Iceland is a study in contrasts—no other place offers its mix of geological drama, wild beauty and intense contrasts in such a compact space. Tucked just beneath the Arctic Circle, Iceland straddles two tectonic plates; their movement creates a dynamic environment of volcanic forces that sculpt the northern landscape.
Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice because of its volcanic activity and glaciers. It’s full of other natural and cultural surprises that captivate visitors and locals alike.
Here are 50 fast, fascinating facts about Iceland’s landscapes, wildlife and people and culture.
Exploring Iceland’s Dramatic Landscapes
- Iceland has more than 130 volcanoes, at least 30 of which are currently active.
- The island of Surtsey, off Iceland’s south coast, is one of the geologically youngest places on Earth. It emerged from the sea in a volcanic eruption between 1963 and 1967. The island has been protected since its birth, allowing scientists to study the natural colonization of plant and animal life in a pristine volcanic environment. It’s estimated that Surtsey will remain above sea level until at least the year 2100.
- Iceland is known as The Land of Fire and Ice because in addition to its 130 volcanoes, approxmately 10% of the island nation is covered in glacial ice. Iceland has 269 named glaciers of almost all types: ice caps, outlet glaciers, mountain glaciers, alpine, piedmont and cirque glaciers as well as ice streams.
Vatnajokull glacier
- Iceland’s Vatnajokull glacier is the largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of Iceland’s landmass.
- Iceland is home to around 45 natural hot springs, including the Geysir, which is where the English word geyser comes from.
Geothermal pool, Hveravellir
- Naturally heated water powers Icelandic lives—heating homes and baths. Iceland has a high level of renewable energy production, with over 80% of its energy coming from renewable sources, including the world’s largest geothermal power plant, which started operations in 1969. Icelanders use geothermal energy to heat most of their homes and buildings.
Volcanic mountains, Landmannalaugar
- With all that ice and water, it’s not surprising Iceland has more than 10,000 waterfalls. If traveling deep into Iceland’s remote highlands to see glaciers, gorges, dozens of rarely seen waterfalls far afield from the traditional tourist route appeals to you, you might enjoy Nat Hab’s Iceland & Greenland: A Nordic Discovery itinerary.
Svartifoss
- Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. It’s amazing to stand over the Silfra rift and witness what you’re read about in textbooks since grade school—and even more so to swim or scuba dive in the rift. I’ve had some pretty awesome travel experiences all over the world; diving in the Silfra rift is one of the most memorable; you do not have to be scuba certified to swim in the rift.
Studlagil basalt canyon
If photographing the drama of Iceland’s stark mountains, lava fields covered in velvet green moss, glittering black sand beaches, steaming craters, iceberg lagoons, and ice-fed rivers thundering over basalt cliffs in raging waterfalls is on your list, check out the new Ultimate Iceland Photo Expedition, an in-depth photography adventure via chartered scenic flights, private boats & overland travel.
Stokksnes cape, Vestrahorn (Batman Mountain)
Unique Wildlife of Iceland
- Iceland’s isolation means many of its mammalian species are genetically unique, and it’s location provides a stopver for hundreds of migratory marine and avian species. Iceland is home to several species of unique wildlife, including the Arctic fox, the Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic sheepdog, the only dog breed indigenous to Iceland.
© Nat Hab Expedition Leader Eddy Savage
- Iceland was built on fish and wool. Now, Icelandic sheep run wild in summer, grazing on the mountains.
- The Icelandic horse is a unique breed that has been isolated on the island for over 1,000 years has five gaits.
Icelandic horses, Skógafoss waterfall
- Horses usually have three gaits without training—walk, trot and canter/gallop, but the Icelandic horse has up to five. A genetic variation in Icelandic horses allows for natural lateral movement. The extra gaits that set the Icelandic horse apart are called tölt and flying pace; they are natural and new-born foals often show them right from the start.
© Nat Hab Expedition Leader Eddy Savage
- Most Icelandic horses are five-gaited, meaning they possess all five gaits, while some are considered four-gaited, and lack the flying pace. Five-gaited Icelandic horses inherit the mutation from both parents. Four-gaited horses, however, can have three different genotypes of this gene.
- Speaking of flying, according to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology eBird platform, over 400 avian species have been spotted on or around Iceland.
Razorbills (Alca torda) and Atlantic puffins sharing space in Iceland.
- Iceland is home to more than 60% of the world’s entire Atlantic puffin population, and is the main nesting ground for puffins.
- Iceland is home some of the largest colonies of puffins in the world—the largest puffin colony is in the Westman Islands, 10 kilometers off of Iceland’s south shore. One-fifth of the world’s total puffin population nests there every year.
Atlantic puffins, photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Giulia Ciampini
- Fish is the country’s largest export and one of the biggest sectors of Iceland’s economy. Both fresh and salt waters on and around Iceland are teeming with fish. From Atlantic Catfish and Cod to Haddock and Halibut, the Gulf Stream carries a wealth of species to Iceland’s shores.
Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Eddy Savage
- Freshwater fish in Iceland’s many lakes and streams include Atlantic Salmon, Brown Trout and Arctic Char.
- The coastal waters off Iceland are one of the best places in the world to see whales and dolphins. Types of whales and dolphins spotted in Icelandic waters include: humpback whale, orca, minke whale, blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, bottlenose whale, pilot whale, white-beaked dolphin, white-sided dolphin and harbour porpoise.
A humpback whale breaches playfully. Photographed by Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Lianne Thompson
- Both harbor seals and gray seals are commonly seen lounging on rocks or swimming in the coastal waters around Iceland. Harbour seals are the most common and the least wary of visitors, although grey seals, the only other species to pup on the island, are not at all uncommon.
Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
- With a keen eye and some luck, you may spot harp seals, bearded seals, hooded seals or ringed seals, who usually reside in the Arctic, and have been spotted in local waters and on coastal shores. Very rarely, walruses are also seen on and around Iceland.
- Around 6000-7000 reindeer can be found during the summer in Iceland but only in the eastern part of the country. Reindeer were imported in the 18th century to build up a stock for the Icelandic agriculture to use in the same way as in Lapland.
- Reindeers (Rangifer Tarandus) is a species of deer and the only cervid species in which both sexes grow antlers.
- Good news for summer travelers to Iceland! As of this writing, there are no mosquitoes in Iceland (but midges are recent settlers in the country).
For more on the unique terrestrial mammalian fauna, marine life, and well over 400 species of birds spotted year-round, check out our Know Before You Go Iceland Wildlife Guide.
Iceland’s Happy People & Creative Culture
25. Since the advent of harnessing geothermal energy in Iceland, the tradition of public bathing has become deeply rooted in the local culture. Not all geothermal pools are suitable for bathing—many are far too hot. The Blue Lagoon is the most famous hot spring, but locals frequent some hundred public pools across the country.
The village of Vik is the southernmost village in Iceland on the ring road around 180 km southeast of Reykjavík.
- Iceland is roughly the size of Kentucky with a population of nearly 400,000, making it the least densely populated country in Europe with only 3 people per square kilometer.
- Icelandic people are among the happiest in the world according to the World Population Review. That happiness is attributed to strong feelings of social support, generosity and happiness amongst its youth.
- Icelanders have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, with an average life expectancy of 83.1 years.
- Iceland has a low crime rate and is considered one of the safest countries in the world.
Regnboga Vegur (Rainbow Road), Seydisfjoerdur
- It’s one of the most genetically homogeneous populations in the world.
- Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is the northernmost capital city in the world.
- Iceland’s early history was recorded by an early 12th century priest in a ten chapter treatise that describes the island’s Norse settlement, establishement of the rule of law, fixing of the calendar and early judicial quadrants, the discovery and settlement of Greenland and the conversion to Christianity.
- Iceland is home to the world’s first parliament, Althing or ‘ting’, which was established in 930 AD. It had legislative and judicial, but not executive, power. The ‘ting’ was founded on a union of 36 chieftaincies. With no king or central executive power, the actual legislative and judicial power lay with the chiefs.
- Icelanders claimed their independence from Denmark on June 17th, 1944.
Small church surrounded by blooming lupin flowers in the Vik village.
- Iceland is among only a few countries in the world that has no army.
- Iceland has ranked as the most gender-equal country in the world for at least 14 consecutive years according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, and the only country to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap—at 91.2%.
- The Icelandic language is one of the oldest languages in the world and has changed very little since medieval times, perhaps even further back. The language resembles Old Norse, and is widely considered one of the most challenging languages to learn.
Glaumbær Farm & Museum, historical turf houses
- The Icelandic language has 32 letters, including the letters ð and þ, which are not found in the English alphabet.
- Iceland has a strong literary tradition, with many famous Icelandic sagas dating back to Viking Age settlement. In fact, Icelanders are known for their love of books, with many households having their own mini-library. Iceland has the highest literacy rate in the world at 99%.
Glaumbær Farm & Museum
- Iceland has a unique Christmas Eve tradition of exchanging books and spending the evening reading. Iceland has a unique Christmas tradition called Jólabókaflóð, which means “Christmas book flood.”
- Per capita, Iceland has the highest number of writers in the world. One in ten people in Iceland have published a book, and one in four people work in a creative field.
- Iceland has a thriving music scene, with many internationally recognized artists hailing from the country, including Björk, Kaelo, Of Monsters And Men, and Sigur Rós.
- Iceland has a thriving film industry, with many international productions filmed in the country and a rich tradition of native storytellers. Iceland produces more films per capita than any other country in the world.
Fjord Isafjor
- Icelanders have a tradition of giving gifts on the first day of summer.
- Iceland has one of the highest levels of Internet usage in the world, but until 1986, Iceland only had one TV channel, and until 1983, there was no TV on Thursdays nor in July.
- Icelanders consume the most Coca-Cola and coffee—as well as seafood—per capita in the world.
- The average Icelander eats just over 200 pounds of seafooda year. That’s more than a half pound of seafood every single day. This includes traditional fermented shark meat, which is considered a delicacy.
Iceland has six major geothermal power plants
- Iceland has a unique tradition of making and eating rye bread, which can be baked underground using geothermal heat.
- As in other Nordic countries, Icelanders generally enjoy the taste of black salty licorice, especially paired with chocolate.
- The majority of Icelanders do not believe in elves, but a large portion of the population is unwilling to deny their existence, and even more people respect the traditions, myths, and popular beliefs surrounding them.
Greenhouses
Experience Iceland: Preparing for Your Adventure
Just for fun: Take our Iceland Nature Trivia quiz to put your knowledge to the test, then share it with your family and friends to see who knows the most about this small island nation straddling the Arctic Circle!
For more fascinating facts about Iceland and to prepare for a trip to Iceland, check out the Iceland & Greenland Know Before You Go page for wildlife and weather guides, packing lists and more.
Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Court Whelan
