10 Interesting Facts About Iceland

Iceland. A country known mostly because of its incredibly beautiful and unique nature. Huge lava fields, thousands of waterfalls, active volcanoes and majestic glaciers. However, thinking, that nature is the only amazing thing about this country is definitely not true. Let’s, therefore, look at 10 interesting facts about Iceland, that you probably didn’t know about.

1. If parents want to give their child a name, that hasn’t been used before, it has to be approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee. If the name is too eccentric, the child might not get it. That’s why, when you take a look at some Icelandic dating site, (of course by pure accident) it’s really possible you’ll see still the same names repeating over and over again. So no Esmeraldas or Diors here. A name also can’t consist of letters C and Z, because the Icelandic alphabet doesn’t use those.
2. The national sport is handball, however, nowadays football is definitely on the top of the popularity rank.
3. It’s forbidden to keep snakes, lizards or turtles as a pet here. It’s mainly because the import of animals itself is really restricted and these animals are likely to bring various diseases to the island.
4. Since 2004, strip clubs have been completely banned in Iceland ( I’m so sorry guys). This country is known for its equal approach regarding both sex, so it’s absolutely unthinkable of women to do such a job.
5. Another thing that has been banned for a long period of time was beer, seriously. Fortunately for us, this lasted only till 1989, however, it’s still possible to buy it only in specialised liquor stores, not in supermarkets.
6. Icelandic police officers don’t carry any gun. The criminality rate is the lowest in the world, despite every third citizen owns a gun. So how come, that there aren’t that many shootings like for example in the US? The answer is simple. Getting a gun is not like buying a candy, you have to pass lots of examinations which usually take around 3 years.
7. Iceland was the first country in the world having a female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, which was elected in 1980.
8. Icelanders keep their children to sleep outside, no matter how bad the weather is. They believe its healthier for them and they are sort of getting ready for what they may expect during their whole life 😀
9. A comedian Jón Gnarr was elected mayor of Reykjavík because, in his campaign, he promised, that he’s not going to fulfil any of his promises. You can read more about this funny mayor in his book Gnarr! How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World.
10. There are many weird dishes you may find in Iceland, but one of the most bizarre is definitely raw puffin hear, that is considered a delicacy here.

BONUS FACT

Majority of Icelanders still believe in elves 🙂

If you liked the article and are curious of more than just 10  interesting facts about Iceland, let us know, we still have plenty to share with you. Or in case you want to explore it on your own, check our amazing day tours, where we’ll tell you even more.