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Iceland has been in the news lately, and the news has not been good. The island nation’s three major banks have collapsed, causing ripples throughout Europe. But rather than fixate on the financial, let’s take a look at some other aspects of the Land of Fire and Ice.
1. Mark Your Calendar
March 1 is Beer Day (Bjordagur) in Iceland, when natives celebrate the end of prohibition against the frothy brews. “Real” beer (of more than 2.2 percent alcohol by volume) had been outlawed since 1915, and the ban wasn’t lifted until 1989. Hey, if you went almost 75 years without decent beer, you’d find a reason to throw a party, too.
2. The Sun Also Rises … Sometimes
The sun shines virtually 24 hours a day during the peak of summer in Iceland. In mid-winter, however, it’s only light about four to five hours each day.
3. Say What?
The national language of Iceland is Icelandic, which hasn’t evolved much from the way it was spoken centuries ago. English and Danish are also popular—good news, as the native tongue is indecipherable to non-speakers. Icelandic has two unique letters, “thorn” (pronounced “th” as in “thing”) and “eth” (pronounced “th” as in “them”). Similar logic applies to the English words “broad” and “road,” which should be pronounced the same but are not.
4. All Work and No Play Makes Iceland Rich
Icelanders are notorious for their work ethic. Averaging 43.5 hours, they have the longest work week in Europe. Not surprisingly, they also have one of the highest standards of living in the world. (Iceland ranked #1 in a recent C.W. Post survey measuring economic opportunity and quality of life.)
5. Come to North America for the Available Food…
When overpopulation, famine and disease struck Iceland in the late 19th century, it prompted a mass exodus from the frozen land. Most immigrants ended up in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where they created a colony called New Iceland. But many others landed in Utah and converted to Mormonism.
6. …Stay for the Mormons!
Today, Spanish Fork, Utah, remains home to one of the largest Icelandic communities in the United States. If you can’t afford a plane ticket to the real thing, head to Spanish Fork, where you can visit the Icelandic Monument or attend the annual Icelandic cultural festival, hosted by the Icelandic Association of Utah.
7. No, It’s Not a Typo
Between November 1975 and June 1976, fishing disputes between Great Britain and Iceland, known as the “Cod War,” exploded in a flurry of net-cutting and boat-ramming. Name-calling was also resorted to, although neither side accepts responsibility for “starting it.”
8. It’s Really Green
The old joke is true — Iceland is green, and Greenland is ice. When Norwegian explorer Eric the Red made the trek from Iceland to the larger nearby island in the 10th century and colonized it, he decided to call it Greenland because he felt more people might be willing to move there if it had an inviting name.
(Do we have any readers in Iceland? What else should people know about the country?)
This article was written by Katie Finley and originally appeared in mental_floss magazine. Images courtesy of Scanam World Tours.
Comments (22)
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Old English had the letters thorn and eth as well. Wouldn’t it be nice if that were still the case?
posted by eve on 10-21-2008 at 11:58 am
Read up on Iceland’s use of geothermal heat. They’ve got so much heat under the surface due to all the volcanic activity, they can heat everyone’s homes for practically nothing, and they’re actually exporting geothermal energy to other countries.
posted by Craig on 10-21-2008 at 12:25 pm
We still use thorn in English. It’s just that everybody thinks “ye” means “you.”
posted by dagwud on 10-21-2008 at 12:35 pm
The New York Times did a great article on driving the Ring Highway, which circles the nation along the shore and follows the shapes of fjords so closely that the Times likened it to “driving up and down each tooth of a comb.”
I get a “no links!” message when I try to post the link, so just go to the New York Times website and search “Iceland ring highway.” Here’s an excerpt:
Iceland’s Highway 1 — the roughly 830-mile Ring Road — is the only route that circles the island, and it feels like someone put the American West in a blender: California’s poetic central coast, the Nevada desert’s barren expanses, Alaska’s glaciers and Yellowstone’s geysers. They’re all crammed onto this island, and if you don’t like one natural phenomenon you’re just a few hours from the next.
posted by Southern Buddhist on 10-21-2008 at 12:50 pm
I lived in Iceland on a military base when I was younger.
Sometimes it would get so windy my three-year-old brother couldn’t even stand up. All the bus shelters were made of reinforced concrete to stand up to the wind.
We could never have fireworks on the 4th of July because, being the summer, it didn’t get dark evnough to see them.
There is no word for “kidnap” in the Icelandic language: They rarely occur. The island in so small that there’s really no place to hide. (this was true as of the early 90s, the world’s so crazy now that may have changed)
The weather would get so dangerous in the winter that it would be illegal to go outside. A warning would flash on the base news channel and the MPs would pick you up if you were found out and about.
posted by Amanda Dean on 10-21-2008 at 1:45 pm
…you forgot that it’s also a bankrupt nation.
posted by little fish on 10-21-2008 at 2:44 pm
For number 5. Im from manitoba so just some more info for anyone whos wondering. When the icelantians first came to canada they started off in montreal working on the railroad, famine ended up hitting them, and so did horrible diseases because there were so many, they would have to sleep 50 to a 5 man area. What was left of iclanders decided to leave montreal, they ended up settling in a town called Gimli, Manitoba, The heart of the icelantic community settled there, Now ever year we hold an icelantic festival with tones of food, and beer
posted by Manitoban on 10-21-2008 at 2:57 pm
You might want to scratch #4:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/05/iceland.creditcrunch
posted by PuzzleScott on 10-21-2008 at 3:59 pm
Regarding #8, that may not be true. Greenland was settled at a time when temperatures were up and there actually was green in the area that the Vikings settled. Unfortunately, the settlers thought that the weather was always that warm. It wasn’t. They died.
Read more in Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse.
posted by Craig on 10-21-2008 at 4:32 pm
I think we should look into adopting some form of #1 for ourselves… sounds festive.
posted by Pam on 10-21-2008 at 4:43 pm
Why WOULD Iceland have fireworks on July 4?
posted by Meri on 10-21-2008 at 6:19 pm
If the sun shines “virtually” 24 hours a day in mid-summer, it would only make sense due to earth’s tilt that during mid-winter the sun would be “virtually” absent from the sky.
Unless of course, virtually means 4-5 hours.
Recaptcha: fact Pageant
posted by Joshua on 10-21-2008 at 6:39 pm
Meri, he was on a US Military base.
posted by Casey on 10-21-2008 at 6:39 pm
I visited Iceland a little over 5 years ago. It’s an absolutely amazing place. The women are easily the most beautiful I’ve ever seen,It the scenery is breathtaking (including geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls), and the food is surprisingly good. I found the people to be shy at first, but once you got them talking they were very friendly.
It’s sad to see that the country is bankrupt, but the exchange rate for the dollar to the Icelandic Kronur is very favorable right now. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
posted by Pete on 10-21-2008 at 6:42 pm
Icelandic bands are great!
posted by Vampire on 10-22-2008 at 4:52 am
my cousin lived in Iceland for a year when you was a student. she told me a great riddle:
Q: when you’re lost in a forest in Iceland, how do you find your way out?
A: stand up.
while there is abundant sun in the summer, the growing season is short (for trees), and most are about knee high. more what we’d call shrubbery.
posted by mri on 10-22-2008 at 8:39 am
Casey: ah.
Thanks for the enlightenment!
posted by Meri on 10-23-2008 at 10:05 pm
icelandic horses are super-cool.
posted by Diana on 10-27-2008 at 12:02 pm
What is the best time of the year to visit Iceland? Thank you in advance for the hint.
posted by Max Schreck on 10-28-2008 at 11:14 am
“the native tongue is indecipherable to non-speakers”
Only for morons or Americans.
posted by mad on 10-28-2008 at 9:01 pm
Craig! How does an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean export geothermal energy to other countries? Fill tankers with hot water? Pump it in (well insulated) pipelines laid across the Atlantic?
Please let me know as I think I can solve the energy crisis then!
posted by Magnus on 11-21-2008 at 3:04 pm
Manitoban – while it’s nice to see another person from my frozen home on here, I think you’re a little off on your facts.
Number one – the proper demonym is Icelander, not Icelandian. Also there’s no “t”.
Number two, the main migration to Gimli originated in Ontario so far as I’ve been able to discern. Where did you get the Montreal/railroad story?
For the record, my maternal great-grandparents (all four of them) came straight off the boat from Reykjavik circa 1900-1910. Bring on the Brennevin and hard fish!
posted by Bert on 2-24-2009 at 4:56 pm