Facts and Figures
Facts and Figures
About Iceland
Iceland is the best in the world!
Per capita…
Icelanders suffer from a small nation complex and love the phrase “per capita”. Try and tell an Icelandic person Iceland isn’t the best in the world, and they will refute it, citing several articles to the contrary. Per capita, that is. Examples of such statements could be that Icelanders have the most beautiful women in the world, per capita (Miss World 3 times). That Icelanders have the best handball team in the world, per capita. That Icelanders produce most music and bands in the world, per capita. Icelanders have the strongest men, per capita. Icelanders have the happiest people, the safest country, and the prettiest landscapes (that last one isn’t per capita though, nor measurable). The list goes on for some time, and Icelanders even have a common phrase: “Ísland, best í heimi!” (Iceland, best in the world!). It’s mostly a joke, and the stats are only occasionally exaggerated. But even the real statistics are quite impressive. Here are some 50+ odd stats and facts about Iceland.
Where we are number #1
We are Weird!
A. When Iceland re-wrote its constitution in 2011, the public made suggestions and alterations via Facebook.
Á. Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989.
B. Iceland‘s SWAT unit is officially named and called, Víkingasveitin (The Viking Squad).
D. There is no railway system in Iceland. At all.
Ð. Icelanders leave their babies outside to nap. Even during winter.
E. 64% of Icelanders live in Reykjavík.
É. There aren‘t any McDonald’s restaurants anywhere in Iceland.
F. Raw puffin heart is considered a delicacy.
G. Icelanders sometimes speak while breathing in. Try it.
H. Iceland is one of the largest whale-watching destinations in Europe, with an estimate of 300.000 to 400.00 tourists going whale watching in Iceland every year! Whale hunting has been slowed down due to covid restrictions, low demand & profitability, with only 1 whale killed in three years. In 2024 a ban on whale hunting is expected.
I. Icelanders all strip down naked together in the showers and wash before going in the public pools.
Í. Icelanders make traditional bread by burying a baking pot in the ground near a hot spring.
J. In the middle of the summer, it never gets dark. During the height of winter, the day lasts just over 2 hours.
K. Hekla is Iceland‘s most active volcano and a very common woman’s name.
L. The Icelandic hot dog is one of the most popular foods amongst tourists visiting Iceland. Eina með öllu!
M. The government must approve any name that hasn‘t been used before.
N. Iceland boasts some of the strongest men in the world. The famous Hafþór Júlíus has two world records in deadlifting.
O. Icelanders can app up and check how closely related they are to someone. Incest is no good.
Ó. Icelanders have only one Noble Prize. Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955.
P. Barbara Ara bar Ara araba bara rabbabara.
– Translation: Barbara, the daughter of Ari, gave Ari the Arab only rhubarb.
R. Á á á? Á á á í á.
– Translation: Does a sheep own a sheep? A sheep owns a sheep in a river. Yes, that’s a proper sentence.
S. Árni á Á á á á beit við á.
– Another version: Árni from Á, the farm, has a sheep grazing by a river.
T. Á á á á á á Á.
– Still works just fine: A sheep on a river owns a sheep on Á, the farm.
U. Most Icelanders are of Norse and Gaelic descent. The Vikings would take slaves from Scotland and the Shetlands on their way to Iceland, mostly women.
Ú. There are no trains or subways in Iceland. The only public transportation available comes in the form of buses and taxis.
V. Most Icelanders are very comfortable speaking English.
X. Iceland has a State Church which is Lutheran. It also has complete freedom of religion.
Y. Once such religion is Ásatrú – or heathenry. Its practitioners – over 1% of the population – follow the old Norse gods.
Ý. Iceland’s contribution to world literature is the Icelandic Sagas. These are novels focusing on historical events around the time of settlement and following 2-3 centuries.
Þ. Is a uniquely Icelandic character, not to be found anywhere else.
Æ. Some letters may seem complicated but are actually quite simple. Æ is pronounced I – as in “I can now speak Icelandic”.
Ö. The Icelandic language contains quite a few uncommon characters.
Cultural Oddities
Geography and Geology
Einn.
Reykjavík is the northernmost capital in the world. But don‘t worry, it doesn‘t get very cold. Average temperatures in January are similar to New York.
Tveir.
There is a volcanic eruption every four years on average in Iceland.
Þrír.
There are no forests in Iceland.
Fjórir.
More than 85% of Iceland’s energy is renewable and more than half of that comes from geothermal alone.
Fimm.
Iceland is technically both in Europe and America. Geologically that is.
Sex.
There are several places in Iceland where you can walk between continents, where the land is slowly splitting apart or grinding together. There are only two places on earth where you can see two tectonic plates meeting above the earth‘s surface. One is in Africa, and the other is in Þingvellir, the birthplace of one of humanity’s earliest parliaments, the UNESCO site and the home to Silfra fissure.
Sjö.
In 1963 a new volcano appeared in the Atlantic close to Iceland. It kept erupting until it formed an island, now called Surtsey.
Átta.
Iceland is about the size of Ohio.
Níu.
There’s a joke that Greenland should be called Iceland and Iceland, Greenland. Only 10% of Iceland is ice while Greenland has ice covering more than 80% of the country.
History
I
Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament was founded in 930, making it one of the oldest in the world and the oldest one still in existence.
II
The only time Icelanders have engaged in war was when the Þorskastríð or Cod War took place. It was a war of fishing grounds rights or territorial waters and involved ramming fishing ships into the English fishing and naval vessels.
III
Icelanders, like most European nations, burned witches in the 17th Century. The difference is that the Icelandic witches were almost all males.
IV
During the later years of the 19th century, 25% of Iceland‘s population emigrated to Canada and the USA. A region in Canada was named New Iceland and is still a symbolic center of the Icelandic heritage in Canada today.
V
The first European to set foot in America was Icelandic. This happened 500 years before Columbus was born. He named the country Vinland after he found grapes growing there.
VI
Iceland is one of the last places on earth to be settled by humans.
VII
Iceland gained independence on June 17 1944, after being ruled by Denmark. We now celebrate independence every June 17 annually on Icelandic National Day.
VIII
The 1783 volcanic fissure eruption in Laki killed 20-25% of the entire population. It also killed 80% of sheep, 50% of cattle and 50% of the horses in Iceland. The ash fallout in Europe is considered to be a contributing factor in the French revolution.
Biology
Gulur.
There are no mosquitoes in Iceland.
Rauður.
The Arctic fox is the only mammal native to Iceland.
Grænn.
The Icelandic horse has a 5th gait. Alongside the usual walk, trot, canter, what sets the stunning animal apart are the tölt and skeið, known, as the flying pace. The tölt is a natural, fluid gait, in which the rider can bounce free in such a way that they could even have a beer during the ride without spilling a drop.
Blár.
There are no polar bears in Iceland.
Svartur.
If an Icelandic horse leaves Iceland, it can never return.
Hvítur.
There are no wild reptiles or amphibians in Iceland.