ICELAND, General information.

 ICELAND

Iceland is a Nordic island country characterized by its spectacular landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and lava fields. It has huge protected glaciers in the "Vatnajökull" and "Snæfellsjökull" national parks. Most of the population lives in the capital, "Reykjavík", which is powered by geothermal energy and is home to the National Museum and the Saga Museum, which trace Iceland's Viking history. 

(This is the flag)

Iceland, also known as the Republic of Iceland, is a sovereign country located between North America and Europe, whose territory includes the island of the same name and some small adjacent islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Reykjavik. It has a population of about 350,000 habitants and an area of ​​103,000 km². Due to its location on the mid-Atlantic ridge, it is a country with great volcanic and geological activity, a factor that greatly affects the landscape of the Icelandic territory. The interior of the country consists of a plateau characterized by deserts, mountains, glaciers, and glacial rivers that flow to the sea through the lowlands. Thanks to the effects of the Gulf Stream, it has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment.

The first human settlement in Iceland dates from the year 874, when, according to the "Landnámabók" or "Book of Settlement", the "Norwegian leader Ingólfur Arnarson" became the first permanent settler on the island. Other navigators, such as the "Faroese Viking Naddoddr", a possible discoverer, visited the island around the year 860 to spend the winter there. However, they never founded a permanent settlement there. Over the following centuries, human groups of "Nordic and Gaelic" origin settled in Iceland. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population depended on fishing and agriculture. From 1262 to 1397, it was part of the kingdom of Norway and, later, of Denmark. In the 20th century, it gained its independence and the Icelandic economy developed rapidly, despite its isolation from the world due to its geographical location.

It has a market economy, maintains a welfare state that provides universal health care and free higher education to its citizens. It became one of the wealthiest countries, and in 2009 it was classified by the United Nations Organization as the ninth most developed country in the world, in addition to occupying the first place in the global peace index.

Iceland has a developed and technologically advanced society, whose culture is based on the Nordic heritage. Most of the population is of Celtic and Scandinavian origin. The official language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language that is closely related to Faroese and western dialects of Norwegian. The country's cultural heritage includes its traditional cuisine, art, and literature.