Tourist information Iceland, including all the useful things to know before departure, for a trip or a holiday in this state of the North Atlantic Ocean, with Reykjavik as its capital.
Iceland in a nutshell
- Capital: Reykjavik
- Area in sq km: 102,819
- Population: 298,000 (first half 2001)
- Protestant religion
Where is it
Iceland means land of ice and is also known as the island of fire for its many volcanoes. It is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. The skeleton is formed by a plateau that rises up to 2119 meters in Mount Hyannadalshnukur.
Practically the island corresponds to a stretch of oceanic ridge on the surface, and is very rich in volcanoes, glaciers and geysers and thermal springs appear in several places.
The coasts are high and carved by fjords, only in the southern part are low and sandy. There are numerous islands.
Hydrography
Icelandic rivers form numerous waterfalls in their path, have a constant regime, more abundant in spring. In Iceland, sudden floods can occur in the event of ice melting caused by volcanic eruptions.
The Thjòrsà river is the longest and the largest river is the Olfusà river. There are also many lakes on the island.
Climate
Iceland, despite its proximity to the Arctic circle, enjoys a climate mitigated by the gulf current with cool summers and relatively mild winters, excluding the internal part and the northwest part where the climate is much more rigid.
The characteristic of the climate in Iceland is variability, even in the summer in a short time the most varied climatic conditions can occur.
Population
In Iceland most of the population is concentrated in the capital Reykjavik, the only real city in the country, and along the coast.
Iceland has been inhabited only since the 9th century. When some Irish monks arrived on the island, later groups of Norwegians settled there.
Iceland has the lowest population density in all of Europe.
Recommended readings- Iceland: useful information
- Reykjavik (Iceland): what to see in the capital
Time zone
In Iceland when daylight saving time is present in Italy, the clock must be moved two hours back. When there is solar time in Italy, one hour is enough.
Spoken language
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic, a Germanic language, the most similar to the ancient Nordic languages, with a rich vocabulary. English and Danish are also taught in schools.
Economy
The Icelandic economy is mainly based on fishing and the fish processing industry.
Iceland has a very rich energy heritage (hydroelectric energy and geothermal energy) which is only partially exploited for domestic use, greenhouse cultivation and the processing of aluminum, iron-silicon and diatomite, mainly destined for export.
In agriculture, greenhouses are mainly used because there are few arable land, and they are also used for grazing cattle.
The tourism sector is expanding like the financial services sector, the software industry and biotechnology.
When to go
The best time to go to Iceland is summer, although short, in the summer months the days are long and the sun never sets completely.
Necessary documents
To enter Iceland, Italian citizens need an identity card valid for expatriation or passport.
Phone
- To call from Italy to Iceland you must dial 00354 followed by the prefix and the desired number.
- To call from Iceland to Italy the prefix is 0039.
Electric current
Electricity in Iceland is 220 volts.
Currency
The official currency of Iceland is the Icelandic krona (ISK). Credit cards and ATMs are widespread.
How to get
plane
Icelandic flag carrier Icelandair flies direct flights from Milan to Reykjavik.
Sea
The shipping company Smyril Line offers ferry connections with Iceland (Seydisfjordur) from Denmark, Norway, Shetland Islands, via Faroe Islands.
