Fact #1: 90% of the population understands and speaks English well. When you travel here or come to live you will not face the problem in communicating with the local people, because everybody speaks "universal" English. The Icelandic language itself is very difficult for foreigners - it still has many letters that have been used since the time of the Vikings.
Fact #2: according to sociological polls, the majority of the population of Iceland quite seriously believes in the existence of trolls and elves - the culture of Icelanders is full of beliefs and stories about these creatures. For example, if, even when workers of road service are constructing a road and suddenly they encounter a special round stone, in which - according to beliefs - the elves live, workers must perform some rituals in order not to disturb hostile inhabitants.
Fact #3: the nature of Iceland is a completely new world, unlike any other place. Something "Icelandic" can be found in South America, something in New Zealand or Kamchatka, but only in this country you can see the whole picture "like from another planet". Iceland has almost no forests, but a huge number of glaciers, picturesque plains, stone deserts, ocean cliffs and whales.
Fact #4: Iceland has a huge number of thermal springs and pools with hot water in the open air. The most popular place among tourists is Blue Lagoon, where thanks to algae and clay volcanic water has acquired a specific blue hue. Incredibly healthy thermal waters are often preferred to a trip to a bar – some people gather in the company and visit this place and even couples prefer to arrange romantic dates here.
Fact #5: in Iceland a crime rate is almost zero. When the owners go about their business, houses and cars often remain unlocked, and beside the cafes mothers can safely leave the baby stroller with the baby and calmly drink coffee inside. Prisons are empty here, police do not carry weapons, and this country does not even think about its own army.
Fact #6: Icelandic cuisine abounds with seafood. Here you can taste delicious cod, smoked salmon, special small lobsters and famous Icelandic herring. Among meat Icelanders prefer a variety of dishes made from lamb. By the way, it did not work out with fast food. So, the last McDonald's closed in Reykjavik in the crisis year of 2008.
Fact #7: all the tap water in Iceland is the purest thermal. Even in cafes and restaurants, it is served in decanters directly from the tap. The only thing is that hot thermal water has a specific smell due to the high content of hydrogen sulphide.
Fact #8: in winter here you can regularly observe Polar Light - usually in greenish tones. On a special website http://www.vedur.is/ they track where and when it is more likely to observe this most beautiful phenomenon. And if in winter in Iceland the sun rises about 10 am and sets at 16 o'clock, and in June the sun does not set at all, and in remaining summer months daylight hours last extremely long.
Fact #9: all houses and buildings in Iceland look almost the same, but not without a special charm. All heating is based on a system of pipes with hot thermal water, and gasoline and diesel are only used to refuel cars - electric cars somehow are not popular here.
Fact #10: from year to year, Iceland occupies a leading place in the ranking of the best places to live. There is an ideal ecology and a high level of well-being here and an average life expectancy is about 82 years!
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