7 Facts about Iceland

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• published: 08 Jul 2015
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The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik and the population is a mere 330 thousand. What are the things that you can do in Iceland? What do you know about this country? Learn, Share, Subscribe ------------------------------------------------ Watch the entire series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbZJ71IJGFRTa_XMM9a4hDh2Yo9CsZzOR Follow: https://plus.google.com/+blinder00 https://twitter.com/Sebastian2Go https://www.facebook.com/official7facts ------------------------------------------------ In this brief video you can find seven little known facts about Iceland. More information about the video content bellow: 1. Did you know that, according to the 2012 Global Peace Index, Iceland is officially the most peaceful country in the world? The index looks at things like violent crime, political instability and the percentage of people in prison. Locals are so comfortable with how safe their country is that they’re more than happy to leave their babies outside shops and restaurants while they’re inside. 2. There are no surnames or family names in Iceland. There are exceptions to this. There are a few family names in Iceland, mostly Danish. For the majority of Icelanders people have a last name that is comprised from their father's (or mother's) first name with the addition of -dóttir (-daughter) or –son. This means that a member of a family will have a different last name to both of their parents and their siblings of a different gender. 3. An 18th-century volcanic eruption almost forced the abandonment of the country. For eight months in 1783 and 1784, the catastrophic Laki eruption spewed forth 30 billion tons of lava and hundreds of millions of tons of ash and sulfuric acid. The toxic fog poisoned Iceland’s plants and vegetation and decimated its crops. The resulting “Haze Famine” killed 9,000 people—a fifth of the country’s population—and led the Danish government to briefly consider evacuating the island’s remaining residents to Denmark. 4. Icelandic television was not broadcast on Thursdays until 1987. Iceland’s government-run television station, which began broadcasting in 1966 and was the country’s sole channel for 20 years, went dark every Thursday until 1987 in order to promote human interaction. It also did not broadcast during the vacation month of July until 1983. 5. Because of its northerly position, the sun shines in Iceland nearly 24 hours a day during the peak of summer. In mid-winter, the area experiences the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) phenomenon on clear nights, and it’s only light about four to five hours each day. 6. Icelandic horses are one of Iceland’s natural treasures. There are over 80,000 Icelandic horses in the country, known for their friendly,docile nature and unique fifth gait. The horses are so beloved, and their purity and bloodlines so protected, that no other horses can enter the country and once an Icelandic horse leaves, it can never return. 7. While very close to Danish and Norwegian, the Icelandic language remains totally unique. Words with far too many consonants abound, and syllables seem to just blur together. Unlike other languages that have changed drastically over the centuries, Icelandic remains very close to its original roots. A Bible from the early 1500s (the first one printed in Icelandic, which can be found in a folk museum in Skógar) can still easily be read by Icelanders today. More Info: http://thetravelhack.com/iceland/12-things-didnt-know-iceland/ https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/the-10-weirdest-things-about-icelanders http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-should-know-about-iceland http://www.whygoiceland.com/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-iceland.html http://www.dangerous-business.com/2012/03/14-fun-facts-about-iceland/ Music: Steve Combs – Rockford Remix http://freemusicarchive.org/ Images: http://www.helpingbrainz.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Helping-Brainz-Peace-Mission.jpg http://wowair.us/media/archive/co.uk/magazine/2012/10/wow-air-imagine-peace-tower.jpg http://www.icelandicroots.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Tryggvi-Viking-Festival.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Laki,_Iceland_2012-07_F.JPG http://www.i-fink.com/wp-content/uploads/iceland-volcano.jpg http://cdn1.tion.ro/2015/06/cable-tv-no-signal-generic.jpg http://www.bandt.com.au/information/uploads/2014/10/old-tv-1260x840.jpg http://unlockingkiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/015.jpg http://unlockingkiki.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/IMG_3404.jpg http://www.upnairobi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/by_psykz-d4alc8l.gif https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/IcelandicHorseInWinter.jpg http://www.wildwomenexpeditions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/icelandic_horse.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Icelandic_handwriting.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Icelandic_Text_Extract.jpg