15 Amazing Facts About Iceland

Located in the North Atlantic, Iceland is a Nordic island country with a population of 348,580 people and an area of 103,000 square kilometers. Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland. It contains about 60% of Iceland's population. Iceland is geologically and volcanically active. The form of government in Iceland is a unitary parliamentary republic. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson is the president of Iceland, and Katrín Jakobsdóttir is the prime minister. The currency used in Iceland is Icelandic króna (ISK). The following facts are worth noting about Iceland:

1. The first openly lesbian head of government in the world was Jóhanna Sigurŏardóttir - an Icelander - who was also Iceland's first female prime minister.

2. Iceland is the most environmentally-friendly country in the world in 2018. It boasts of an Environmental Performance index of 93.5. 85% of the energy used in Iceland comes from renewable energies.

3. In Iceland, family names are not used as surnames. Icelanders carry patronymic surnames, based on the first name of their father (e.g Annie Thorisdôttir meaning Annie, Thoris' daughter). Dôttir is the suffix added for girls and "are" is that which is added for boys.

Iceland's Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir - first woman to win the CrossFit Games twice

4. Raw puffin heart is an Icelandic delicacy.

Fermented shark (Hákarl) is probably the most famous of Iceland's delicacies. Greenlandic shark meat is poisonous when fresh due to its high uric content. The raw shark is put in a hole, covered with sand, gravel an rock (which presses the acid out) and is left to rot for several weeks (6 to 12 weeks).Once the fermentation time elapses, the shark is taken out of the ground, cut into long pieces and hung up to dry for several months. The meat is ready once a characteristic brown crust forms. The meat is then taken down, the crust removed and the meat cut into slices and readily consumed. 

The dish has a putrid smell that is reminiscent of rotten cheese mixed with ammonia. Locals usually gulp the fermented shark down with shots of Brennivín - local Icelandic liquor made from fermented potatoes and caraway. Brennivín is translated as "burning wine".

5. Iceland is the most sparsely populated nation in Europe, with a population density of 8.3 people per square mile and less than three people per square kilometer.

6. Icelanders are great movie lovers. Per capita, Icelanders watch more movies at the cinema than any other country.

7. Svið (singed sheep's head) is a popular traditional Icelandic dish. The dish consists of a sheep's head cut in half, singed (to remove the fur), the brain removed and the head boiled.

Slátur (sheep intestines, blood and fat) is usually served with Svið as an added treat.

 

8. Vigdis Finbogadóttir, an Icelander, was the world's first democratically elected female president. She was elected president in 1980.

9. Mosquitoes are not found in Iceland.

 

10. The Arctic fox is the only mammal native to Iceland. Icelandic sheep, cattle, hens, goats and horses among others were all brought over by settlers.

11. It is illegal to own a lizard, turtle or snake as a pet, in Iceland.

12. Iceland does not have a permanent army. The Coast Guard patrol their waters and perform air defense functions. Also, their police do not carry firearms.

13. In geological terms, Iceland is the "youngest" land to be populated by the world.

14. Iceland is the second highest producer of books per capita in the world. 2,628 titles were published per million in Iceland in 2015.

15. The word "geyser" comes from the Great Geysir, which is the first geyser known by modern Europeans. In Icelandic, "geysa" means "erupt" or "sprout".