Iceland is certainly a very provocative name for a country, isn’t it? And certainly, looking at a map, you might expect Iceland to be VERY icy.

Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is the world’s most northerly capital city. It lies more north than much of Siberia in Russia, and of much of Alaska. Reykjavik and Iceland are far north indeed.

Have you ever wondered about the names of the countries of Greenland and Iceland? Iceland was settled by Vikings in the 900s, and these Vikings wrote down a lot of what happened to them on this remote island. These stories are with us still today, and are called The Sagas. According to The Sagas of the Icelanders, a man named Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland to Greenland. In order to highlight the strengths of his new forced home, he named it Greenland. This seems to have been done to make it more appealing to settlers than Iceland, a place with a much scarier name for people looking for a home.

Iceland is, despite its name, a beautiful island country in the far north Atlantic. It is much more green than Greenland, and has many more people, despite Erik the Red’s efforts. Iceland is covered, in parts, by some glaciers. However, Iceland is warmer and greener than Greenland for a few reasons that are tied to its geography.

First and foremost, Iceland lies in a very warm current of the ocean called the gulf stream. This current brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up through the Atlantic ocean to places like Iceland and northwestern Europe. This warm current helps to keep Iceland’s coasts free from ice and the climate warmer than it would otherwise be, given how far north it is.

Secondly, Iceland lies right on a geological boundary between two tectonic plates called the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The Mid-Atlantic ridge is where the Atlantic ocean is growing. The two plates that form this ridge are slowly spreading apart, allowing magma to come to the surface.

In fact, one of the world’s newest islands, Surtsey, is the result of this volcanic activity in the 1960s. A series of eruptions caused this new island to break the surface of the sea and grow over the course of about five years. Imagine that, a new island, born of fire and magma, in the far cold north.

Iceland’s location on the Mid-Atlantic ridge means a high amount of geothermal activity. Geysers (a word we have gotten from Icelandic), volcanoes, earthquakes are all more common on Iceland than most places. Iceland has taken advantage of these geological gifts and harnesses this energy for cheap, clean electricity for its people and businesses.

And Iceland isn’t just a green country because of its plants and clean energy. Iceland exports a huge amount of fish that it catches in its waters. The Icelandic fishing industry is such a huge part of their economy that they have taken care not to over-fish their resource. This has kept the fish available in larger numbers and for far longer than many other countries.

Fishing is such an important part of Icelandic life and their economy that they nearly fought the United Kingdom in the 1970s over their right to fish their waters without foreign intrusion. The Icelanders have kept their Viking fierceness and strength.

All in all, Iceland is a beautiful island nation with majestic waterfalls, stunning glaciers, bubbling volcanoes, a rich Viking history, and a friendly, strong people. Don’t let the name fool you, there are many kids of warmth here in Iceland.

1. Iceland’s flag shares similarities with those of another countries. What country is that? 

2. Iceland’s Grimsey island lies right on the Arctic Circle. What does being on or north of the Arctic circle mean? 

3. Reykjavik is the world’s most northerly capital city. What is the worlds most southerly capital city? 

ANSWERS:

1. Norway

2. 24 hours of sunlight at least once a year

3. Wellington, New Zealand