Facts About Iceland

• The local police do not carry guns
  
  
• Iceland is one of the few countries in the world where you can see red Northern Lights

• Midnight Sun is an annual occurrence taking place from June to July
  
  
• Iceland has a naming committee that approves or declines people’s names
  
  
• There are more than 30 active volcanic regions scattered across the island
  
  
• The water in Iceland is extremely pure and refreshing and you can drink it from every tap in Iceland. Best of all, it’s completely free!
  
  
• You can also drink water in most rivers in Iceland. The further out of the city you are, the purer the water tends to be. Enjoy it and fill up a water bottle when exploring the country
  
  
• Over 10% of the country is covered by glaciers

• You will find a geothermal swimming pool in almost any town in the country
  
  
• Icelanders’ favorite sweets are ice cream and black licorice
  
  
• Icelandic wildlife are not particularly threatening, with no snakes, no bears, no mosquitos and no poisonous bugs
  
  
• Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are fairly common, but the locals are trained to react appropriately from a young age.
  
  
• Iceland’s only native mammal is the Arctic fox, which arrived during the ice age.

• The country has no trains or railway system
  
  
• There are no McDonald's in Iceland. The last McDonald's cheeseburger sold in Iceland is still on display as a museum exhibit. Visitors to the National Museum in Iceland can see the meal, dating back to 2009, encased in glass.
  
  
• From infancy to about 2 years old, Icelandic children sleep outside in baby carriages for their noon nap
  
  
• All Icelanders can access a website called Íslendingabók to trace their heritage back to the Vikings and even see how they are related to other Icelanders. 

• Icelanders always address each other by their first names, even if they might be speaking to the president
  
  
• Icelandic horses have a unique gate, tölt and have not been mixed with other breeds for over 1,000 years

• The Icelandic language has numerous words which do not have any direct English translation
  
  
• Iceland was one of the last places in the world to be settled by humans