Facts About Iceland

East Iceland - Hallormsstadur

You can't visit East Iceland without enjoying the largest wooded area in Iceland, Hallormsstaður which incidentally is also the birthplace of my father! A hot spot in East Iceland of much beauty which bears witness to the remarkable reforestation that has taken place in Iceland from 1899.

The Icelandic Horse - a Unique Breed

The Icelandic horse - Icelandic pony

This small and quite wonderful pony was brought to Iceland with the Vikings over a thousand years ago. The breed remains pure because of the country's isolation.

The Icelandic horse has an amazing variety of colors and is known for its five gaits, the most popular being the "tölt". 

Iceland Northern Lights

Don't miss the northern lights in Iceland if you are travelling during the winter time.

On a clear dark night, preferably near midnight, go away from the lights of the city or the towns. Look towards the sky and chances are you will see a spectacular show of the Northern Lights or aurora borealis.

This phenomenon is one of the finest sights in nature. Iceland is among the places where the lights are most frequently seen and many visitors come to Iceland mainly to see this spectacular phenomena.There are even special evening tours available for those interested in the northern lights in Iceland!

Where are the trees?

Why aren't there any trees in Iceland? Well, this might be going too far. The fact is we do have trees, only not that many.

When the early settlers came more than thousand years ago, the country was covered with trees from montain to shore. Over the centuries the trees disappeared, were used for timber and firewood. Also, sheep, hard winters and volcanic ash prevented new trees from taking root.

Today, Iceland plants more trees per head of population than any other nation in the world, certainly a fact about Iceland we are very proud of.

National flower of Iceland

In 2004 the Mountain Avens (Dryas Octopetala) was chosen as the Iceland's National Flower after a nationwide public opinion poll. This simple but beautiful flower grows in dry places where snow melts early and also on gravel and rocky barrens.

Alþingi - Althing

The Icelandic parliament Alþingi (Althing) is the world's oldest national assembly, still existing today. It was established in 930, in Þingvellir, thereby marking the beginning of an independent nation.

This is undeniably one of the most important facts about Iceland that our children learn in school.

Daylight in Iceland

Surely the Icelandic winters can be dark and cold but the summers make up for it. Imagine... Reykjavík has more average daylight than Miami in Florida! An average of 14.9 hours.

In June you can expect sunrise at roughly 3.16 am and sunset at 11.38 pm. In fact, if you are sensitive to light while you sleep you’d better bring something to cover your eyes during the night.

Icelandic names and traditions, -dottir or -son?

Icelanders still follow a very ancient tradition when naming their children. Icelanders also communicate using first names, never surnames. Some visitors find this amazing fact about Icelandic names very confusing!

My name own name is Margret Gunnarsdottir - I am the daugher (dottir) of Gunnar. Incidentally, I could choose the surname Sigrunardottir (daughter of Sigrun, my mother), but that is not common practice. Complicated? :-)

Icelandic - The Language of the Vikings

You might find it strange that we still speak Icelandic, the ancient language of the Vikings... although our language today has undergone some changes of course. A Viking from the past would definitely find our pronunciation and vocabulary today very funny, but he WOULD be able to understand us. (Although I sincerely doubt he would understand some of the English slang that has found its way into the language...)

Look to the Icelandic language if you want to get an idea of how the the Vikings spoke all those centuries ago. The language has not changed that much in 1100 years, or since Iceland was first settled in the 9th century.

Iceland Currency

No Euro, no dollar, no pound. The Icelandic currency is the Icelandic króna, an important fact to know. Feel free to use my currency converter.

However you can also change all the major currencies at Keflavík airport, in any bank and currency exchanges. You will also find it easy to use Visa and MasterCard, they are accepted almost everywhere. ATMs are always nearby except in the uninhabitable interior!

Take a look at the Icelandic currency!