Iceland

Europe
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom.

65 00 N, 18 00 W

President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson	Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

Capital

Reykjavík

Government
Unitary parliamentary republic

Religion
Lutheran Church of Iceland 80.7%, Roman Catholic Church 2.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.4%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other religions 3.6%, unaffiliated 3%, other or unspecified 6.2%.

Population
318,006

Ethnic group
Homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%.

National Language                   
Icelandic
          
National Day
17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

Anthem
Lofsöngur

Currency
Icelandic króna (ISK)

Attractions
Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland's Land/Seascape, Jokulsarlon Glacial Lake, Myvatn Lake Region, Vatnajokull Glacie... 

Website  

Art & Cultural

The ICON

Mývatn Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of waterbirds, especially ducks. The lake was created by a large basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms, including lava pillars and rootless vents (pseudocraters). The effluent river Laxá is known for its rich fishing for Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon. The name of the lake (Icelandic mý ("midge") and vatn ("lake"); the lake of midges) comes from the huge numbers of flies (midges) to be found there in the summer. The name Mývatn is sometimes used not only for the lake but the whole surrounding inhabited area. The River Laxá, Lake Mývatn and the surrounding wetlands are protected as a nature reserve (The Mývatn-Laxá Nature Conservation Area). Since the year 2000, a marathon around the lake takes place in summer.

Blue Lagoon