Iceland is a country in northern Europe. It is the least populous of the Nordic countries and the second smallest; it has a population of about 313,000 and a total area of 103,000 km˛. It is capital and largest city is Reykjavík.

Due to its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape in various ways.

The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands.

Because of the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment and nature.

Iceland is an island of contrasts and colours.

Lakes cover about 3% of the area, only 23% are vegetated, it is covered at 63% by desert, and at 11% by glaciers.

There are at least 11 glaciers in Iceland, from 11 square km Snaefellsjokull to 8300 square km Vatnajokull.

Iceland counts also 32 volcanoes, that are or have been actives.

Iceland is changing all the time. In 1967 a new volcanic island named Surtsey was formed off the south coast. It is today still there and a home of sea birds and seals colonies.

Incredible colours, black beaches, cascades, hot springs, geysers and glaciers. That is Iceland. There is more and of a great importance, the Icelandic people, the Icelandic sagas, the Icelandic fairy tales, the trolls and the fairies; the Vikings, the runes; just to name some.

When you think of or prononce Iceland, you feel cold; but it is all the contrary, it is hot and boiling underneath.

It is also alive and in constant motion, as the American and the Eurasian plates meet in Iceland.

There is a special place in Iceland, the National Park of Thingvellir, where you can stand just in between of the two plates.

The Icelandic Sagas written in the Viking age, from 10th century and beyond relate all information we have on those who first discovered Iceland and who first settled there.

One of these Sagas is Landnámabók (Book of Settlement), book compiled in the early 12th century, 200 years after the first settlements, and from Islendingabok that was written in the 10th century by a man named Ari Thorhilsson,also named The Wise.

He tells about the Irish monks called Papar by the Vikings, who arrived in Iceland at least 100 years before the Vikings. They seem though, to have left shortly after the Vikings arrived, but there is still a small island off the east coast that is named after them, Papey.

Landmannabok tells us about a man named Floki Vilgerdarson, named also Hrafna-Floki that sailed to Iceland deliberately. He was not the first to land on the island though.

He settled for one winter, and it was a cold winter. He was the one that named the island Iceland when he spotted ice drifting in the fjords and that name have remained.

The book says that the first permanent settler was Ingolfur Arnason, a Norwegian chieftain that settled in Iceland with his family in 874.

He choose the place for his settlement that is today the capital Reykjavik.

The Icelandic Sagas relate also that many Norse chieftains followed Ingolfur with their families and slaves. People of Norwegian, Irish and Scottish origin. It is said that the Irish and Scottish people were slaves and servants of the Norsvegian chiefs.

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