Fun facts about Iceland

Here are 10 Fun Facts About Iceland

1. It‘s the safest country in the world. Iceland has the lowest crime rate in the world. The population is small around 370,0000 and the crime rate is very low.
2. A large section of Iceland is covered in glaciers or about a quarter of its total size. The landscape is unbelievable and has an incredible variety of things to see. If you want to go there you can buy your tour here: https://mountaineers.is/tours/
3. The Icelandic horses are a unique brand. The Vikings first brought them over from Europe. The horses are pony-sized and it’s the only horse breed in the world that can do five types of walks while other breeds can only perform three or four.
4. There is a penis museum in Reykjavik, which is probably the only museum in the world to contain a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all the various types of mammal found in a single country. The museum contains a collection of more than 250 penises so a lot to see there. 
5. Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It’s a very active country, geologically. The country has more than 125 volcanic mountains, many still being active. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010 caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over 6 days in April 2010, stranding hundreds of thousands of people.
6. Many Icelanders believe in elves, trolls, and other mystic beings. There are many stories and legends about these creatures. People build tiny wooden elf houses in their gardens for elves to live in. Black sand beach in Vik, the basalt rock formation called Reynisdrangar sticks up of the Atlantic like fingers. Folklore tales explain that these rock formations are trolls frozen in time.
7. Here in Iceland, we don´t have a McDonald’s outlet but you can find KFC, Taco Bell, and Dominos. McDonald’s first outlet opened in Iceland in 1993 but the global economic crisis put McDonald’s out of business. Value of the Icelandic króna, the official currency of the country, dropped horrendously and import cost went high. Instead, you can try traditional Icelandic dishes like a puffin, dried fish, shark and sheep’s head.
8. An Icelandic swimming pool is a unique thing to see. Most of them are outdoor swimming pools and open all year round. The swimming pools are filled with warm geothermal water, great for relaxing. Even better in the cold when it’s snowing.
9. Icelanders love ice cream, even in stormy weather. First of all, it‘s comfort food, and every day in Iceland is an ice-cream-day all year round. There‘s been an explosion in the ice cream business and you can find various ice cream shops in Reykjavik. We recommend you try the Icelandic version of McFlurry (Bragðarefur) with a selection of candies, fruits, nuts, and sauces.
10. Naming traditions in Iceland are different from most other naming systems in the modern Western world. A persons last name indicates the first name of their father or in some cases mother, followed by -son („son“) or -dóttir („daughter“). Some family names do exist in Iceland f.e. football star and the son of the owner of Mountaineers of Iceland, Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen. Icelanders don‘t have surnames in the traditional sense. First names are almost always used when addressing someone.