Iceland Listeni/ˈaɪslənd/, sometimes referred to in full as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic island country marking the juncture between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of 321,857 and a total area of 103,000 km2, which makes it the most sparsely populated country in Europe.The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Reykjavík is the most northern capital in the world. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists mainly of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. During the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918, Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. The country became independent in 1918 and a republic was declared in 1944.Until the 20th century, the Icelanders relied largely on fishing and agriculture, and the country was one of the least developed in the region. Industrialisation of the fisheries and aid through the United States' Marshall Plan following World War II brought prosperity and, by the 1990s, Iceland had developed as one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which supported diversification of the economy into economic and financial services.Iceland has a free-market economy with relatively low corporate taxes compared to other OECD countries.It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.In 2013, it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index.In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed, affected by the worldwide crisis. This resulted in substantial political unrest. In the wake of the crisis, Iceland instituted "capital controls" that made it impossible for many foreigners to get their money out of the country. Though designed to be temporary, the controls remain and are among the biggest hurdles for attracting international investment in the Icelandic economy. Iceland ranks high in economic and political stability, though it is still in the process of recovering from the crisis.Gender equality is highly valued in Iceland. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2012, Iceland holds the top spot for the least gap, closely followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden.Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Among NATO members, Iceland has the smallest population and is the only one with no standing army. Its lightly armed Coast Guard is in charge of its defences.

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The Faroe Islands is an archipelago and autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark,situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland, at about 320 kilometres north-north-west of mainland Scotland. The total area is approximately 1,400 km2 with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish Realm since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs.The Faroe Islands also have representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.The islands were associated with and taxed by Norway, then the Union of Kalmar, and then Denmark-Norway until 1814, when Norway was united with Sweden. Scandinavia was in political turmoil following the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in 1814. The Danish trade monopoly ended in 1856.

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Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe.It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres wide and have a drop of 45 metres down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m3/s.The waterfall can be reached by a new tarmac road, finished in 2011. On the west bank there are no facilities and the view on the waterfall is somewhat hindered by the waterfall's spray. On the east bank there is an information panel maintained by the staff of Vatnajökull National Park and a maintained track to the best viewpoints.Dettifoss is located on the Diamond Circle, a popular tourist route around Húsavík and Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. During the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918, Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. The country became independent in 1918 and a republic was declared in 1944.Until the 20th century, the Icelanders relied largely on fishing and agriculture, and the country was one of the least developed in the region. Industrialisation of the fisheries and aid through the United States' Marshall Plan following World War II brought prosperity and, by the 1990s, Iceland had developed as one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which supported diversification of the economy into economic and financial services.Iceland has a free-market economy with relatively low corporate taxes compared to other OECD countries.It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.In 2013, it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index.In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed, affected by the worldwide crisis. This resulted in substantial political unrest. In the wake of the crisis, Iceland instituted "capital controls" that made it impossible for many foreigners to get their money out of the country. Though designed to be temporary, the controls remain and are among the biggest hurdles for attracting international investment in the Icelandic economy.Iceland ranks high in economic and political stability, though it is still in the process of recovering from the crisis.Gender equality is highly valued in Iceland. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2012, Iceland holds the top spot for the least gap, closely followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden.Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Among NATO members, Iceland has the smallest population and is the only one with no standing army. Its lightly armed Coast Guard is in charge of its defences.

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Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for more than a millennium.[6] In 2008, the people of Greenland passed a referendum supporting greater autonomy; 75% of votes cast were in favour. Greenland is, in terms of area, the world's largest island,over three-quarters of which is covered by the only contemporary ice sheet outside of Antarctica. With a population of 56,370, it is the least densely populated country in the world.Greenland has been inhabited off and on for at least the last 4,500 years by Arctic peoples whose forebears migrated there from Canada.[9] Norsemen settled on the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the 10th century. Inuit peoples arrived in the 13th century. The Norse colonies disappeared in the late 15th century. In the early 18th century, Scandinavia and Greenland came back into contact with each other, and Denmark established sovereignty over the island.

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Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon in south east Iceland which is up to 100 m deep and about 2 kilometres long, with the Fjaðrá river flowing through it.It is located near the Ring Road, not far from the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.The canyon was created by progressive erosion by flowing water from glaciers through the rocks and palagonite over millennia.

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The Faroe Islands are an island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. The total area is approximately 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people. The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish Realm since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also have representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation. The islands were associated with and taxed by Norway, then the Union of Kalmar, and then Denmark-Norway until 1814, when Norway was united with Sweden. Scandinavia was in political turmoil following the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in 1814. The Danish trade monopoly ended in 1856.

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Höfn or Höfn í Hornafirði is an Icelandic fishing town in the south-eastern part of the country. It lies near a fjord named Hornafjörður.As of 2013, the population of the town was 1,691 and the whole municipality inhabited 2,166 people. This harbour town, the second largest in the south-eastern part of Iceland, gives scenic views of Vatnajökull. The community was formerly known as Hornafjarðarbær, between 1994 and 1998.Höfn is located on a peninsula in the south-east of Iceland. The name Höfn means harbour and it is a fishing port surrounded on three sides by the sea, with beaches on the long shoreline on the south-east. Sand bars and glacial rivers traverse this area with many shifting lagoons and sand reefs being formed. Höfn is surrounded by several small islands, the largest of which is Mikley, followed by Krókalátur and Hellir to the east of the town.Höfn is one of very few harbours in the southern part of Iceland and it needs to be navigated with care due to the changing pattern of shoals. Dredging is an essential requirement to remove sand accumulated near the harbour to let ships moor in the harbour.The entrance channel to Höfn port has a minimum depth of 6–7 metres. However, the depth at the entrance itself is 7–8 metres. The harbour at Höfn is reported to freeze during severe winter months.Eagle Airways operates domestic flights from Höfn's airport and the town is a major centre for visits to the Vatnajökull Glacier.Höfn lies at the end of Road 99, which leaves Iceland's National Road 1 several kilometres north of the town. A tunnel is located near the town, measuring 1,300 metres in length, which is named Almannaskarðsgöng. It was opened in 2005.Nearby areas include Suðursveit, Öræfasveit, Lón, Mýrar and Nes. In Nes there is a small village called Nesjahverfi. Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, is about 458 kilometres from Höfn along the south coast.

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Varmahlíð is a small village near Skagafjörður in northern Iceland.Around 140 people live on the eastern slope of the hill for which the town is named.Varmahlíð is on the ring road Route 1, at the junction of Route 75 leading to Sauðárkrókur, about 24 km to the north. Varmahlíð is in the middle of a flourishing agricultural area, where the Icelandic horse has been treasured for centuries. One of the main industries is horse-rearing. The area has an abundance of geothermal hot water. Hence Varmahlíð has a number of greenhouses with tropical and sub-tropical fruits and vegetables.Varmahlið stands high on the western side of a valley, at the crossroads at the foot of Vatnsskarð pass. Near Varmahlíð stands the turf roofed church at Víðimýri, built in 1834, which has a magnificent altarpiece dating from 1727. The monument to Icelandic poet Stephan Stephansson is located at Vatnsskarð pass.Miðgarður, a concert hall, can be found at Varmahlið. One of Iceland's most famous men's choirs, Karlakórinn Heimir, is based there.

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Heimaey, literally Home Island, is an Icelandic island. At a size of 13.4 square kilometres, it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast. Heimaey lies approximately 4 nautical miles off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only populated island of the Vestmannaeyjar islands, with a population of approximately 4,500.In 1973, lava flow from nearby Eldfell destroyed half of the town and threatened to close off its harbour, its main income source. An operation to cool the advancing lava with sea water was successful in preventing the loss of the harbour.The Landnáma tells that after Ingólfur Arnarson, the first settler in Iceland, spent a winter at Ingólfshöfði, he released his Öndvegissúlur into the water and followed them west.At Hjörleifshöfði, Ingólfur found that his brother/close friend Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson was dead and his slaves were missing. Out at sea he could see boats going toward a small group of islands, and he set off after them.Abducted from the north of Ireland, the slaves were called westmen, as before discovering Iceland, Ireland was the most western part of the world known to northern Europeans then. The slaves went ashore at Heimaey and took shelter in the hills. Ingólfur hunted them and killed them in revenge for their murdering his foster brother. In the process, he named various places and landmarks. For example, he named "Dufþekja", an area on Heimaklettur, Heimaey's highest hill, after the slave Dufþakur who was said to have thrown himself off Heimaklettur at that point—preferring to take his own life than to let Ingólfur take it.In tradition, Herjólfur Bárðarson was said to be the first person to settle in Heimaey. According to the Landnáma, he built his farm in Herjólfsdalur about 900. The archaeological excavation in 1971 of ancient ruins in Herjólfsdalur revealed that there had been settlement nearly 100 years earlier.

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The Goðafoss is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. It is located in the Mývatn district of North-Central Iceland at the beginning of the Sprengisandur highland road. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters.In the year 999 or 1000 the Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion it is said that upon returning from the Alþingi, Þorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. Þorgeir's story is preserved in Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók.A window in the Cathedral of Akureyri illustrates this story.MS Goðafoss, an Icelandic ship named after the waterfall, was carrying both freight and passengers. It was sunk by a German U-Boat in World War II, resulting in great loss of lives.

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