Iceland is usually associated with elves, trolls and Vikings. But this is not a complete list of the wonders that this country conceals. In this article we have collected for you 8 fascinating and interesting facts about the distant and mysterious island state.
1. Volcanic energy
Icelandic residents actively use renewable natural resources. Volcanoes and geothermal waters determined the energy development of the country, making the economy independent of the oil and gas we are used to. For the same reason, Iceland does not need artificial heating. Geothermal energy provides heat for most Icelandic homes. Hot water from the springs is used not only for heating, but also makes it possible to operate 150 public city swimming pools. Entrance to the pools costs about 25 euros, a robe can be rented for 9 euros, and a towel for 5 euros.
2. National cuisine
The culinary traditions of Iceland are amazing. For example, a traditional Icelandic dish called “Haukal” is rotten shark meat, cut into pieces. If you decide to try it, such a rotten delicacy may taste like urea.
This can be explained by the fact that the meat of the Greenland shark, which does not have a urinary tract, is used to prepare the dish. This meat contains poisonous ammonia. Before being eaten, the shark is sent underground or in basements for three to four months so that it is thoroughly rotten.
3. Safety
The people of Iceland are absolutely not concerned about the issue of national security. The country has no army, air force or navy. Even the police in Iceland do not carry weapons. Of all the law enforcement agencies, the most influential — Coast security. And in case any Icelandic man wants to serve, he can serve in the Norwegian army under an agreement concluded between the countries. Convenient, really?
4. Trust
Iceland has an unprecedentedly high level of public trust in each other. This is directly expressed in everyday life. Traveling around the country, you can see points of exchange of farm products for money. They are trays with eco-products, in which anyone can independently exchange products for the appropriate amount of money. There are no sellers, surveillance cameras or control systems. Everything is based on honesty. You simply take the groceries and in return put money in a special box. That’s all trade!
5. Tolerance
Iceland is famous for its tolerant attitude towards a wide variety of minorities. Six years ago, a law legalizing same-sex marriage was passed here. Among the first lucky ones to formalize their union was the country’s prime minister and her girlfriend. This case not only shocked the whole world, but became the first in history when the head of government entered into a same-sex marriage.
6. Whale Capital
One of the amazing places in Iceland is Husavik. This is a small fishing town – a port, which is located south of the Arctic Circle. Due to this, in the summer it is light there almost 24 hours a day. This place became truly famous thanks to whales; Husavik is called the “whale capital”.
The city has a whale museum, and from the port you can go on a tour to watch whales in the wild. Thanks to modern equipment, the organizers of such tours promise a 98% chance of tourists meeting these huge marine inhabitants.
7. Kingdom of Ice
More than 10% of the country’s territory is glaciers. The age of the ice is several hundred thousand years. The largest glacier in Iceland has an interesting name – Vatnajokull. It is a skeleton with a four-hundred-meter layer of ice, inside of which, like many other glaciers in Iceland, active volcanoes are hidden. The glacier is the largest in Europe by volume. Vatnajökull feeds unique glacial lakes, and sometimes icebergs break off and float off into the open.
8. Unique nature
Iceland is the largest island in the world of volcanic origin. On the territory of the country there are real natural monuments: huge waterfalls, geysers, ice blocks that go 30 meters under water. Iceland is an incredibly interesting place. An island where thousand-year-old ice coexists with the heat of volcanoes.
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