Fun Facts about Iceland (according to the internet)

Many of the listings have two or more of these peculiar things that are not on the island. I am particularly struck by the amount of emphasis there is on the internet due to the lack of famous hamburger chain. However, I would like to make a note. There is a restaurant called Metro which is basically the same one that represents the famous red-haired clown. The reasons are explained by the internet, that as a result of the economic crisis of 2008, it was quite expensive to continue maintaining the rights of the trademark. But the menu, in essence, is the same. That thing about the trees is a fun fact. Yes there are, but they are not as high and abundant as in other parts of the world. It is thought that the first settlers (better known as Vikings) destroyed the trees that were within the territory, and therefore came the fame of not having trees. Today, the government maintains an effort to reforest in those places that both, the climate and the soil, allow. The lack of ants and mosquitoes, it is speculated, is for climatological reasons, it should be noted that there is a species of flies in areas near lakes or streams.

According to the internet, some pertinent facts about Iceland revolve around the quality of life of the small country. The high life expectancy, safety and level of happiness of the Icelanders have been highlighted over the years in various publications. Given the data, there is very little to add. However, a fact that I did find curious is the comparison between volcanoes and footballers, because we all know that the best measure is in football players. And yes, there are twice as many sheeps as there are inhabitants, beee!

In many of the lists these two pieces of information about the political history of the country appear. The Icelandic parliament (or Alþingi) was founded in 930, so it is considered the oldest in the world (there will be those who have other information). It should be noted that for many years Iceland was a territory under Danish rule. In 1980, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became not only the fourth president of Iceland, she is also the first woman democratically elected to that position (the key is in “democratically”). Having been in office for sixteen years, she is also, to date, the longest-serving woman in the world.

About Iceland many things can be highlighted per capita: books sold and writers, one of the largest consumers of coffee and Coca-Cola, one of the countries with the most vehicles and pools, one of the countries with the most Miss Universe(s), the best team of handball, the strongest men in the world, those who go to the movies the most ... per capita.

I would not like to dwell too much on each of these data, but the internet seems to have a consensus of its relevance. About the beliefs of the elves by the Icelanders it is said that 80% believe in them (although I have my doubts). Also, the restrictions on alcohol are curious, that until 1989 the sale of beer was legalized, that Iceland has a penis museum, that they are direct descendants of the Vikings and that they have the custom of leaving babies in their strollers outside the establishments.

Something that causes a lot of curiosity is the surname system that Icelanders have, ending in -dóttir or -son, to refer to being the son of * insert father's name *. In addition, several sites are interested in the rigidity when naming children, since there is an entity in charge of approving (or disapproving) the registration of certain names. Also, it is interesting to note that geyser (geysir) is a word that comes from this Nordic language. Another detail within the linguistic world is the fact that one of every ten Icelanders publishes a book. It should be noted that everything published in Icelandic is preserved, since there is an interest of the nation to not lose the language.

Nature is perhaps the most important tourist attraction in Iceland. And I say perhaps because maybe there is something that I am ignoring at this moment and I would not want to err in the information that I present to you. So it is not surprising that within the data that are most recurrent in these lists, are those that have to do with nature. Mainly geothermal energy, a resource with which Icelandic homes are supplied with hot water, in addition, it is the way in which electricity is produced, making it one of the countries with the most clean energy. It should be noted that tap water for consumption is one of the purest, and therefore, some lists emphasize that it is not necessary to buy bottled water (which is true, if you come to visit, don’t). The purity of the water is related to another of the great natural attractions, especially today: volcanoes. As we have already mentioned, there are more volcanoes than footballers. The activity of volcanoes has configured the geographical peculiarities of Iceland and even recreational activities (if you come to Iceland, you have to visit a volcano, especially now that there is activity) . There is also interest in the Northern Lights, one of the natural spectacles that generates the most delight among tourists, although unfortunately, many times they miss it because Iceland has a bad habit of having clouds.

The fermented shark, the whale, the dried cod, the skyr, the puffin ... traditional Icelandic cuisine has many options that are quite attractive and that cause an impact on those who visit the island. Personally, they are all acquired tastes. For example, until the time I write these lines I have not tasted the fermented shark, of everything else, there are some things that are to my liking and others that I better pass. I would like to add that this traditional food has to do with the location, with long winters, with little possibility of planting other types of vegetables or fruits, many of these foods tell us about a historical past and the ingenious ways of preserving the food that they could obtain, especially through fishing. That tradition has not disappeared, but the taste has been lost among the youngest due to the introduction of other cuisines, modern life and so on. Although there are no McDonalds, chains and restaurants specializing in hamburgers are the most common. There are also a lot of pizzerias, restaurants serving Indian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese food, and yes friends, even tacos!

This made me hesitate. I don't know where this information comes from, or what year they are taking as a reference, but I have seen several sites that replicate a fact that is even funny when you think about it: in Iceland there are no traffic lights other than in two cities. I did not want to remain in doubt, so I traveled in the most convenient way, through Google Maps, to a small town called Selfoss and there I found a smiling traffic light. You be the judge.

Many of the Spanish-speaking sites on Icelandic curiosities are aimed at the Spanish public. I suppose that for the interest of visiting such a different country and the closeness they have, unlike the rest of us from Latin America. Here is a very strange fact. One of the curiosities that is repeated the most in the places I visited is a law that allowed the killing of Basques in the Westfjords. But since it seems that these sites copied the homework, like Mr. Bean, I would like to add other information that connects Iceland with the Spanish-speaking world.

• Since we like to put Iceland under the parameters of soccer, the Mexican Stephany Mayor belonged to the Þór / KA Akureyri club and in 2017 she was named player of the year
• Some Icelanders emigrated to Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century
• The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges had a fascination with Iceland since his childhood, being an important influence within his work (he even published a poem dedicated to the Land of Fire and Ice).
• The famous killer whale Keiko was born in Iceland and was captured near the island of Vestmannaeyjar. In 1985, he was sold to the famous Reino Aventura amusement park, which would later become what is now Six Flags, in Mexico City. At the request of the followers of the orca (after his famous participation in the film where he played Willy), Keiko was released in Iceland, his native water (?), but being an animal that most of his life was in captivity Keiko sought to have contact with humans, reaching Norway where he would be until his last years.