In Iceland, there’s actually an app that will help you ensure that you’re not somehow related to your date. With how small Iceland’s population is in comparison with so many other countries around the world, it’s more useful than it might sound.
Here are five interesting facts about Iceland, a country that was first settled in the 9th century.
5 Iceland Facts
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- There are more than 130 active volcanoes in Iceland. (source) In Iceland, the largest volcano is called Bárðarbunga, and it can be found in South Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park.
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- Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world. (source) Iceland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and is consistently ranked one of the safest countries on Earth. Iceland is considered to have an outstanding sense of equality, and it’s the only country to be a member of NATO and have no standing army.
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- In Iceland’s National Museum, there is a McDonald’s cheeseburger from 2009 on display. (source) At one point in time, there were some McDonald’s locations in Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik, but the financial crash of 2008 began the downfall of the popular American chain restaurant in Iceland, and there are no branches there today. In Iceland’s National Museum, there’s a McDonald’s meal encases in glass, and the food is from 2009.
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- More than 60% of Iceland’s population lives in the capital city of Reykjavik. (source) Not only is Reykjavik the most northern capital city on Earth, but more than half of the population in Iceland resides there. The city is a popular tourist destination and is where much of Iceland’s governmental, economic and cultural activity occurs.
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- Iceland uses more hydropower than any other country in the world. (source) As a source of renewable energy, Iceland uses hydropower for their most common source of electricity more than any other country, using an estimated 39,305.04 kWh per capita. Iceland even uses nearly twice as much hydropower as Norway, who uses the 2nd most with 24,326.10 kWh per capita.
The Nordic island country of Iceland is very unique in so many ways. If you have any more fun facts to share about Iceland and its storied history, let us know about them in the comments below.
