Iceland

I

Introduction

Iceland (in Icelandic, Ísland), officially Republic of Iceland, island republic, lying just below the Arctic Circle in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 300 km (185 mi) south-east of Greenland, about 800 km (500 mi) north-west of Scotland, and about 1,000 km (620 mi) west of Norway. The country’s maximum length (from east to west) is about 485 km (300 mi); the country’s maximum width is about 305 km (190 mi) from north to south. Iceland has an area of 103,000 sq km (39,800 sq mi). The capital is Reykjavík.

II

Land and Resources

Iceland is roughly oval in shape, and the coastline, with a total length of about 5,955 km (3,700 mi), is deeply indented, especially in the west and north. On the western coast Faxaflói (Faxa Bay) and Breiðafjöður (Breiða Fiord) are the most important indentations. Projecting north-west between the latter and Húnaflói, one of the major indentations on the northern coast, is an irregularly formed peninsula fringed by precipitous cliffs. The peninsular coastline makes up about 30 per cent of the total for the island. Geologically young and volcanic in origin, Iceland consists predominantly of uninhabitable lava tablelands with mountainous outcroppings; the lowlands, situated mainly along the coast, especially in the south and south-west, occupy about 25 per cent of the total area. Almost all of Iceland’s population lives along the coast; nearly three quarters of them in the south-west, in Reykyavík and its environs.

Elevations in the uplands average between about 610 and 915 m (2,000 and 3,000 ft). Hvannadalshnúkur (2,119 m/6,952 ft), in the south-east, is the highest point. Nearly 15 per cent of the surface of Iceland is covered by snowfields and glaciers. Vatnajökull (Vatna Glacier), in the south-east, is the largest of Iceland’s 120 or more glaciers. It covers about 8,550 sq km (3,300 sq mi) and is equal in area to all of continental Europe’s glaciers combined. The island also has numerous small lakes and swift-flowing rivers, mainly of glacial origins.

Iceland lies atop one of the major fault lines in the Earth’s crust, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (see Plate Tectonics). As a result it is one of the most tectonically active places on Earth, with a wealth of volcanoes, thermal springs, and solfataras (volcanic vents emitting hot gases and vapours). Earthquakes are frequent but rarely cause serious damage. More than 200 volcanoes, including at least 30 that have had historically recorded eruptions, are situated on the island. Noteworthy among them are Mount Hekla (1,491 m/4,891 ft), which has erupted many times, including in 1766, 1947, and 1980, and nearby Laki, with about 100 separate craters. The vast lava fields created by the volcanoes cover almost 10 per cent of Iceland. Many eruptions have caused widespread devastation. In 1783, when the only known eruption of Laki occurred, molten lava, volcanic ashes and gases, and torrential floods resulting from melting ice and snow led to the deaths of more than 9,000 people, ruined large tracts of arable land, and destroyed about 80 per cent of the livestock on the island. In 1963 an ocean-floor volcano erupted off the south-western coast of Iceland, creating Surtsey Island. In 1973 a volcano on Heimaey Island became active, forcing the evacuation of the island’s main town, Vestmannaeyjar.

Thermal springs are common in Iceland. Particularly numerous in the volcanic areas, the springs occur as geysers, as boiling mud lakes, and in various other forms. Geysir, from which the word “geyser” derives, is generally regarded as the most spectacular; it erupts at irregular intervals (of usually 5 to 36 hours), ejecting a column of boiling water up to about 60 m (200 ft) in height. Most buildings in the Reykjavík area are heated by water piped from nearby hot springs.

A

Climate

Iceland has a surprisingly mild and equable climate, given its high altitude and its proximity to the Arctic Circle. Oceanic influences, notably the North Atlantic Drift (a continuation of the Gulf Stream), moderate climatic conditions in all sections of the island. The mean annual temperature at Reykjavík is about 5° C (41° F), with a range from -0.6° C (31° F) in January to 11.1° C (52° F) in July. In the north-western, northern, and eastern coastal regions, subject to the effects of polar currents and drifting ice, temperatures are generally lower. Gales are frequent, especially during the winter, and heavy fogs may occur. Annual precipitation ranges between about 1,270 and 2,030 mm (50 and 80 in) along the southern coast, and is only about 510 mm (20 in) along the northern coast. The southern slopes of some of Iceland’s interior mountains can receive as much as 4,570 mm (about 180 in) of precipitation a year.

B

Plants and Animals

The vegetation of Iceland is of the arctic European type. Grass and heather are abundant along the southern coast, affording pasture for sheep and other livestock. Extensive forests probably existed on the island in prehistoric times, but in the present day trees, such as birch and spruce, are relatively scarce; even after reforestation programmes, begun in the 1960s, less than 2 per cent of Iceland is forested. Bilberries and crowberries are the only kinds of fruits that grow on the island. The arctic fox was the only land mammal in Iceland at the time of the first human settlement. Reindeer were introduced about 1770; rodents were brought in on ships. There are no reptiles, frogs, or toads. About 100 species of birds inhabit the island; many of these species are aquatic, among them the whistling swan and several kinds of duck; the duck colonies at Lake Mývatn, in the north, are the largest and most varied in the world. The eider duck is valued for its down. Whales and seals live off the coast, as do cod, haddock, halibut, and herring. Many salmon and trout inhabit Iceland’s freshwater rivers and lakes.