask the landlord to provide you with a written rental agreement.

Anyone over 18 years of age who rents housing under a contract for more than six months can receive monetary compensation. You can write such a statement at the social services bureau.

The average monthly rent for a room with kitchen and bathroom is ISK 40,000 per month. For a modest apartment you will have to pay 70,000-80,000 kroons per month. In suburban areas, the average cost per square meter is 1200 kroons, in the capital - 1500.

Entertainment and recreation

The most important holiday for Icelanders is Independence Day. This holiday takes place on June 17th. At this time, bright theatrical performances in the open air and costume parades are organized throughout the country.

In the first week of June, you can attend the Syomannadagurini holiday, dedicated to sailors. On this day, tug-of-war, water rescue and swimming tournaments are held. June 24 is the day of the summer solstice, Midsummer. On the third Thursday of April, Sumardagurini Fursti takes place - a carnival holiday, which is dedicated to the first day of summer. In August, you can attend another local festival called Pyodhatio Vestmannaeyar. On this day, Icelanders sing songs, make big fires, hold festivities and dances. In some parts of Iceland there is the Verslunarmannahelgi festival. It is held in August. On this day, it is customary to go camping with an overnight stay with your family, barbecue.

There are many excursions in Iceland. The most entertaining of them take place in the following places:

• East Iceland
• East fjords
• Westman Islands
• Valley of Geysers
• Thingvellir National Park
• Caldidalur
• Glaciers
• Snayfell
• Lake Myuwati
• North Iceland
• fjords of West Iceland
• Central Iceland.

Iceland is a great place to organize hiking, often extreme, hikes. The most noteworthy hiking trails are in Latrabjarg, Landmanialaugar and Horistrandir. Well-equipped ski resorts can be found in Akureiri, Reykjavik, Hitarfjalla and Blafjolla. On Mount Langyokull you can go sledding, in the Hallmundarhraun caves you can try yourself in sports speleology, plunge into geothermal springs and ride horses. Iceland also hosts the Arctic Open golf tournament (in the city of Akureiri). The competition takes place on one of the nights of the polar summer, which is why it is called the "tournament of the midnight sun".

Purchases

Icelandic shops are usually open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 14:00 (rarely until 16:00) on Saturdays. Sometimes large shopping malls are open until 22:00 on Friday. All shops are closed on weekends during summer.

Most of Iceland's goods are imported, which is why prices for food, real estate and transport services are very high. Iceland has the second highest cost of living after Japan. If you want not to deny yourself anything, you will have to spend at least $ 500 per day.

Transport

Iceland's largest airline, Air Iceland, is the only airline to provide safe domestic passenger services during the winter. The Icelandic road network is one of the most undeveloped in the European region; there are no railways at all.

At the same time, the bus transport company "Bifrightastod Islands" does an excellent job of transporting passengers in very harsh conditions. The largest Icelandic ports are connected by ferries.

There are several government-owned firms in Iceland that provide taxi services 24 hours a day. A fee of about 100 CZK is charged for 1 kilometer, on holidays and at night the price rises by 10-15%. Taxis can be found at special parking lots, stopped on the street or called for free by phone.

Connection

There are not many places in Iceland where you can find Wi-fi. But everywhere you can use the services of an Internet cafe.

The cellular standards in Iceland are GSM 900/1800.

Telephone communication is very well developed in Iceland. Telephone booths are located at every corner. You can call them using coins in denominations of 10, 50 and 100 kroons, or use a telephone card worth 500 kroons. Calling cards can be bought at a telephone exchange or post office. The cost of a call, both local and international, depends on the day of the week and time of day. You pay the regular price on weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00. On weekends and weekdays from 19:00 to 8:00 you will be given a 25% discount.

Safety

If you are walking in mountainous areas, be very careful and attentive, as volcanic activity is possible in these areas. You risk falling into a mud pit or "run into" a geyser eruption. When walking, it is best not to deviate from the hiking trail.

With regard to the crime rate, in this sense, Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. Exception in recent times became Reykjavik: cases of petty theft have become more frequent here, and information about more serious violations appears in the news every now and then. Going to a nightclub, be prepared to witness a fight. Don't interfere - just call the police.

Business

If you come temporarily or permanently to work in Iceland, you need to register with the National Register. You will be assigned an identification number, and the State Revenue Department will give you a tax card. You must also have a work permit. You can consult the Employment Committee or the Immigration Office about its provision.

In Iceland, you can open a company of any form of ownership. If you are a self-employed entrepreneur in Iceland, you will need to pay 38.58% of your profits to the treasury every month. The partnership is taxed at a rate of 26% of the profits. Companies and their affiliates pay 18% of their profits to the Icelandic treasury. The most common choice when starting a company is the form of a closed limited liability company. This is due to the low tax rate and the ease of maintaining the company. The tax rate for such firms is 5%.

Real estate

The real estate market in Iceland is very wide. You can buy an apartment in Iceland only if you have a residence permit. If you want to buy an apartment, you need to consult the State Finance Fund on housing issues or a local bank.

Reykjavik is one of the five cities in the world with the most expensive real estate. In the last decade, house prices in Iceland have been rising.

Iceland has enough real estate to buy and sell. Every year the country is visited by a huge number of tourists, which stimulates the expansion of the real estate market. It is important that the influx of tourists to Iceland occurs throughout the year, which is also a prerequisite for the development of the housing market.

In Iceland, driving on the right. In winter, road traffic is hampered by snow drifts and strong winds. Penalties for drunk driving and other traffic violations are very high. But you will never have problems with parking in Reykjavik: there are several multi-storey car parks and a large number of ground ones. Parking is charged on an hourly basis. You will pay 80–150 kroons in a regular parking lot, and 50–100 kroons in a parking lot. You need to pay for parking at the machines at the entrance to the parking lot or at the parking attendant.

Iceland is allowed to import no more than three kilograms of food. At the same time, it is forbidden to carry meat, dairy products, raw eggs. If you are over 20 years old, you can take with you up to 1 liter of spirits, 6 liters of beer and 1 liter of wine. Upon reaching the age of 18, passengers can also take with them up to 200 cigarettes and 250 grams of tobacco.

Icelanders do not have surnames in the traditional sense. The inhabitants of Iceland have only a name and patronymic, to which endings are added: "-son" is worn by men, "-dottir" - by women, so you can often meet people with the same "surnames". For example, if the father's name is Ragnar and the son is Bjorn, then his full name will be Bjorn Ragnarson. Sometimes, for greater euphony, a matronym is used instead of a patronym - a form derived from the mother's name. Icelanders address each other only by name.

Alcohol can only be bought in state-owned specialty stores. Alcohol is 5-7 times more expensive here than in duty-free at airports.

There are camping areas near the most popular natural monuments. You will have to pay 2-3 dollars for an overnight stay in such an area. In other places, camping is allowed only with the permission of the local authorities.

Tipping in Iceland is only given to doormen in hotels and restaurants. In other situations, the tip is already included in the bill.

Visa information

Getting a visa to Iceland is not as difficult as it might seem. To do this, you will need to collect a standard package of documents, including: a valid passport, tickets to the country and back, copies of the necessary passport pages, confirmation of hotel booking.

The visa is issued within 8 working days. The consular fee is about 35 €.

The Icelandic Embassy is located at 121069, Moscow, Khlebny lane, 28.

You can get detailed advice by calling the appropriate phone number (+7 495) 956-7604. The embassy is open all working week from 09:00 to 17:00.

Isolated Iceland, being an economically developed region, stands up for the preservation of its foundations and identity. Residents of the state do not want to join the EU. Having small stocks natural resources, they managed to create a strong economy and rationally use the difficult tectonic features of the area.

Geographic characteristics

Iceland belongs to European countries and is an island state. It is located in the north of the Atlantic Ocean and consists of a large island of the same name and numerous small islands. The capital of the state is Reykjavik. The total area of ​​Iceland is 103,000 square kilometers. The population is 332,500 people. Local residents actively migrate within the country and move from small settlements to the cities. Because of this, villages are gradually becoming empty.

Nature

Volcanoes and geysers

Iceland is an island of volcanoes. There are about 200 of them, with about 30 active. Features of the relief and tectonic structure of the earth are the reason for the presence of numerous hot springs and geysers in the country. A large number of them are concentrated within national parks Iceland.

The presence of such unique resources allowed the population of the country to organize heating of premises with hot water from natural sources.

A large number of geysers and naturally formed warm open-air baths led to the presence of a specific smell of sulfur, which is felt almost everywhere ...

Rivers and lakes

There are a large number of rivers in Iceland. Due to the limited area of ​​the island, their length is small. The relief of the country determined the presence of many rapids in the channels. The flow in them is rapid and the rafting of even a small cargo along the rivers on boats is considered dangerous and impossible.

The rivers are mainly fed by glaciers. Spills and floods occur during the summer when the frozen water column thaws.

There are about 2,770 lakes in the country. They are quite large. In addition to natural reservoirs, there are temporary and artificial ones. Their filling also depends on the melting of glaciers ...

Seas washing Iceland

The relatively small island of Iceland is washed by the waters of two oceans and two seas at once: the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Greenland and Norwegian seas. The Danish Strait separates Iceland from Greenland, 280 km wide. The coastline of Iceland, like that of many northern countries, is indented by fjords.

The waters off most of the shores are ice-free all year round. The only exceptions are the northern and eastern coastal zones where the drifting arctic ice brings the current ...

Plants and Animals

The isolated location and proximity of the Arctic influenced the vegetation and animal world Iceland. There are few plant species here. These are short grasses, flowers, mushrooms, lichens and algae. Forests, which were mentioned in the IV century, have not survived to our time. The modern natural area of ​​Iceland is more like a tundra. There are artificial forest plantations, but they do not grow quickly.

Among the animals, only birds can be noted, for example, the Atlantic puffin. Reptiles and amphibians are not found on the island. Among warm-blooded animals you can find sheep and cattle ...

Iceland climate

Despite its northern location, Iceland has a relatively mild climate. The island is influenced by the warm North Atlantic Current and the cold Greenland Current. The warmest month of the year is August. The air temperature during this period warms up to 20 degrees Celsius. Winter is quite mild and keeps within 2 degrees with a minus sign.

Despite the northern location, there is no polar night in the country. You can observe such a phenomenon as white nights. There is a lot of precipitation in Iceland, but they are unevenly distributed over the territory. Snow and rain are typical for the southern coast and the mountain slopes located here ...

Resources

Natural resources

Isolated for a long time from other countries and peoples, the inhabitants of Iceland were exclusively engaged in the extraction and processing of fish. The waters rich in this resource make it possible to further develop this industry.

Mineral reserves in island Iceland are small. These are brown coal, spar and pumice. Natural resources include seafood. A large number of geothermal springs, in addition to the development of the tourism sector, makes it possible to actively engage in greenhouse farms. In limited conditions, whaling is carried out ...

Industry and agriculture

Iceland belongs to the economically developed countries. In 2007, she was recognized as the best for life among all countries in the world. The main occupation of the local population is the service sector, in particular: tourism, information technology and the financial sector.

The country's industry is represented by aluminum smelters, which began to be erected not so long ago, in accordance with the new course of the government.

Also, various biotechnologies are actively developing, geothermal sources are rationally used. There are hydroelectric power plants to provide electricity to settlements.

Today developed in the country Agriculture... Land resources allow growing fodder plants and actively raising cows and sheep, which are a source of dairy products, meat and wool ...

Culture

Icelandic people

Most of the Icelandic population is Lutheran. Official language communication is Icelandic. The rich cultural heritage is a reason for the pride of the local population. The folded old legends clearly reflect the history of the people and their basic foundations.

Outwardly, Icelanders give the impression of being very reserved people. In practice, they are zealous and attentive to almost every guest. The government's program is aimed at cultivating among the citizens of the state tolerance and tolerance for someone else's faith ...

The island state of Iceland, despite its belonging to European countries, is protesting by the majority of the population against joining the EU. The inhabitants of the country are worried about the preservation of their own foundations and habitual crafts.