Iseland

Iceland is had on the island with the same name in northern part of Atlantic ocean. In the north it is flowed about by Greenland sea, in the east - Norwegian sea, in the northwest Denmark strait abjoints Iceland from Greenland the Square of Iceland - 103 thousand sq. km, the population - 264  thousand persons (90 % from them live in cities). Capital - Reykjavic.

Settling of Iceland has begun in IX century. The bulk of colonists was compounded by Vikings - natives of Norway. For many years Iceland was under authority at first Norway, and then Denmark, but always used wide enough self-management. Since 1944 Iceland - an independent state.

The National composition of the population is exclusively unimodal: more than 99 % of the population - Icelanders. Thanks to an island rule of Iceland, iceland tongue almost did not test external influences and remained is very close to drevneskandinavskomu to tongue of Vikings. On confession the majority of Icelanders - lutherans.

The island Bulk occupy a plateau in altitude 400-800  m over which hills in altitude to 1500  tower; m and numerous burning mountains. In total in Iceland about 200 burning mountains, 30 from them are very active. The most known iceland burning mountains - Hekla, Varnishs, Askja, Hvannadalshnukjur. The extensive squares are covered lavovymi by fields. Hot wells and geysers are very numerous in Iceland also.

A country Climate subarctic, marine. Rains and fogs are very frequent. In the winter the temperature compounds nearby 0  °C, and in the summer air gets warm all to 10-11  °C. Vegetation of Iceland very poor, almost all terrain represents the petrous stream gravels covered with mosses and lichens or peatbogs. Significant spaces on a broader scale are deprived vegetation: these are young lavovye fields and icehouses (ices it is covered more than 1/10 squares of Iceland). To icehouses Iceland - the country of ices - is obliged also by the name which was given to it by the first settlers.

The ice and flame Joint, the neighbourhood of the huge icehouses, fumed burning mountains and hot geysers is a unique and unique feature of Iceland.

Except Reykjavic in which lives more than 40 % of the population of the country, the big cities in Iceland are not present. From the most significant it is possible to name Koupavogur and Akjurejri.