Facts about Iceland - 30 things you (might) not have known

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Iceland is the land of volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs, Viking history and a language that has changed surprisingly little over the centuries. We have traveled to Iceland several times and I (Helena) have also lived here as an exchange student. Here we have collected 30 fun, exciting and sometimes quite unexpected facts about Iceland.

Facts about Iceland

Iceland is a small country of great contrasts. It is home to some of Europe's largest glaciers, a large number of active volcanic systems, and landscapes that are constantly changing due to geological forces.

But Iceland is just as interesting when it comes to history, language, traditions and culture. Did you know, for example, that beer was banned until 1989, that Icelanders still use a naming system with roots in the Viking Age and that the country has no railway? Here are 30 facts about Iceland!

1. Iceland became a republic in 1944

Iceland became an independent sovereign state in 1918, but was then still in a personal union with Denmark and had the Danish king as head of state. On 17 June 1944, the Republic of Iceland was proclaimed after a referendum. Today, the date is Iceland's National Day.

2. The Althing was founded as early as 930

Iceland's parliament, Alþingi or Althing, has its roots all the way back to the year 930. At that time, representatives from different parts of Iceland gathered at Þingvellir to make laws and resolve disputes.

The Althing is often described as one of the world's oldest parliaments, although its operations have not been completely uninterrupted throughout history. The place where the historic meetings were held is now part of the Þingvellir National Park.

3. Iceland elected the world's first female president in a democratic election

In 1980, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was elected President of Iceland, becoming the world's first woman to be democratically elected. She remained in office for 16 years, until 1996, and became an internationally recognized symbol of women's political participation.

4. Fewer than 400,000 people live in Iceland

Iceland had 394,324 inhabitants at the beginning of 2026. That's not very many considering that the country's area is just over 100,000 square kilometers. Large parts of the interior are also uninhabited, and a very large part of the population lives in Reykjavik and its surroundings.

5. Most Icelanders don't have common surnames

The Icelandic naming system differs from the Swedish one. Most people do not have a family name that is passed down from generation to generation, but instead use a patronymic or matronymic.

For example, a son of a man named Björn might be called Björnsson and a daughter Björnsdóttir. In everyday life, people are therefore normally addressed by their first names – even the president.

6. Iceland is part of the EEA but not the EU

Iceland is not a member of the EU, but it is a member of EFTA together with Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Through the EEA agreement, Iceland participates in the EU's internal market together with Norway and Liechtenstein. Iceland is also part of the Schengen cooperation.

7. Almost all electricity comes from renewable energy sources

Iceland has fantastic conditions for both hydropower and geothermal energy. In principle, all electricity is produced from renewable energy sources, primarily hydropower and geothermal energy. Heating is also special – around 97 percent comes from geothermal energy, according to Icelandic authorities.

8. Glaciers cover about a tenth of Iceland

Glaciers are an important part of the Icelandic landscape and cover about 10 percent of the country. The largest by far is Vatnajökull. But the glaciers are shrinking. Since the late 19th century, Iceland's glaciers have lost about 2,100 square kilometers in area.

9. Iceland has around 30 active volcanic systems

Iceland is located in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is one of the world's most volcanically active areas. The Icelandic Meteorological Institute says about 30 active volcanic systems.

Some of the most famous are Hekla, Katla, Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga. In addition, in the 2020s, the Reykjanes Peninsula has become very volcanically active again after several hundred years of relative calm.

10. Surtsey was born from the sea in the 1960s

The Icelandic island of Surtsey did not exist before 1963. A volcanic eruption beneath the sea surface south of the Westman Islands caused a completely new island to emerge from the Atlantic Ocean. The island has since been an important research area where scientists have been able to observe how plants and animals colonize completely new land. Regular visitors are therefore not allowed to go ashore.

11. Iceland lies on two continental plates that are sliding apart

Iceland lies on the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates. The plates move apart at a rate of about two centimeters per year, although the movement is not uniform everywhere.

In Þingvellir, the result is clearly visible in the landscape with faults and cracks. It is often said that you can ”walk between two continents” here – geologically the reality is a bit more complicated, but it is a good picture of what is happening.

12. Iceland still has no railway

Iceland still lacks rail traffic. There are no regular passenger trains, metro or trams. Those who travel around the island are instead required to travel by car, bus, plane and in some cases ferry.

13. Iceland has significantly more trees than rumor has it.

The old joke about Iceland goes something like this: ”What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? You get up.”

But the idea that Iceland has no trees or forests at all is a myth. Natural birch forests and planted forests exist, although forests only cover a small part of the country. Before human settlement, birch forests and shrubland are believed to have covered a much larger part of Iceland.

14. Iceland is famous for its lack of mosquitoes

Iceland is usually considered one of the very few inhabited countries where common mosquitoes have not established themselves. At Lake Mývatn, there can still be enormous numbers of small flying insects. The name means roughly ”mosquito water”, but the swarming insects are mainly whiteflies and other mosquito-like species that are not the same as our mosquitoes.

15. The Icelandic horse is a horse – not a pony

The Icelandic horse is small but strong and has lived in relative isolation in Iceland for more than a thousand years. Despite its size, the breed is considered a horse and not a pony. It is also famous for its extraordinary gaits. In addition to the walk, trot and gallop, many Icelandic horses can also tölt., and some even master flying passports.

16. Reykjavik has a museum full of penises

Yes, actually. Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik has a large collection of penises and other biological objects from a wide range of mammal species. We've been there – and it's definitely one of the more unusual museums we've visited.

17. Strong beer was banned until 1989

Iceland introduced alcohol prohibition in 1915. Wine and spirits were later allowed again, but beer with a higher alcohol content remained banned until March 1, 1989. Therefore, March 1 is still celebrated as Bjórdagurinn (Beer Day) in Iceland.

18. McDonald's disappeared from Iceland in 2009

Iceland used to have McDonald's restaurants, but the last of them closed in 2009, following the financial crisis. The hamburger chain has not returned to the country since then. However, no burger-craving Icelander need go hungry – there are plenty of both local burger joints and other international fast food chains.

19. Svið is a traditional Icelandic sheep's head

One of Iceland's more spectacular traditional dishes is svið – a boiled sheep's head. The dish originated in a time when it was important to preserve as much of the animal as possible. Svið is still eaten in Iceland and is often served in conjunction with traditional Icelandic food.

20. Many Icelanders start the day with lýsi

Lýsi, cod liver oil, has long been a part of Icelandic food culture. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, among other things – something not entirely unimportant in a country with dark winters. You can still come across the bottle at the breakfast buffet. A little hutt for breakfast, anyone?

21. Þorrablót offers some of Iceland's most talked-about dishes

Under the winter festival of Þorrablót Traditional Icelandic food, Þórramatur, is served. Here you can find things like fermented shark, sheep's head, black pudding, liver sausage, smoked lamb and various preserved parts of sheep. The food is sometimes accompanied by the brandy Brennivín, which is usually called the "Black Death".

22. Iceland has 13 Santas

In Iceland, you don't have to settle for just one Santa Claus. Here you can find 13 Christmas gifts, Santa Claus, who traditionally descend from the mountains one by one during the 13 nights before Christmas. Each one has its own personality and quirks. Among them are Skyrgámur, who loves skyr, and Hurðaskellir, who enjoys slamming doors.

23. Icelanders like to create their own words instead of borrowing them

The Icelandic language to create new words from old Icelandic components instead of automatically borrowing English expressions. For example, telephone is called phone, an old word for wire, and computer is called toll, a modern word formed from speak (number) and völva (fortune-teller).

24. Icelandic words almost always have the stress first

A practical rule for anyone trying to pronounce Icelandic is to put the main stress on the first syllable of the word. That makes at least a small part of the language easy. Then all that's left is things like Eyjafjallajökull, Þingvellir and Eyjafjarðarsveit...

25. Huldufólk have a strong place in Icelandic folk belief

Elves, trolls and Huldufólk, the hidden people, have a long tradition in Icelandic stories and folklore. There are plenty of stories about rocks and places where supernatural beings are said to reside. How many Icelanders literally believe in them is another question, however, so it is wise to distinguish between living folklore and actual religious belief.

26. Iceland's winters are milder than its latitude suggests

The name Iceland doesn't exactly sound warm, and the country is far north. Yet winters along the coast are relatively mild thanks to the North Atlantic and ocean currents.

In Reykjavik, temperatures often hover around freezing in the winter, but strong winds, precipitation, and rapidly changing weather can make it feel much bleaker.

27. Íslendingabók keeps track of the kinship of Icelanders

Iceland's long tradition of genealogy has resulted in the large genealogical database Icelandic Book, where Icelanders can search for relatives.

It has given rise to the enduring story of a special ”dating app” that Icelanders use to check that they are not related before going home together. It’s a funny story – but an exaggerated one. The database is primarily a genealogy tool.

28. Iceland has played many other worlds on film

Iceland's dramatic landscapes have attracted numerous international film and TV productions.

Scenes have been shot here for Game of Thrones, Interstellar, Prometheus, Batman Begins, Die Another Day and several other major productions. Lava fields, glaciers and black beaches apparently work perfectly as everything from fantasy realms to alien planets.

29. The Mountain from Game of Thrones is Icelandic

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is both an Icelandic strongman and actor. He became internationally known as the enormous Gregor ”The Mountain” Clegane in Game of Thrones. He has also competed in some of the world's largest strongman competitions and won World's Strongest Man 2018.

30. Iceland has an unusually strong literary tradition

Iceland's literary history stretches back to the medieval sagas and the works of Snorri Sturluson. In 1955, Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Even today, books play a big role in Icelandic culture. A particularly strong tradition is the Jólabókaflóðið, the ”Christmas Book Flood,” when lots of new books are published before Christmas and books are popular Christmas gifts.

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