8 Facts About Iceland That Will Surprise You

thesis writer1. Volcanic energy

The inhabitants of Iceland are actively using renewable natural resources. Volcanoes and geothermal waters have determined the country's energy development, making the economy independent of our familiar oil and gas. For the same reason, Iceland does not need artificial heating. Geothermal energy supplies heat to most Icelandic homes. Hot water from springs is used not only for heating but also makes it possible to operate 150 public city pools. The entrance to the pools costs about 25 euros, a bathrobe can be rented for 9 euros and a towel for 5 euros.

2. National cuisine

Iceland's culinary traditions are amazing. For example, a traditional Icelandic dish called Haukal is rotten shark meat cut into pieces. If you dare to try, then such a rotten delicacy can taste like urea.

This is explained by the fact that the meat of the Greenland shark, which has no urinary tract, is used for cooking. This type of meat contains toxic ammonia. Before eating, the shark is sent for three to four months underground or in the basement, so that it is thoroughly rotten.

3. Security

The inhabitants of Iceland are not concerned with the issue of national security. The country has no army, air force, or navy. Even the police in Iceland do not carry weapons. Of all the law enforcement agencies, the most influential is the Coast Guard. And in case an Icelandic man wants to serve, he can serve in the Norwegian army under an agreement between the countries. Convenient, right?

4. Trust

Iceland has an unprecedentedly high level of public confidence in each other. This is directly reflected in everyday life. Traveling around the country, you can see points of exchange of farm products for money. They are trays with eco-products, in which anyone can independently exchange products for the corresponding amount of money. There are no vendors, surveillance cameras, and control systems. Everything is based on honesty. You just take the groceries, and in return put the money in a special box. That's the whole trade!

5. Tolerance

Iceland is famous for its tolerant attitude towards a wide variety of minorities. Six years ago, a law was passed here on the legalization of same-sex marriage. Among the first lucky ones to formalize their union was the country's prime minister with her girlfriend. This case not only shocked the whole world but became the first in history when the head of government entered into a same-sex marriage.

6. Capital of whales

One of the most amazing places in Iceland is Husavik. It is a small fishing town - a port that lies south of the Arctic Circle. Due to this, in summer it is light there almost round the clock. This place became truly famous thanks to the whales, Husavik is called the "whale capital".

There is a whale museum in the city, and from the port, you can go on a tour and watch whales in nature. John Nielson, a thesis writer, said: "Thanks to modern equipment, the organizers of such tours promise a 98% chance of tourists meeting these huge marine inhabitants".

7. Kingdom of ice

More than 10% of the country's territory is glaciers. The age of the ice is several hundred thousand years. The largest glacier in Iceland has an interesting name - Vatnajokull. It is a skeleton with a four-hundred-meter layer of ice, inside which, like many other glaciers in Iceland, active volcanoes hide. In terms of volume, the glacier is the largest in Europe. Vatnajokull feeds unique glacial lakes, and sometimes icebergs break away from it, which float into open swimming.

8. Unique nature

Iceland is the largest volcanic island in the world. On the territory of the country, there are real natural monuments: huge waterfalls, geysers, ice blocks, leaving 30 meters underwater. Iceland is an incredibly interesting place. An island where millennial ice coexists with the heat of volcanoes.