Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about Iceland?
If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…
It’s time to chat about Iceland facts.
Let’s dive right in…
Facts About Iceland
1 – The population of Iceland is 356,000 people.
2 – Iceland was originally settled by Norwegian and Celtic people.
3 – The country is home to more than 120,000 glaciers.
4 – Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland has 232,280 inhabitants and is one of the cleanest cities in Europe with a population over 200,000 residents.
5 – There are 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Iceland.
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6 – The currency used in Iceland is Krona (ISK).
7 – The country’s name comes from an Old Norse word meaning ‘snow-covered land’.
8 – Around 75% of all Icelandic energy is generated by geothermal power plants.
9 – The first written mention of Iceland was by Irish monk Dicuil in 825 AD.
10 – In 1915, women were given voting rights by law for the first time in any European democracy – this was an important step towards equality between men and women. The vote however was only granted to women over 40 and did not apply to servants.
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11 – A popular drink is Brennivin which translates to “burning wine” – it’s made from distilled potato spirit mixed with caraway seeds and cumin seed oil. This is considered to be Iceland’s signature distilled beverage.
12 – Icelandic cuisine includes lamb meatballs served with sour cream sauce and boiled potatoes or fried fish fillets with tartar sauce.
13 – In 1944 Iceland declared independence from Denmark and became an independent republic.
14 – Icelandic horses can be found all over the island and are one of the most popular animals on the island.
15 – Almost 25% of all Icelandic girls have a name that starts with “Elsa” or “Anna.”
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16 – In 1054, an eruption from a volcano caused what was then called Eiríksstaðir to be abandoned for three centuries.
17 – The national animal of Iceland is a gyrfalcon and the national flower is a Mountain avens.
18 – Iceland was the last place on earth to be settled by humans.
19 – Even when the temperature is freezing, you can swim outdoors all year round in the hot springs.
20 – In 2010, a volcano named Eyjafjallajökull erupted and caused an ash cloud over Europe making air travel difficult for many people.
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21 – Reykjavik was ranked as one of the world’s cleanest cities for 2017 by Forbes Magazine.
22 – Iceland has a murder rate of less than one per year (as documented for the last few decades).
23 – It is one of the most literate countries in the world.
24 – It was ranked first on a list of countries with low rates of corruption by Transparency International.
25 – The Icelandic National Day is June 17th (or Þjóðhátíðardagurinn) and celebrates independence from Denmark in 1944.
Bonus Facts
Icelandic people are also known for their generosity – they rank first on the list of countries with the most donors to UNICEF per capita.
Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city, was founded by Viking settlers from Norway who discovered it while exploring the island during summertime around 870 AD and decided that they wanted their settlement there after seeing steam rising from what we now know as geothermal pools near the shoreline.
