Sudden weather change

Frequent and rapid changes in weather are common due to Iceland's location close to the meeting point of contrasting weather systems and opposing sea currents. Several changes have occurred since the settlement, the centuries were warm, bur a long cold period followed lasting into the 20th century.

Average temperatures have gradually increased since 1920. Short periods of intensely cold weather with sea ice have occurred from time to time. The unstable climate has influenced the Icelandic language, which has rich choice of word, phrases and expressions that describe conditions. There is always plenty to talk about when the conversation turns to the weather. Polls indicate that Icelanders are quite satisfied with their country.

The population has grown rapidly, having almost tripled in the last 100 years to reach 290,000. All the same, this is one of Europe's smallest populations whilst also being one of its most affluent. The nations wealth is built on the resources of the surrounding ocean and on the resourcefulness of the Icelandic people themselves.

The northern districts

North Iceland is a diverse region, geologically, culturally and socially. Mývatn probably comes to mind first when people look to experience the areas unique natural wonders. There are first-class tourist facilities around Mývatn as there are in nearby Húsavík, where visitors can pop into the Whale Museum or go on a whale-watching trip.

The Herring Era Museum in the town of Siglufjörður is specially designed so that visitors feel they are going back in time and that they are themselves taking part in the Icelandic herring adventure. Hólar and Hofsós, in Skagafjörður, attract a great number of tourists. They are seeped in the history of Iceland and are important parts of the nations rich heritage. A museum dedicated to the Vínland settlers and to more recent emigrants to North America has been opened at Hofsós, where a number of old buildings have been restored to their original style.

This development has been a great success and Hofsós is one of the most visited sites in North Iceland. There are so many sites of historical interest in the Skagafjörður district that visitors should allow plenty of time to explore the area and soak up the atmosphere of past centuries. Grettis Saga is based on events that took place in West Húnathing, including Miðfjörður and Drangey, in Skagafjörður. Most visitors to North Iceland, however, head for the regions main town, Akureyri, which has a distinctive charm of its own.

Akureyri can supply everything its visitors rewire, both in summer and in winter. It is but a short distance from the town to unspoilt and varied countryside. Some of the country's most extensive skiing facilities can be found on the slopes of Hlíðarfjall. A large river delta has been designated as a nature reserve where Svarfaðardalur meets the northeast coast of Eyjafjörður.

There are a large number of lakes in North Iceland and some of the country's most famous salmon rivers run through the region. One place not mentioned so far that everyone should visit at least once is the island of Grímsey. This northerly outpost is unbelievably lively despite its remoteness and tiny population. Visitors can also take the unique opportunity of crossing the Arctic Circle, which passes through the island.

Björk

Björk Guðmundsdóttir is without doubt the best known living Icelander. She is an international star who sells millions of discs all over the world. She was born on 21 November 1965 in Reykjavík, Björk herself says that she was regarded as being "different" from the age of 11. She has always been somewhat eccentric with her own style of dress that does not follow normal fashions. she started music school at 6 years of age, learning flute and piano while at the same time coming into contact with leading musicians. At home, the music of the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Frank Zappa and others filled the house and had a great influence on Björk. In July 1993, her Debut disc was released. It was immediately popular both in Iceland and abroad. That disc opened many doors for Björk and won countless awards. Her second release, Post, came out in 1995. It was no less varied and entertaining than her earlier release. Björk's third disc was Homogenic, which appeared in 1997. It reflected her roots and its musical style showed distinct Icelandic influences. A long tour followed as she performed at over 40 concerts. Björk has released two discs since, Vespertine and Medulla, and her star continues to rise and shine brightly.

Mývatn Nature Baths

The residents of the Mývatn district have enjoyed bathing in hot pools for over 1,000 years. They live in a region where there are gullies filled with warm water, boiling springs and steam jets uncontaminated with sulphur of other pollutants. One of the early bishops blessed a steam vent early in the 13th century and it was used continuously until 1940. The same steam bath was restored to its original form in 1996 and is now preserved. It proved to be a popular health spa and meeting place and plans were drawn up to develop the site. Considerable financial investment led to the opening of the Mývatn Nature Baths in June 2004. The facilities are excellent. The environment in the Mývatn district plays no little part in the success of the project. Over 30,000 people visited the baths in the first three months after the opening and its future looks assured.

East Iceland

East Iceland is where many present-day visitors land, disembarking from the Norræna ferry, which dicks in Seyðisfjördur where passengers from Denmark, Norway and the Faeroe Islands disembark.

Skaftafell National Park is an area equalled by few others. Nature has created a magnificent environment. Many other parts of the region are stunning examples of natural beauty, for instance Suðursveit and Hornafjörður, Lön and LonsörAIfi, Breiðdalur and Borgarfjörður, attracting large numbers of visitors year after year.

The scenery in Borgarfjörður is esecially memorable. Colorful stones can be found in the valley and there is a museum in memory of Johannes Kjarval. Every town has its own attractions and East Icelanders have brought the bast out of each place rather than compete among themselves. There ia a natural history museum in Neskaupsstaður, a war museum in Reyðarfjörður, a maritime museum in Eskifjörður, and a unique stone collection in Stöðvarfjörður.

Hallormsstaðaskögur and the nearby River Lagarfljöt attract visitors, not least because of the minster that is said to live in the murky depths. Sailing trips take visitors up and down the river, and the old farm at Burstarfell built in the 18th century, should not be missed. There are town and natural history museums in Hornafjörður.

Swimming Pools in Iceland

Iceland probably has more swimming pools than any other country in proportion to its population. There are around 200 all over the land. Of these, 160 are geothermally heated while the rest use oil, electricity or waste heat. About 30 of the pools are not open to the public (e.g. school swimming pools). On top of this there are dozens of natural, hot pools. Almost all Icelanders can swim and all schoolchildren receive swimming lessons. Swimming is widely recognized as an ideal form of physical exercise and it might well be said that the country as a whole is an enormous public health spa, with steam baths, saunas and water massages in addition to the pools. Outdoor pools are common because heating costs are rarely considerable. Figured for 2002 show that on average, Icelanders visited a swimming pool 15 times that year. Geothermal energy is one of our most important natural resources. It accounts for 60% of all energy used in the country. Icelanders well understand the need to carefully develop and nurture this precious resource. Geothermal power stations can also reduce the need for hydroelectric installations and thus satisfy the demands of both environmentalists and energy suppliers.

Northern Lights in Iceland

The solar wind is a constant flow of atomic particles from the surface of the sun. These particles travel at extremely high speeds as they approach the Earth. they are generally repelled by the gravitational field, although some of them enter our atmosphere. When the charged particles collide with gas molecules, energy is released similar to fluorescent light. This light is called the Aurora Borealis of Northern Lights. The lights, which shimmer and shift due to the constant movement of the particles, are normally only visible near the North and South Poles because of the structure of the Earths magnetic field. Many tourists come to Iceland especially to watch the spectacular displays of Northern Lights. They are more clearly visible away from the Reykjavík area, where there are fewer streetlamps lighting up the surroundings.