Geography

Iceland is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, located between Greenland to the west and Great Britain to the southeast. At 103,000 sq km, it is the second largest island in Europe, following Great Britain, and the 18th largest island in the world. The coastline is 4,970 km, and Iceland maintains a 200 nautical-miles exclusive economic zone. 

The country is often described as a land of fire and ice. The colours on its flag even represent the abundance of water, fire (lava), and ice on this volcanic island. It is one of Earth’s youngest land masses. It is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the European and North-American tectonic plates meet. Even today, the country is growing by about 5 cm per year, as it splits wider at the points where two tectonic plates meet.

Iceland is the least populated country in Europe. Almost 80% of the country is uninhabited, and much of its terrain consists of plateaux, mountain peaks, and fertile lowlands. There are many long, deep fjords and glaciers, including Europe’s largest, Vatnajökull. Today, Iceland is largely barren and void of trees. This was not always the case, as Iceland was quite forested in earlier times. This is mostly the result of overuse and erosion. 

Iceland has very mild, coastal weather, stemming from the Gulf Stream. The weather is also affected by the East Greenland polar current curving south-eastwards round the north and east coasts. The average summer temperature in Reykjavik is 10.6°C/51°F in July, with average highs of 24.3°C/76°F. The average winter temperature in Reykjavik is similar to New York City's, about 0°C/32°F in January (average highs are 9.9°C/50°C). The weather can be very unpredictable and often changes in an instant.