Iceland tour operator. Iceland on the world map: location, capital, sights

Authors: A. V. Shadsky (General information, Population, Economy), M. A. Arshinova (Nature), A. F. Limonov (Nature: geological structure and minerals), V. V. Roginsky (Historical essay), V. V. Gorbachev (Armed Forces), V. S. Nechaev (Health), V. I. Linder (Sports), A. V. Zimmerling (Literature), N. N. Mokhov (Music), E. Ya. Surits (Ballet), V. V. Minyaev (Cinema)Authors: A. V. Shadsky (General information, Population, Economy), M. A. Arshinova (Nature), A. F. Limonov (Nature: geological structure and minerals); >>

ICELAND (Ísland), Republic of Iceland (Lýð veldið Ísland).

General information

I. - a state in Europe. Located on about. Iceland, in the north. parts of the Atlantic In the north it is washed by the Greenland Sea, in the east by the Norwegian Sea, in the west by the Danish Strait. separates I. from Greenland. Pl. 103 thousand km 2. Us. 312.9 thousand people (2007). The capital is Reykjavik. The official language is Icelandic. The monetary unit is the Icelandic krone. In administrative terms, the territory of I. is divided into 23 regions (sisls), united by the Isl. statistics in 8 regions (table).

Region	Area, km 2	Population, thousand people	Administrative center
Vostochny (Eystyurland)	22,7	13,9	Egilsstadir
Westfjords (Westfjords)	9,4	7,3	Isafjordur
Western (Westurland)	9,6	15,5	Borgarnes
North-East (Nordurland Eistra)	22,0	28,8	Akureyri
Northwestern (Nordurland Vestra)	12,8	7,4	Soydaurkroukur
Capital (Hövydborgarsvaidi)	1,1	196,1	Reykjavik
Southern (Sudurland)	24,5	23,5	Selfoss
Southern Peninsula (Sydyrnes)	0,9	20,4	Keflavik

Regions of Iceland (2007)

I. - member of the UN (1946), NATO (1949), CE (1950), Sev. Council (1952), OSCE (1973), Org-tion economic. cooperation and development (1961), Europ. free trade associations (1970), IMF (1945), IBRD (1945), WTO (1995).

Political system

I. - unitary state. The constitution was adopted on 17/6/1944. The form of government is a parliamentary republic.

The head of state is the president. Legislator. power belongs to the parliament and the president, the executive. power to the president and government.

The President is elected for 4 years by direct secret ballot. A presidential candidate must be an Icelandic national, over 35 years of age, and have an impeccable reputation.

Supreme legislator. body - a unicameral parliament (althing). 63 deputies are elected for 4 years by universal equal direct secret ballot according to the system of proportional representation. Bills passed by the Althing are sent to the president for signature and, after his approval, become laws. If the president refuses to approve the bill, then it can only come into force if it is approved in a referendum.

The government - the Cabinet of Ministers - is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President. The Cabinet is responsible to the Althingi and in the event of a vote of no confidence in it, must resign.

India has a multi-party system. Major parties: Independence Party, Social Democratic alliance, Alliance of the Greens and the Left, Progressive Party, Liberal Party.

Nature

Relief

The coastline is approx. 5000 km. In the northwest, north and east, the rocky shores are dissected by numerous. bays (Fahsafloui, Hunaflowi) and fjords (Breida fjord, Isa fjord, Eyja fjord, etc.). Southwest and south. the shores are sandy, leveled. On the Snaefellsnes Peninsula there is a beach with yellow sand, unique for India (on the other coasts, the sand is black, volcanic). Surface I. preim. sublime. B. h. Islands is a volcanic. high plateau 500–900 m with large mountain ranges, including Vatnajökull, Eraivajokull (the highest point of India is the Hvannadalshnukur volcano, 2119 m), Mirdalsjokull (1480 m), Hofsjokull (1765 m), and others. Lowlands occupy less than 10% of the territory , in the main in the west and southwest. Lava fields (area up to 570 km 2), moraine and outwash plains are widespread.

From the north to the south-west of the country, a vast zone extends, in which b. including volcanoes. Total in I. approx. 200 volcanoes, including 26 active ones. For 1100 years St. 150 volcanic eruptions. The most characteristic are fissure-type volcanoes (Laki, Askya, and others). The most active volcano is Hekla (1491 m, last eruption in 2000). In 1963, as a result of an underwater eruption near the southwest. coast I. arose about. Surtsey. The combination of active volcanism and modern. glaciation leads to subglacial eruptions, in which there is a rapid melting of ice and the formation of powerful mud flows.

Geological structure and minerals

I. is located on the island of volcanic. origin, which is an exit above the surface of the ocean Mid-Atlantic Ridge, along the axis of which there is a separation and neoformation of the oceanic. bark (spreading). The island arose above an ascending flow of heated mantle matter (plume). The territory is composed of arr. Neogene-Quaternary basalts (the oldest are of middle Miocene age). In addition to basalts, there are lavas of intermediate and felsic composition (andesites, rhyolites; ca. 10%). The thickness of the earth's crust under I. is from 19 to 35 km, the boundary between the upper and lower mantle of the Earth is uplifted by 20 km, and the heat flux is increased. The island has two rift valleys. Vost. The valley stretches across the entire territory of India in a meridional direction, and the western one branches off from it southwest to the center. parts of the island. Rift closure with adjacent spreading ridges in the Atlantic approx. going through transform faults, along which the island is displaced to the east relative to the ridges at a distance of approx. 100 km. The rift zones of India are tectonically, magmatically, and seismically active; within their limits, intense hydrothermal activity is manifested. Spreading rate in rifts approx. 1.5 cm/year. The stretching of the earth's crust leads to the appearance of gaping cracks longitudinal in relation to the rift valleys, which are subsequently filled with magma rising from the magma. chambers located at a depth of approx. 3 km. After each fissure eruption, a subhorizontal basalt bed and a subvertical dolerite dike form on the surface. A collection of dikes from several eruptions forms swarms of dikes. Fissure eruptions are almost annual. Wed thickness of volcanic rocks along the periphery of rift zones is up to 8 km.

Subsoil I. rich in natural builds. builds materials and raw materials for production. materials: basalts, rhyolites, pumice, volcanic. slag, sands (volcanic, carbonate), gravel, diatomite. Significant reserves of hydrogeothermal resources.

Climate

I. is characterized by subarctic. maritime climate, influenced by warm Irminger Current and cold East Greenland Current. Depending on the passage of the Atlantic. cyclone weather changes dramatically; Fog and storm winds are frequent throughout the year. Winters are mild, windy (average January temperatures in the south and southwest from 2 to -3 °C; in the interior and in the mountains from -5 to -15 °C); summers are cool and humid (avg. July temperatures 7–12 °C). Precipitation is especially abundant in the south and southwest (up to 1000 mm per year, on the slopes of mountain ranges - up to 3000 mm). In the interior, 300–500 mm of precipitation falls annually, mainly in autumn.

The height of the snow line is from 1200 m above sea level to the center. parts of I. up to 600 m in the north. Total sq. glaciers 11800 km 2 (2000), the largest sheet glacier in Europe - Vatnajökull (8538 km 2).

Inland waters

Numerous river I. in the main. short (Thyoursau - 287 km, Khvitau - 183 km), stormy and rapids. When crossing ledges of basalt plateaus, many waterfalls are formed. up to 100 m. snow and ice, floods in spring and summer. During subglacial volcanic eruptions, the flow of rivers increases sharply, and floods are not uncommon. The I. rivers are not navigable, but they have large reserves of hydropower (estimated at 80 billion kWh per year; only 6% of hydropower resources are used). Many lakes are tectonic, volcanic. and glacial origin, occupying up to 3% of the territory. The largest are Tingvadlavatn (area 82.7 km 2, depth 114 m), Tourisvatn, Myvatn. From volcanic hot springs are associated with activity (St. 1000), the most famous is the Big Geyser, called. which has become a household word for all such formations. The energy of thermal springs is widely used in public utilities and greenhouses; numerous resorts.

Annually renewable water resources are 170 km 3 . In terms of water availability (about 600 thousand m 3 of water per person per year), I. occupies a leading place in Europe. For farms. purposes, less than 0.1% of available water resources are used, of which 63% consume industrial. enterprises, 31% is spent on domestic water supply, 6% goes to the needs of agriculture.

Soils, flora and fauna

Volcanic soils are widely represented in the soil cover. On the coastal plains, under forb-cereal meadows and tundra, peaty-soddy subarctic regions are developed. soil; on the volcanic plateau - stony dry peaty mountain-tundra soils. In the south In parts of India, peat bogs and peat-bog soils are common. So. the territories are covered with stony placers with a sparse moss-lichen cover or completely devoid of growths. cover.

India's flora includes a total of 483 species of vascular plants, among which sedges and grasses are the most numerous. Grows approx. 560 species of mosses and at least 550 species of lichens. St. 50 species of higher plants are classified as rare, 31 species are protected in India. During development, as a result of deforestation and overgrazing, the area under nature. woody vegetation (birch light forests, thickets of willow, mountain ash and juniper) have sharply decreased and now amount to approx. 1% of the territory of I. Means. the area is occupied by arts. conifer plantations (12 thousand ha). Subarctic forb-cereal meadows are widely used as highly productive pastures. The plains of I. are subject to means. erosion and deflation despite the fact that measures are being taken to protect them; The Pasture Land Deflation Control Act was passed in 1895 and was one of the first environmental laws. acts in Europe.

Specific A feature of the fauna of I. is the complete absence of amphibians and reptiles. Of the 11 species of mammals, only the arctic fox is the indigenous inhabitant of India, the rest of the species, including the reindeer, were brought to the island by humans. The avifauna includes 93 species of birds, 76 of which regularly nest on the island. A large colony of waterfowl (stoner, Icelandic goldeneye, polar loon, etc.) is known on the lake. Myvatn. There are trout in the lakes, salmon in the rivers. In the coastal waters of I. there are 2 species of seals and several. types of whales. From St. 50 species of fish of major commercial importance are cod, sea bass, haddock, halibut, and others. A serious problem for the conservation of nature. The biodiversity of I. is represented by the introduction of alien species of plants and animals.

In India, 85 protected natural areas have been created, occupying approx. 12% of the country's territory, including nat. listed Thingvellir park world heritage .

Population

Rigid economy. The policy allowed the government to achieve an improvement in the economic situation and a reduction in inflation. After the 1987 elections, the ruling coalition was expanded to include the Social Democrats. The prime minister was PN Thorstein Paulsson. The government has focused on fighting inflation and improving the state. finance, in order to achieve the elimination of the deficit in the balance of payments and foreign trade. In 1988, a new center-left government was created with the participation of the PP, SDPI, and Nar. Union (1988–91), led by the progressive Steingrim Hermannsson. It announced its intention to raise taxes on large incomes, increase pensions, benefits and subsidies, as well as assistance to fish processing enterprises. The measures taken by the government have reduced the inflation rate from 27 to 15%.

In the 1991 elections, PN achieved success. Its leader, David Oddsson, formed a government from representatives of his party and the Social Democrats, and after the 1995 elections, from the PN and PP. It remained in power even after the elections to the Althing in 1999.

In 1994 I. entered Europe. economical space (SES). During the negotiations between the European The Free Trade Association and the EU recognized the fishing zone established by I. I. canceled duties on the import of fish products from EU countries and allowed the vessels of these countries to catch up to 3 thousand tons of fish per year in their fishing zone. At the same time, I. continued to challenge the right of the ships of Norway, Denmark and Canada to fish in the island. shelf. In order to prevent overfishing and the reduction of the country's fish resources, I. reduced its own. fishing fleet.

From the beginning 1990s India's GDP grew continuously (by an average of 4.5 percent per year). The government cut taxes, including income tax (by 4%) and corporate tax (from 24.5% to 14%). The government loosened economic regulation. activities with government funds. funds and emphasized the development of free market mechanisms. At the same time, the privatization of the state companies. In 2000, there were signs of some decline in Isl. economy: GDP growth slowed down, unemployment reached 2%, inflation - 5%. In 2003, economic the situation has stabilized, inflation has fallen to 2%. According to the results of the 2003 parliamentary elections, coalitions were created. PN government and the Social Democratic Party. alliance (formed in 2001 as a result of the merger of SDPI, People's Union, etc.) under the hands of. Geira Haarde (PN), supported by 43 deputies (out of 63). In 2001 I. joined the Schengen agreement. On September 30, 2006, the USA and I. reached an agreement on the transfer of Amer. military base in Keflavik isl. government.

From the beginning 1990s actively developed Russian-Isl. relationship. Dec. 1994 Declaration on the foundations of relations between the two countries was signed. From Apr. 1999 bilateral political meetings are held on a regular basis. consultations through ministries of foreign cases, since 2001 there has been a mechanism for annual consultations on trade and economic. questions.

An important milestone in Russian-Isl. relations was the first ever visit of President I. Oulava Ragnar Grimsson to Russia on April 18–24, 2002. In Sept. 2002 he took part in the 2nd meeting of the Sev. research forum in Veliky Novgorod, in April. 2003 attended the celebrations dedicated to the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, and in August of the same year he visited the Chukotka Autonomous District.

Develops Russian-Isl. cooperation at the regional level. Icelanders' attention is focused on expanding ties with the North-West of Russia, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Kamchatka, Chukotka. Relations are maintained between the parliaments of both countries, as well as cooperation within the framework of regional organizations (Arctic Council, etc.).

In 2003, the trade turnover between Russia and India reached 89.7 million dollars. Isl. export to Russia is 13.8 million dollars, growing. export to India - 75.9 million dollars. The structure grew. exports to Iceland is predominant. raw materials: 62.3% are oil products, 27% - aluminum. Icelanders export ships and vehicles (25.1% of exports), seafood (23.3%), fabrics and clothing (14.9%), chemical products to Russia. fertilizers (10.8%), prom. equipment (9.5%).

One of the chap. directions of Russian-Isl. relations is cooperation in the field of fisheries. Signed in May 1999 Russian-Norwegian-Isl. Agreements on certain aspects of fishing have removed the problem of uncontrolled cod fishing by Icelanders in the open part of the Barents Sea. In Apr. 2000 was signed by Russian-Isl. intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of fisheries.

Cooperation between countries in the field of culture is expanding. In 1996, the first Russian-Icelandic dictionary was published, prepared by Isl. and grew up. philologists.

In the summer of 2002, I. visited the Russian Federation. military ships. In Reykjavik, a Russian-speaking community was formed, through whose efforts in 2001 the Orthodox parish of St. Nicholas.

economy

India is one of the highly developed states of the world. The volume of GDP is 11.89 billion dollars (according to purchasing power parity, 2007), per capita 39.4 thousand dollars. The human development index is 0.968 (2005; 1st place among 177 countries of the world).

International specialization of the country from the 2nd floor. 20th century define fishing and fish processing. Since the 1980s significant sectors of the economy were the electric power industry and the energy-intensive production of aluminum that grew on its basis. Since the 1990s as a result of further diversification and liberalization of the economy, the service sector has developed, mainly. foreign tourism, financial sector, developments in the field of high technologies. Foreign capital is actively involved in the construction of new heavy industry facilities, the development of communication systems, etc. (access for foreign investment in fishing and fish processing, as well as in the banking sector is prohibited by law). Since 2003, there has been an economic rise; GDP growth rates in 2004 and 2005 were among the highest in the countries of the North. Europe (respectively 7.7% and 7.5%); GDP growth in 2006 - 3.2%. In the structure of GDP, the service sector accounts for 69%, industry and construction - 24.7%; farming and fishing - 6.2% (2005).

Industry

One of the key industries is energy and heat supply (3.6% of GDP, 0.9% of employees in 2005). “The country of waterfalls and geysers”, I. means. hydro and geothermal energy resources. After the oil crisis of the 1970s state energy policy focused on the active development and use of local renewable energy sources (RES). As a result, a unique energetic system: in the structure of fuel and energy. the balance of RES accounts for approx. 72% (17% hydro, 55% geothermal, 2005), 28% of energy needs are covered by imports. India imports the necessary minimum of oil and oil products (for refueling fishing boats, automobiles, and airliners), and coal (for the needs of the cement industry).

The installed capacity of power plants is 1507 MW (2006). Electricity production 8.68 billion kWh (29.3 thousand kWh per capita; in terms of electricity consumption per capita, India ranks first in the world), including 80.8% at hydroelectric power plants , 19.1% at geothermal power plants (GeoTPP). There are 5 geothermal power plants (with an installed capacity of 210 MW; it is planned to increase it to 410 MW): Nesjavellir, Krafla, Svartsengi, Reykjanes and Hellisheið i (the last two, with a capacity of 100 MW and 90 MW, were launched in 2006). The areas of application of geothermal waters in India are more diverse than in other countries of the world. They are used in the heat supply of cities, including for space heating and heating of sidewalks (ice and snow are melted by the residual heat of heating systems), for filling swimming pools (about 130 are in operation), in greenhouses, etc.

As part of the program of large prom. construction in I. erected new energy. facilities: the country's largest HPP "Kárahnjúkar" (design capacity 690 MW; commissioned in 2008) and several. new Geothermal power plants near Reykjavik. State. the strategy of creating a "hydrogen society" provides for a complete transition of the economy to the use of renewable energy sources and the rejection of energy imports; R&D is being actively conducted on the production of hydrogen fuel by electrolysis of water (in Reykjavik in 2003–06, an experiment was conducted to install hydrogen fuel cells on city buses; the next stages are the transfer of private cars to hydrogen fuel, then fishing boats).

In the processing industry, approx. 12% of GDP (without fish processing) and 10.1% of employees are employed. The leading place belongs to the aluminum industry (the industry consumes about 51 percent of the electricity generated in India). From imported bauxites in 2006, approx. 400 thousand tons of aluminum; almost all products are exported. As part of the program of large prom. construction by 2006, the capacities of the aluminum plant in Grundartaungi were significantly expanded (from 90 to 220 thousand tons; owned by the American company Century Aluminum), in 2007 the plant was launched in Reydarfjordur in the east of the country (capacity 346 thousand tons; American company " Alcoa Inc.), by 2010 it is planned to expand the plant in Struimsvik (from 180 to 460 thousand tons; Canadian company Alcan Inc.); in the future, by 2010-15, construction of two more aluminum plants in the north and south-west of the country (with a capacity of 250 thousand tons of aluminum each). The implementation of the program will enable India to increase aluminum smelting to 1.5 million tons per year and become one of the world's largest aluminum producers and exporters. Ferrous metallurgy is represented by the production of ferrosilicon (114.8 thousand tons in 2005).

The most important sector of the economy is fishing and fish processing (4.8% of GDP is created in fishery, 2% of GDP in fish processing; respectively, 3.1% and 3% of employees are employed; 2005). India is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of fish catch and export of fish products. In 2006, 1323 thousand tons of fish and seafood were caught (including whiting 315 thousand tons, herring 291 thousand tons, cod 199 thousand tons, capelin 178 thousand tons, haddock 97 thousand tons, sea bass 83 thousand . t, ​​pollock 75 thousand tons). The fishing fleet includes 1692 vessels (2006), including 63 large ocean trawlers. fishing, 852 small-sized deck vessels (boats, etc.), which fish in territorial waters and in exceptional economical. zone I. (EEZ; 200 nautical miles); the rest are fishing boats. The growth in the number of vessels is constrained by the current system of allocation of quotas for sea production. bioresources in territorial waters and EEZ (quotas are assigned to each specific vessel; a new vessel can receive a quota and start fishing if the owner acquires and then disposes of the old one). The number of large ocean-class trawlers fishing outside the country's EEZ (Norwegian, Barents and Bering Seas, the South Atlantic, the Atlantic coast of Canada and Morocco, the Pacific coast of Chile) is increasing, advanced technologies for the extraction and deep processing of seafood are being developed and introduced. From Ser. 1980s I. came to first place in the world in terms of such indicators of the industry as the catch per employee (cf. approx. 300 tons per year; 265 tons in 2006) and the value of manufactured products per employee (374 thousand dollars). in 2006).

The largest fishing ports (catch, thousand tons, 2003): Neskuipstadur 238, Vestmannaeyjar 202, Eskifjordur 164, Grindavik 148, Seydisfjordur 140, Akranes 117, Reykjavik 104. Processing enterprises - fish processing plants, refrigerators, canneries, etc. - are located along the coast . B. h. products (frozen fish fillets, salted and dried fish, fish meal and fish oil) are exported. The arts are practiced. fish breeding, oriented in the main. for air deliveries of chilled products for the restaurant business of the countries of the South. Europe. In 2006 India exported $1.87 billion worth of seafood; main buyers - EU countries (76% of the cost).

Shipbuilders are focused on meeting the needs of fishing. and ship repair enterprises, as well as factories producing high-tech equipment for fishing (including mid-water trawls) and deep processing of seafood (Marel Ltd. - high-precision scales operating in stormy sea conditions, lines for cutting fish and shrimp for floating fish factories and coastal enterprises). Main centers - Reykjavik, Akureyri, Isafjordur.

There are factories for the production of cement (132.5 thousand tons; Akranes) and nitrogen fertilizers (over 3 thousand tons; Gyuvynes), small enterprises of paint and varnish, textile, leather and footwear, knitwear, woodworking, and furniture industries ( mainly in the Reykjavik area). The production of honey is developing. technology, pharmaceutical drugs. Diatomite (about 20,000 tons per year), pumice, and natural materials are mined. materials (sands, basalts, rhyolites, etc.).

Agriculture

The agricultural sector produces 1.4% of GDP and employs 3.4% of workers (2005). I. provides ext. needs for meat, dairy products, eggs, in the mean. degrees in fresh vegetables; part of the production is exported to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The missing types of food (grain, etc.) are imported.

C. x-in small-scale. Land plots are fragmented and privately owned. The state provides support to farmers (a total of over 4 thousand farms, mid-2000s), by allocating subsidies, and limits the import of agricultural products. products. The number of farms specializing in the production of greenhouse vegetables, including those using environmentally friendly technologies, is growing.

S.-x. land is approx. 22% of the country's territory (2.2 million hectares) and are used in the main. under meadows and pastures. The leading industry is animal husbandry, the basis of which is meat and wool sheep breeding and dairy cattle breeding. Livestock (thousand, 2006): sheep 455.7, cattle 68.7 (including dairy 25.5), horses (Icelandic ponies) 75.6, poultry 166.2. Meat production (thousand tons, 2005): mutton 8.74, pork 5.3, beef 3.54, horse meat 0.8, poultry meat 5.77. Crop production is subordinated to the needs of animal husbandry. Forage grasses (hay is the main product of crop farms), potatoes, turnips, and barley are grown on cultivated lands. A greenhouse economy has been developed based on the use of thermal springs. Vegetables, flowers, etc. are grown in greenhouses (mainly in the south of India). Gathering (thousand tons, 2005): grain 9.73, potatoes 7.25, tomatoes 1.51, cucumbers 1.15, carrots 0, 42, cabbage 0.39.

Services sector

One of the most dynamically developing sectors is foreign tourism (mainly ecological). Tourists are attracted by unusual landscapes (solidified volcanic lava creates so-called lunar landscapes), mountains and fjords, volcanoes and geysers, waterfalls, open-air thermal pools, etc. In 2006, 422,000 people visited India. (including approx. 25% from the Scandinavian countries, approx. 16% from the UK, over 13% from the USA, over 9% from Germany). R&D is being actively carried out, including in the field of energy saving, construction of GeoTPP, as well as biotechnologies (genetic medicine, genetic engineering); the production of computer programs has been established (including commissioned by Apple and Microsoft). The financial sector is developing rapidly. I. occupies a leading position in the world in the field of communication services. Along with the postal service (there are 93 branches throughout the country), there is a developed telephone network: in the beginning. In 2006, 193.9 thousand fixed telephone numbers and 304 thousand mobile numbers were registered (more than 1 mobile phone per inhabitant). 88% of us use the Internet. I. (in rural areas - 84%).

Transport

The basis of the internal The transport system of I. is automobile and aviation. transport; part of the transportation is carried out by coastal ships. External transportation of passengers is carried out in the main. air transport, cargo - sea. transport. There are no railroads. The length of paved roads is 13,038 km (2006). In coastal areas, most settlements are connected by paved roads; in the inner In the regions of India there are only dirt roads (open for travel only in the summer months). Main highway - a ring road linking the cities of Reykjavik - Borgarnes - Blöndyuous - Akureyri - Egilsstadir - Höbn - Selfoss (length approx. 1.4 thousand km). There are 197.3 thousand cars, 1.9 thousand buses, 25.5 thousand trucks, 4.2 thousand motorcycles in the country (mid-2006). Provision of the population with cars 642 per 1000 people. (2006); traffic density 15 vehicles per 1 km of road (2004). In the 1990s - early. 2000s means. part of the ships of the leading shipping companies "Eimskip" (specialized in transatlantic transportation) and "Samskip" (carried out cargo and passenger transportation to Europe) was transferred under the "flags of convenience" of other countries (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Norway , Malta, Faroe Islands; 34 vessels in total). 48 small vessels with a total displacement of 7,767 dwt are registered under the flag of India (including 1 vessel with a displacement of 480 dwt). In 2005 Isl. ships transported 5.8 million tons of cargo. There are 11 passenger airports, 4 of them are international. Ch. "air gate" of the country - the airport. Leif Eirikson in Keflavik (52 km from Reykjavik; over 1.8 million passengers in 2005); spare international the airport is located at Egilsstadir in the east of I. Intl. flights (to Greenland and the Faroe Islands) are also operated from domestic Reykjavik and Akureyri airports. In 2005, only 2.66 million passengers were transported through the airports of India (including 0.77 thousand on domestic airlines). Leading national airlines: state "Flugleið ir Í slands" (its divisions: "Icelandair", carries out passenger transportation; "Iceland Cargo", specializes in cargo transportation; "Flugfélag slands"), private "Air Atlanta" (passenger charter and cargo transportation outside of I. ) and "Iceland Express" (charter passenger services). Int. air communication is carried out in the main. companies Flugfélag slands and Loftleið ir.

International trade

The volume of foreign trade turnover is 10.07 billion dollars (2006), including exports of 3.62 billion dollars, imports of 6.45 billion dollars. commodity export items: seafood - 51.2% of the value (including frozen fish fillet - approx. 15%, fresh fish - approx. 10%, salted and dried fish - approx. 10%, frozen fish - approx. 6 %, fishmeal - about 6%, frozen shrimp - about 4%, fish oil, etc.), prom. goods - 38.3% (mainly aluminum - approx. 19%, ferrosilicon - over 3%, etc.), ships, products from. x-va, etc. In the structure of imports, 25.1% falls on production products. destination (23.9%) and raw materials (1.2%), 23.8% - for products for industrial. construction, 22.4% - for vehicles (cars, ships), 8.4% - for fuel and other oil products. OK. 75% isl. export and approx. 65% of imports come from EU countries (2006). From dep. countries the largest trading partners of India: Germany (15.0% of exports and 12.3% of imports), the USA (10.8% and 12.9% respectively), the Netherlands (16.6% and 4.8%), Great Britain (15.6% and 5.3%), Norway (4.0% and 7.0%), Denmark (3.5% and 6.1%), Sweden (0.9% and 7.0%) , Japan (2.1% and 4.1%), Spain (6.4% and 1.3%). The Russian Federation accounts for approx. 1.9% exp. export.

Armed forces

Armed. I. forces as regular formations are absent (2006). In the interests of providing national security, a coast guard service (BOHR) was created with a staff of 130 people. It consists of 3 patrol ships, a patrol aircraft, 2 search and rescue helicopters, a sapper unit, a logistics service. security. Main the tasks of the BOHR service are: to supervise the fishing industry; conducting search and rescue operations; performance of customs functions and civil defense activities. The tasks of maintaining internal law enforcement is entrusted to the police (450 people) and the emergency rescue service (about 70 people; 2 helicopters). Military annual budget $41.5 million (2005). Mobilization resources amount to 75.6 thousand people, including those fit for military. service - 66.5 thousand people.

The country's leadership considers it appropriate to provide nat. security through close cooperation with the United States in the field of defense. In this regard, there are approx. 1.8 thousand people personnel and a squadron of base patrol aircraft of the US Navy, 1.3 thousand people. personnel and fighter squadron of the US Air Force.

healthcare

In I. per 100 thousand inhabitants. there are 362 doctors, 1363 persons cf. honey. staff, 100 dentists, 130 pharmacists, 69 midwives (2004); hospital beds - 750.8 per 10 thousand inhabitants. (2005). Total health spending is 9.9% of GDP (budget funding 83.4%, private sector 16.6%) (2004). Legal regulation of the health care system is carried out by the Constitution (1944, amendments 1999), laws: on local social services (1991), honey. patient insurance (2000), infect. diseases (1997), child protection (2002), people with disabilities (1992), tobacco control (2002), biobanks (2000), scientific. research in the health sector (1999), patient rights (1997), pharmaceuticals (1994), advertising of medical products. appointments (1995). Morbidity per 100 thousand inhabitants. is: diseases of the circulatory system - 207 cases, malignant neoplasms - 160.5, injuries and poisonings - 34.8, pulmonary tuberculosis - 3.8 cases (2005). Main causes of death in the adult population: diseases of the circulatory system (38%), ischemic. heart disease (20%), cancer (30%) (2004).

Sport

In isl. sagas 12th–13th centuries the game of chess is mentioned, and the nat is also described. glyma wrestling, the rules of which are reported in the "Jonsbuk" - a code of laws adopted in 1281 by the Althing. It resembles Greco-Roman wrestling, but the fight is not held on mats, but on a hard floor.

Physical guide. culture and sports in the country with ser. 20th century carried out by three organizations: the Department of Physical. upbringing Min-va nar. education, Isl. Sports Union (ISA), Isl. union of youth organizations. ISA unites St. 250 sports clubs representing approx. 30 sports unions. The largest clubs in the country: KR, Keflavik, Akranes, Akureyri, Volur, Fram, Vikingur, etc.

The most popular sports in the country are football, athletics, chess, handball, shooting (the oldest sports organization in India is the Reykjavik Shooting Association; founded in 1867), skiing, swimming, golf, basketball, volleyball, weight lifting, and bridge.

National The Olympic and Sports Association of I. was founded in 1921 and recognized by the IOC in 1934. Athletes of I. took part in the Olympic Games in 1908 (London) and 1912 (Stockholm), since 1936 (Berlin) - in all subsequent ones; in total (in 1936-2008) they won 4 Olympic medals: in 1956 (Melbourne) Vilhjaulm Einarsson became the silver medalist in the triple jump; in 1984 (Los Angeles) Bjarni Fridriksson won a bronze medal in judo competitions; in 2000 (Sydney) the bronze medal in javelin throw was awarded to Vala Flosadottir; in 2008 (Beijing), the men's handball team of I. won silver medals.

The following contributed to the constant growth of interest in chess: the opening of chess clubs (the first in 1900); performance with tours of the world champion A. A. Alekhin (1931); sports successes of the first isl. Grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson - participant in the Candidates Tournament (1959) and the Match of the Century (1970) as part of the World Team, 4th FIDE President (1978–82); holding in Reykjavik (1972) a world championship match between BV Spassky and R. Fischer; holding traditions. intl. tournaments in Reykjavik (since 1960), including in 1988 - the World Cup stage; successful performances of the national team of I. at the World Chess Olympiads (the best result in 1986 is 5th place).

In March 2005, thanks to the active work of ISl. of the Chess Federation, the 11th world chess champion R. Fischer became a citizen of Iceland (died in Reykjavik on January 17, 2008).

First prof. I. football player - striker Albert Gudmundsson, played in the Glasgow Rangers, Arsenal, Milan, president of the I. Football Association (1968–73); later became a politician (in 1983-87 he served as ministers of finance and industrial development, in 1980 he ran for the presidency of the country). Dr. famous football players: forward Ausgeir Sigurvinsson, who played for Bayern (Munich, 1981–82) and Stuttgart (1982–90), in which he became the champion of Germany (1984), spent 45 matches for the I. national team, scored 5 goals ; Eid Smari Gudjounsen, who played for Chelsea London (2000–06) and has been playing for Barcelona since 2006. In the beginning. 1990s team I. won the world championship in bridge.

Education. Scientific and cultural institutions

The education system is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Main regulatory documents are laws: on preschool education (1994), obligatory. education (1995), complete secondary education (1996), about universities (1997). Pre-school education is paid, optional. The majority of pre-school institutions are run by municipalities. Kindergartens attended by approx. 75% of children aged 3 to 6 and approx. 15% of younger children. Education in educational institutions of all levels is free. Required education of children from 6 to 16 years old is provided by primary and incomplete secondary schools; complete secondary education - grammatical. schools, industrial-prof. schools, special prof. schools, etc. comprehensive schools. State dominated. educational institutions. In the sparsely populated areas of India, the so-called. mobile schools and boarding schools. The literacy rate of the population over the age of 15 is 99% (2005). Prof.-tech. education is carried out on the basis of a 10-year school in prof. schools (term of study from 1 to 3 years), 4-year colleges (marine, engineer-navigational, etc.), prof. schools (arts and crafts, drama, ballet). The higher education system includes state. universities: University College in Holar (1882), S.-x. university in Borgarnes (1889; university status since 2005), Isl. pedagogical university (1908; current name and status since 1997) in Reykjavik, Isl. un-t (1911) in Reykjavik - a major center of education and science, includes St. 20 research institutes, including Arni Magnusson Institute (1972; research of ancient islamic literature; it includes the Museum of Manuscripts), University in Akureyri (1987); private universities: university in Borgarnes (1918; university status since 1988, current name since 2006), university of Reykjavik (1998), Isl. Academy of Arts (1999), Akureyri School of Renewable Energy (RES; founded in 2006, opened in 2007).

Among the scientific institutions: Institute of Natural Sciences. history (1889; current status since 1947), Isl. Academy of Sciences and Literature (1918), Isl. research council (1994; unites n.i. institutes - maritime, technological, agricultural, fishing, construction) - all in Reykjavik.

Libraries: National and University (1994), city (1923), Nat. archive (1882) - all in Reykjavik. National museum (1863), Nat. gallery (1884), Aurbair open-air museum, museum of the sculptor Ausmund Sveinsson, artist. gallery of sculptor Einar Jonsson - all in Reykjavik; Natural Museum. history (1889) in Vestmannaeyjar; folklore museums - in Borgarnes, Reikir, Glembaer and other cities; Whale Museum in Husavik and others.

Mass media

In 1773 the first isl. periodic publication - monthly "Islandske Maaneds-Tidender" on date. lang. In 1848 a weekly newspaper began to be published. "Thjoolfur". The oldest of the currently emerging is gas. "Ví sir" (since 1910). In 2007, 5 daily newspapers related to dec. were published in I. political parties, and 5 weekly. The largest newspapers: "Morgunblaéié" (since 1913; circulation 50-55 thousand copies), "Frettablað ið, The Reykjavik Grapevine" (since 2003, approx. 30 thousand copies) and "DV" ("Dagblað ið Ví sir "; St. 38 thousand copies). Broadcasting since 1930, conducted by the state. radio company "Rí kisútvarpið" (RÚ V) through two radio stations - "Rás1" and "Rás 2". National television since 1966 (before that, television was broadcast by an American television station in Keflavik). For a long time, the only TV channel in India was Sjónvarpið. In 1986, the private TV channel Stöð 2 was created. The media use foreign information. agencies, ch. arr. Norv. Telegraph Bureau, Reuters and Associated Press.

Literature

Lit-ra I. develops on the island. lang., which has a continuous lit. a tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages. Particularly significant in terms of the variety of genres and the number of outstanding works of literature of other-Isl. period (9th-14th centuries), the events of which are described in the "Book of the Settlement of the Country" (13th century), as well as in Isl. sagah - prosaic. stories about the past. Masterpieces of other-isl. literature are "Egil's Saga", "Nyala's Saga", "Saga of the Salmon Valley People", "Gisli's Saga", "Saga of the Sandy Shore People"; among the most significant are also the "Saga of the Named Brothers", "The Saga of Grettir", "The Saga of Gunnlaug Snake Tongue". Traditions dr.-germ. epic cultures were preserved in heroic. and mythological. songs (most of them were included in "Elder Edda" written in the 13th century).

In the Middle Ages. period also existed skaldic poetry, which was the author's, was reproduced non-variably and differed in a complicated form: an abundance of poetic. figures (kennings and haties), strict rules of alliteration and int. rhymes, violation of the general language order of words made it difficult for unprepared listeners to perceive the text and at the same time prevented its distortion. Two basic skaldic genre. poetry - a song of praise and a hanging in case. In contrast to the Eddic songs dedicated to the distant past, Skaldic. poems captured the events of our time. The largest skalds are Egil Skallagrimsson (10th century), Kormak Egmundarson (middle 10th century), Hallfred the Hard Skald (late 10th - early 11th centuries), Sighvat Thordarson (1st half of the 11th century), Tormod Black-browed skald (1st half of the 11th century). In the 9th-12th centuries. sagas, epic and skaldic. poetry was passed down orally.

Isl. the church struggled with pagan worship, but not with Lit. traditions dating back to paganism: in the 11th-13th centuries. historical and the legendary past became the subject of study by educated Icelanders who reconstructed the interior. chronology and synchronized the events of the pan-European and isl. history. By 1200, lat. alphabet. Major writers of the 13th century - Snorri Sturluson, amounting to "Junior Edda", "Circle of the Earth" (a cycle of sagas about the history of Norway) and "The Saga of Olaf the Saint", and his nephew Sturla Thordarson, author of the Saga of Hakon the Old, the Saga of Magnus the Law-Renderer, the Saga of the Icelanders, and also one of the editions of the Book of Settling the Country. 14th–15th centuries - the time of mass recording and rewriting of sagas. OK. 1300 was recorded an extensive compilation of sagas about the history of India - "The Sturlunga Saga" (its probable author is Tord Narvason, a student of Sturla Thordarson). Of the new genres that became widespread in the 14th-17th centuries, it should be noted rhymes - the original form of lit. ballads, often representing a retelling of the heroic. songs and sagas. It is believed that the verse of Rome, like some skaldic. dimensions, reflects the influence of lat. versification, but direct borrowing is unlikely. The most important poet of the 17th century who continued the tradition of Rome was Halgrim Pietursson, the author of psalms popular in India. In the 18th century isl. literature experienced means. European influence. literature.

Beginning 19th century - the period of linguistic revival and romanticism in Isl. lit-re; the most prominent poets are Jounas Halgrimsson and Bjarne Thorarensen. Purist program formulated dat. linguist R. K. Rusk and suggesting the orientation of the isl. lit-ry on own. traditions and opposition to external influences, in the 2nd half. 19 - beg. 20th century reflected in the work of the poets Matthias Johumsson and Einar Benedichtsson, who are considered late romantics. Ser. 19th century - the time of mastering the novel and drama: the first isl. novel - "Young Man and Girl" by Jón Thorodsen (1850), the first isl. the play is Skuga Sveidn by Mattias Johumsson (1864). However, the synthesis of European genres. literature and centuries-old traditions of the Islamic. epic prose was fully realized only in the 20th century. in the work of prose writers Haldor Kiljan Laxness (Nobel Prize, 1955) and Gunnar Gunnarson. All R. 20th century a controversy broke out between traditionalist poets (Johannes ur Kötlum, Johan Hjalmarsson) and modernists who called themselves "atomic skalds". The writer, poet and essayist Sigurd A. Magnusson stands apart, some of whose works are written in English. lang. Among the authors of the new wave stand out the modernist Thor Vilhjaulmsson (the novel Flaming Moss, 1986), Einar Kaurason (the novels The Devil's Island, 1983, and The Golden Island, 1985), the poet and prose writer Einar Maur Gvydmundsson (the novel Angels of the Universe) , 1993).

Architecture and fine arts

In India, from the first centuries of settlement, long houses were built from blocks of peat and sod. From the 11th–12th centuries In I., decorations in Scand. animal style, wood carving with features of Romanesque art (reliefs with wicker ornaments, figures of people and animals, Crucifixes; a fragment of a church door from Valtjoufsstadur depicting a knight, a lion and dragons, c. 1200, National Museum in Reykjavik has been preserved). Traditional woven pattern decorated with metal. buckles and other details of clothing, church utensils (silver bowls of the 12th–13th centuries, Victoria and Albert Museum, London), embroidered altar covers. Illuminating manuscripts in Romanesque and Gothic reached high skill. styles (since the 15th century, manuscripts were exported, mainly to Norway). In the 17th century within the framework of church art, pictorial portraits began to appear, filled with naive expressiveness (in the compositions of altar images, etc.). From Ser. 18th century century, ch. arr. according to project dates. architects, stone buildings were built in simple utilitarian forms; to con. 19th century a type of isl has developed. houses made of imported wood, tuff, basalt, often with corrugated iron sheathing, painted in bright colors.

symbolism and artists close to him. currents (sculpture by Einar Jonsson, art by Kjarval). From the 2nd floor. 20th century isl. art is increasingly involved in the world of art. process: in 1957–64 a Swiss worked in Reykjavik. artist D. Roth, member of the fluxus movement, around which a group of representatives formed concept art; since 1958 in Paris he created his works of sl. master Erro (Gudmund Gudmundsson), one of the luminaries of pop art and postmodernism. hobby abstract art peaked in the 1950s and 60s: compositions in the spirit of expressionistic. abstractions by Fin Jónsson (having studied in Germany, he maintained relations with the Sturm group, V. V. Kandinsky and others), abstract improvisations on landscape themes by Nina Triggvadottir; the master of monumental sculpture, Ausmund Sveinsson, switched to non-objective forms (the classic basis of his early mountain monuments is combined with an interpretation of the form in the spirit of cubism). Isl. figurative painting developed within the framework of the post-cubist trend and scand. expressionism(Gunnløig Schkeving, Sigurd Arinbjarnar, Thorvald Skulason portrayed the harsh life of fishermen and farmers), and since the 1980s. - in the style of transavant-garde and neo-expressionism. The architecture used modern. planning and landscaping methods (new buildings in Reykjavik and Akureyri), 4-5-storey houses and industrial buildings were built. structures (architects Sigurd Gudmundsson, Sigvaldi Thordarson and others). large companies. buildings were built according to the designs of architects Gudjoun Samuelsson, Ingimund Sveinsson, A. Aalto.

Music

Information about the early forms of music-making, genres of musical and poetic. creativity are contained in the monuments of other-isl. liters. The Icelanders retain elements of the all-Scandinavian musical and poetic. heritage, including a number of genres. With the adoption of Christianity, Gregorian chant spread, from the 2nd floor. 16th century - Music of the Protestant Church. National music school I. - the youngest of the Scandinavian, began to take shape in the middle. 19th century influenced by Danish. The first prof. musicians I. - organists Pietur Gudjounsen and Jounas Helgason. The first collections of chorales were published in 1861 and 1874, the first secular melody in Isl. author (Jounas Helgason) published in 1873. Among the musicians of the con. 19 - beg. 20th century - the first means. isl. composer Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson (author of the national anthem I., 1874); conductor and self-taught composer, founder of the first symphony. Orchestra I. and songwriter Helgi Helgason; versatile musician, politician and businessman, creator of the first textbook of elementary music theory in Icelandic. lang. Bjorn Kristjaunsson. Of great importance for the development of music. culture I. had the activity of pastor Bjarni Thorsteinsson, who in 1909 published a collection of articles. "Icelandic National Music" (contains samples of musical and poetic folklore and ancient sacred music). Musical representative. romanticism in I. - a student of M. Reger Pal Isoulfsson ("Festival Cantata", 1930; he was also a famous organist). Among other composers of the 20th century. – Jón Leifs, Jón Nordahl (actively used 20th century compositional techniques, including applying them to the Islamic musical folklore, for example, in the orchestral composition “Choralis”, 1982). Jón Ausgeirsson created the first isl. opera The Maid of Trim (1974, Reykjavik).

In Reykjavik, the National theater and national symphonic Orchestra (both 1950), Icelandic Opera (1982), Conservatory (1930), hosted by the Intern. festival of arts (since 1970, since 2004 annually). Among the choirs, the most famous men's choirs are Foustbridur (1911) and Reykjavikur (1926). Popular singer Björk (Björk Gudmundsdottir) won world recognition.

Ballet

Prof. ballet began to develop in India in the 1930s, when A. Nordman opened a ballroom and ballet dance school in Reykjavik. In the National theater ballets were staged. composers (“From the Album of Jonas Halgrimson” by Pal Isoulfsson, ballet dancer Ingibjorg Bjornsdottir, 1971, etc.). Among the students who acted under the Nat. theater ballet school - Helgi Tomasson, who later became world famous as a soloist decomp. US troupes. In 1973, under the National theater created Isl. dance company, which at different times was headed by A. Carter, K. Bennett, Y. Chetal, K. Morell, Nanna Olafsdottir. Since 1975, she has staged performances here. choreographer N. G. Konyus (Much Ado About Nothing by T. N. Khrennikova, 1977, etc.). Since 1996, the troupe has focused entirely on searches in the area of ​​modern. dance. The repertoire includes performances both by Icelandic (Ingibjorg Bjornsdottir, Olaf Ingolfsdottir, Lara Stefansdottir, Johann Freyr Bjorgvinsson and others), and foreign (J. Ulrich, I. Kilian, R. Orta, I. Galili, J. Stromgren, J. Uotinen and others) choreographers. Among the leading soloists of the troupe: Catherine Agusta Jonsson, Gudmund Elias Knudsen, Catherine Ingvadottir, Peter Andersson, Steve Lorenz, Cameron Corbett.

Theater

The first theatrical productions (from 1720) were carried out in lat. school in Skaulholt. Moving in 1799 to Reykjavik, this school until the 2nd floor. 19th century remained the only center of theatrical life of I. Students staged comedies of the first isl. playwright Sigurd Pietursson ("Narfi" and others). Since the 1860s in the capital, amateur circles became widespread, the most notable among which was the troupe of Sigurd Gudmundsson, the director of “living pictures” depicting events from ancient Iceland. sagas and preserved in the repertoire of the isl. theaters up to the beginning. 21st century Under the influence of Gudmundsson, the first original Isl. the plays were written by Mattias Johumsson (Les Misérables) and Indridi Einarsson (New Year's Eve). The first prof. The Reykjavik Theater Society (RTO), which was formed in 1897, became the theater of I. The troupe included director and playwright Einar Kvaran, leading actress Stefania Gudmundsdottir, and others. So. contribution to the development of acting was made by Oorsteinn Stephensen. Since 1989, the RTO has been located in the Gor. theater in Reykjavik.

In 1950, in Reykjavik, on the basis of the RTO, the National theater where modern and classic. plays of sl. and foreign authors. In 1952, theater and ballet schools were opened at the theater. Since the 1960s In India, alternative theatrical trends also developed. Avant-garde dramaturgy formed the basis of the repertoire of the "Grima" theater (Reykjavik), the troupe "Theater Workshop" (Reykjavik) turned to folklore motifs. In Akureyri, the Theater Company was established in 1973, and Nar in 1975. a theater that combines Italian techniques in its productions. commedia dell'arte with modern choreography and music. Theaters also exist in the cities of Eskifjordur and Siglufjordur. Isl was founded in 1975 in Reykjavik. theater school. The first children's theater in India is Moguleikhusid (1990, Reykjavik). One of the largest theater groups of the turn of the 20th–21st centuries. - theater in Hafnarfjordur (1995), the basis of its repertoire is the new isl. drama.

Movie

In 1919, the first full-length feature film in Iran was shot by dat. dir. Gunnar Sommerfelt based on the novel The Story of the Borg Family by Gunnar Gunnarsson. collaboration isl. filmmakers with colleagues from other countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany) continued until the 1930s, when the country launched the production of newsreel-documentary and promotional short films. First isl. game f. The Adventures of Joon and Gwendur was filmed by Loft Gudmundsson in 1923, until the 1940s. remained the only major director in India. Household comedies and melodramas were staged by Oscar Gislasson. In 1948 Loft Gudmundsson staged the first ice. colored f. "Between Mountain and Beach" Swede. dir. Arne Matsson in 1954 created (together with his colleagues) f. "Salka Valka" based on the novel by Haldor Kilyan Laxness. Received wide recognition. "Sertsay" by Oswald Knudsen (1965) about the birth of a new island in 1963 as a result of an underwater volcanic eruption; among the films released jointly. from scand. studios, Gabriel Axel's The Red Robe (1967) stands out. So. ascent to Iceland cinematography took place in the 1970s, when the state began to provide assistance in the development of the national. cinema. In 1974 was prepared, and in 1979 came into force the Law on the creation of special. film fund to subsidize the isl. film producers and filmmakers (1-2 films a year used financial support from the state). At the turn of the 1980–90s. I. cinema was recognized as one of the most original phenomena in world cinema. In the 1980s there was a group of directors who received cinematic. education abroad (Germany, France, etc.). Most of their works remained unknown outside I., but otd. works received international resonance through participation in film festivals. For example, f. "Nuclear Station" Thorstein Jonsson (1983) was the first research. film shown at the International Cannes Film Festival. August Gudmundsson's films The Earth and Her Sons, The Saga of Gisli (both 1980) and At the Top (1982) also received recognition. One of the largest isl. directors con. 20 - early. 21st century Friedrik Thor Fridriksson set a row means. documentary films ("The Blacksmith", 1981; "Rock in Reykjavik", 1982; "Cowboys from the North", 1984), subsequently worked successfully in feature films ("White Whales", 1987, pr. MKF in Locarno; "Falcons", 2002; "Niceland", 2004, etc.). Among other directors: Baltasar Kormakur (101 Reykjavik, 2000, Mkf Ave. in Locarno; The Sea, 2002, Mkf Ave. in San Sebastian; A Little Journey to Heaven, 2005), Dagur Kuri (Noah , white crow ", 2002, pr. Mkf in Berlin; "Dark Horse", 2005). In 1978, the Film Fund and the Film Archive were founded in Reykjavik. Since 1978 Reykjavik has hosted the International film festival.

The northern countries attract many with their harsh beauty and clean ecology. Iceland is one of those countries. Iceland means "land of ice" in translation. Almost 15% of its territory is covered with eternal snows and glaciers. Where is Iceland located on the world map, what is remarkable and famous for this country?

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Iceland: Wikipedia

This country is located on the world map in the northern hemisphere. Iceland on the map of Europe is located between and Norway. It is an island state in the western part of northern Europe. The Republic of Iceland also includes nearby islets.

The area of ​​the island of the same name is small, only 100 thousand km2. The northernmost point of the state, as seen on the geographical map, is outside the Arctic Circle.

The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, as well as two seas.. From the northern part - the Greenland Sea, and from the east - the Norwegian Sea. The map shows that the Danish Gulf separates the island of Iceland from Greenland. Since the state is an island, it does not have land borders. Maritime boundaries are still not clearly demarcated.

Population of Iceland is 332,529 people, with almost 90% of the total population living in cities. The capital of the island state - and 180 thousand people live in it. The capital of Iceland is its business, cultural and financial center.

The country belongs to the subarctic climate zone and part of the island is covered with a dense ice layer. However, the weather in the country is very similar to the climate in New York. This is due to its location on a volcanic plateau and the warm North Atlantic Current along the coast of the island state. The current is heated by the air of equatorial latitudes. In Iceland, the winds are constantly blowing and they are very strong. The temperature even in summer does not rise above +11 o C, and in winter in January the average temperature is -10 o C. Very low air temperature is always on the peaks in the north-eastern part of the country.

Cities and regions

The country is divided into districts and urban districts. In total, there are 8 districts, 6 electoral districts and 76 communities in the republic. Its largest cities, by European standards, are more like small towns. In addition to Reykjavik, there are 3 major cities:

• Kopavogur;
• Hafnarfürdur;
• Akureyri.

There are also several other cities, the number of which is 10-20 thousand people. There are many small resort towns in the country, since there are many geysers and lakes on the territory of Iceland that have healing properties.

Nature

The most ancient areas of Iceland are located in the north, east and west. The western part contains the most volcanoes and many of them were active when the areas were inhabited. On the territory of the island state is about 250 hot springs. Due to their thermal energy, 85% of houses are heated. Hot spring water is used for greenhouses and swimming pools. The largest hot spring and gushing - Big Geyser.

The coastline in the north, east and northwest is indented by a large number of bays and fjords. Most of the island is covered by glaciers and ice caps - 15%.

Iceland has many large rivers, but they are not navigable. The movement of water transport is hindered by the frequent branching of rivers. They often change their direction, which complicates the movement. The rivers are full of salmon and the lakes are full of trout.

More than 80 species of birds live on the territory of Iceland. In the adjacent waters to the island there are whales and two species of seals. The vegetation on the island is typical of northern Europe. Before it was settled by people, large areas were covered with birch forests, but they were gradually cut down.

Attractions

The main attraction of the country is its nature. It is not surprising that once you visit Iceland, you can understand why it is so attractive. Travelers from the mainland are attracted by the amazing natural wealth of cold glaciers and hot geysers. Here many waterfalls, beautiful glaciers extending to the horizon, and beautiful fjords. Such a country is suitable for tourists who choose an active holiday.

Acquaintance with the country and its sights is better to start from the capital. It is the northernmost capital in the world, modern and young. The city is very environmentally friendly, since there is not a single industrial enterprise in it. Houses are heated by hot natural springs. The capital has many interesting buildings, museums and galleries. The botanical garden, luxurious and beautiful, is always open to the public.

Not far from the capital is Blue Lagoon, the famous spa complex. It is famous for its unique composition of water and a constant temperature of 38-39 ° C at any time of the year and day.

All these properties make it the most popular resort. The water in the lagoon has an unusual blue color and swimming in it has the feeling that you have fallen into a milkshake.

Geyser fields- another visiting card of the island state. Tourists are of great interest haukadalur valley. It contains two of the most famous geysers:

• Strokuyuk - heights up to 20 meters;
• Great Geysir - the height of the eruption of the source is up to 60 meters.

Columns of hot water first rise high up exploding, and then gradually fall. Such a spectacle always causes delight and unforgettable impressions.

There are many waterfalls in the country, but the most famous and beautiful is Skogafoss. There is such a waterfall on the Skogau River in the southern part of Iceland. Powerful streams of water break from a height of 60 meters and fall noisily down.

There is a strong noise, from which lays the ears, and around the spray scatter for several meters. Against the backdrop of the sun's rays, you can see a beautiful rainbow.

Located near the waterfall Skogar Museum Village. Arriving there, there is an opportunity to see traditional Icelandic houses with a peat roof. A lot of exhibits from different eras have been preserved in the local Ethnographic Museum.

What else attracts tourists?

Many tourists are attracted Thingvellir National Park. It is located near Reykjavik and many tourists, having arrived in the country, go there. Its location is the junction of the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates. These plates diverge annually by several centimeters. Tourists see the cleanest lakes, stone boulders, faults and a waterfall. Most travelers are struck by the beautiful natural scenery.

admire Skaftafell ice cave crowds of tourists come from all over the world. Indigo stains spread across its icy walls. This gives the impression that the inside of the cave is covered with blue gems. It resembles a fairy tale dungeon or a portal to another world.

The most powerful waterfall in Europe located in Iceland. Detifoss is one of the most visited and beautiful places in the country. The magnificent natural landmark has a height of 40 m and a width of more than 100 m. Piles of water fall into the canyon, raising spray around.

The subject of our review today will be Iceland. Description of the country, interesting facts, sights - all this is in the material presented below.

general information

Iceland is an island and a state. is 103 thousand square meters. km, where about 322 thousand people live. The capital is the city of Reykjavik, where one third of the total population of the country is concentrated, and with the suburbs - more than half. The official language is Icelandic, and the currency is the Icelandic krone, which in 2016 was 122 kroons per 1 USD. Iceland is a parliamentary republic headed by a president elected for 4 years. To enter the country, Russian citizens need a passport and a Schengen visa.

Location

Iceland - the country of ice - is located at the northern tip of the Atlantic Ocean, there are no more large areas of land up to the North Pole. Its northern part is located near the Arctic Circle.

The island is remote from the rest of Europe: from the nearest Faroe Islands at 420 km, from the island of Great Britain at 860 km, and from the nearest point on the continental coast of Norway at 970 km. An interesting fact is that, despite this, Iceland belongs to European countries, although it is much closer to the North American island of Greenland - 287 km.

Iceland: interesting facts about the country

The discovery of Iceland dates back to the end of the 8th century by Irish monks, and after them the Normans Nadod and Floki got here. Following these events, at the end of the 9th century, the active settlement of the island by the Vikings began - immigrants from Norway, who for half a century managed to master almost all the lands suitable for habitation and economic development.

In 1264, Iceland was annexed to Norway, and in 1381, it became part of Denmark. The country gained its independence only in 1944.

The inhabitants of the island are a courageous and proud people, respecting their historical past and cultural traditions. In particular, to the old Icelandic legends - sagas, telling about tribal strife, exciting events, about elves, gnomes and other mysterious characters, in whose existence some residents still believe.

Iceland is that there is practically no crime here - there is only one prison, and no more than a dozen people are kept in it. The police here go without weapons, but there is no army at all.

The basis of the modern economy is made up of only two industries - aluminum processing and fishing. By the way, it will be said that the islanders are second only to Norway in the annual volume of catch from European countries.

Iceland is one of the wealthiest countries. Thus, the average per capita annual income here is $39,000 (according to our ruble standards, every resident here, including a baby, is a millionaire).

Nature

The country of Iceland, for all its modest size, is the world's largest island of volcanic origin. The relief of the island is predominantly mountainous, the peaks are the vents of extinct and active volcanoes. The highest of them is the Hvannadalshnukur peak (2110 m), located on the southwestern coast. The lowest point is not far away - this is the glacial lake lagoon (0 meters above sea level).

Many of the active volcanoes from time to time declare themselves with powerful eruptions. The largest volcano of the island is considered to be the famous Hekla (1488 meters), located not far from the “Great Reykjavik” and frightened the locals with its eruption in 2000.

The longest river of the island is the Tjoursau (237 km). Of other water bodies, glaciers and glacial lakes abound, occurring everywhere and in innumerable numbers.

Iceland is unique in its diversity of natural landscapes. In addition to glaciers, the surface of the country in many places is covered with lava fields. Geysers and hot springs are often found in these areas. Rocky placers covered with dense mosses and lichens, islands of birch forests and meadows of grassy herbs are widespread throughout the island. Waterfalls give special picturesqueness to the area in various parts of the island. On the west coast, numerous fjords amaze with their beauty. National parks have been created to protect the stunning nature in the country.

Climate and typical weather

Iceland is a northern country that doesn't quite live up to its icy name. Washing it, especially from the south, the Gulf Stream, do not allow it to become a cold, harsh desert.

Winters here are relatively warm, with an average monthly temperature of -1 °C, which can be the envy of many more southerly located territories of Russia. However, during some periods of this season, cold winds are frequent, which, together with accumulations of drifting Arctic ice, especially in the southeast, cause sharp drops in temperature to -30 ° C. Daylight hours are no more than five hours.

Summer is not hot here. Average temperatures in July are only +12 °C. It is warmest on the south coast - up to +20 °C, with highs up to + 30 °C. In summer, the entire island is illuminated by the sun around the clock, and there are white nights characteristic of the polar latitudes.

Precipitation is unevenly distributed across the island. For example, on the west coast, their number ranges from 1300 to 2000 mm per year, on the northeast their norm is up to 750 mm, and in the mountainous part of the southern regions they can have values ​​up to 4000 mm.

The weather here is very changeable, and without exaggeration we can say that it can change in just a few minutes. It had just been warm and sunny, when suddenly the sky was overcast, and a cold, dank wind blew. Residents of the country jokingly tell their visiting guests and tourists: “If suddenly you didn’t like something in the weather, then don’t despair, wait half an hour and it will change.”

Attractions Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland. What country can not boast of a huge number of attractions? So Iceland has something to show tourists. In particular, its main city houses historical and architectural monuments, museums and modern institutions. Among them, the attention of tourists is attracted by:

• Temple of Hallgrimskirkja is a cult Lutheran building of the mid-20th century, in the form of a volcanic eruption. Inside is a large organ. In front of the church is a statue of the Happy.
• The Cathedral, which is the main temple, built at the end of the XVIII century.
• The building of the Althingi (Parliament) in the style of classicism, erected in the 19th century.
• Perlan, or pearl, looks like a camomile with a blue dome. It is located on a high hill and has a rotating platform for viewing the panorama of the city. Inside the building are the Saga Museum, a winter garden, an artificial geyser, shopping pavilions and restaurants.
• Kaffi Reykjavik - this bar is unusual in that it consists of solid blocks of ice, and drinks are always served in ice glasses.
• Concert Hall "Kharpa" Its façades are made up of multicolored glass cells, which, with the help of built-in LEDs, impress visitors with a play of colors.

Blue Lagoon

The lagoon is a geothermal spring and resort with all the proper infrastructure. This is perhaps the most famous and visited place for hundreds of thousands of tourists. A lagoon is an artificially created body of water with a constant temperature of 40 °C. This is the only place of its kind on the planet that is filled with visitors all year round. It has been found that bathing in the mineral-rich waters of the lake helps to heal skin diseases.

Valley of Geysers

It arose in the XIII century after a strong earthquake. The main source, called the Great Geysir, throws out a jet of water of very high temperature to a height of up to 70 meters from a depth of more than two thousand meters. The contemplation of this majestic spectacle leaves a strong impression. There are also places for bathing in less hot springs. Residents use the natural heat of geysers to heat their homes.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

The waterfall is located in the south of the island and is very popular with tourists. Water falls from a height of 60 meters. It flows down from the rocks that used to be the coastline, but now a picturesque valley has formed on this place. The beauty of the waterfall (combined with the surrounding landscape) has no equal. That is why his photographs are placed on calendars and postcards.

colored mountains

In the warm season of the year, in the Landmannalaugar National Park, you can see an amazing sight - multi-colored mountains. The slopes of the mountains shine with unusual stripes - brown, yellow, pink, blue, purple, green, white and black. The reason for this phenomenon is associated with the volcanic origin of rocks. The location of the park near the Hekla volcano makes it one of the most popular tourist centers in the country.

Vatnajökull National Park

What else can you tell about Iceland? Facts about the country, all its sights simply cannot be listed in one article. But still I would like to mention this park. It was created in 2008. It covers almost 12% of Iceland and is the largest in Europe. The main highlight of the park is the eponymous glacier with an area of ​​​​up to 8100 square meters. km and ice thickness up to 500 meters. Under its shell, there are beautiful ice caves, as well as seven active volcanoes.

As an entertainment, Vatnajökull tourists can take walks in beautiful places, engage in winter sports, but bathing in hot springs located inside ice caves is in particular demand.

Undoubtedly, this is only a small part of the natural attractions of the country of Iceland; many more interesting and mysterious things await tourists in its open spaces.

Current time in Reykjavik:
(UTC 0)

At the same time, due to the remoteness and high cost of holidays in Iceland, there is no full house of tourists, you can drive hundreds of kilometers and not meet oncoming cars, and this is even when traveling along popular routes.

How to get there

Prices start at 300 euros for a bed in a shared cabin (divided into women's and men's) and end at a price of 1500 euros for a private cabin (the cost varies significantly depending on the season). On the official website there is an option for a separate order of food, this, of course, is not included in the above price.

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Story

King Harald the First played an important role in the settlement of Iceland. It happened in the ninth century after the unification of Norway. Due to the conflict with the king, many residents had to look for a new place of residence.

After the settlement of Iceland, a state system began to form. Each region had its own collection, which resembled the ancient Russian veche. Such a meeting was called a ting. At such meetings, the circumstances of litigation were usually discussed. Several representatives of all regions traveled at the very beginning of the summer period to the so-called Althing, that is, the general meeting. They tried to solve especially important issues. Such a meeting was governed by an organ called Logretta, which consisted of priests. Thus, democracy arose in Iceland at the time when the first Althing was assembled and held. To be more precise, it happened in 930.

An important event in the historical development of Iceland is the signing of the "Old Treaty" in 1262. The Icelanders were simply forced to sign it with Norway. According to this treaty, Iceland had to recognize the supreme authority of the kings of Norway. In return, the Icelanders received ships each year with grain, timber, and many other necessary goods.

The exact date is known when the uprising against Danish rule took place. February 23, 1551 entered the history of Iceland, as the death penalty of the Icelandic Catholic Bishop, along with his sons. All the Danes who were in the country at that moment were killed by the indignant Icelanders. The uprising was able to suppress the Danish king named Christian III, and it was not difficult for him. Starting in 1567, Icelandic residents were forbidden to have weapons. There was nothing left for them to do but to accept the rule of foreigners.

The parliament, which was formed in 1845, was called by the Icelanders in Old Norse "Althing". It took about a hundred years of struggle for sovereignty, with the result that Iceland became an independent kingdom. But all the same, there was a connection with Denmark, which was severed only during the Second World War. After the presence of military contingents of Great Britain and the United States in the country, in 1944 Iceland became an independent republic.

Weather in Iceland

Despite the icy name and the presence of glaciers, Iceland is not an arctic country at all. The climate in this state is maritime, respectively with strong winds, moderately cool, humid and changeable. That is, not to say that this is a paradise for tourists, but this is not what people come here for. The weather in Iceland is influenced by two sea currents, one is the East Greenland (cold) and the second is the North Atlantic (warm), which is a continuation of the Gulf Stream. In addition, arctic drift ice, accumulating on the northern and eastern coasts of Iceland, also makes its own adjustments to the country's climate.

The warmest months in Iceland are July and August, at this time in the capital, Reykjavik, the air warms up to +20 °C. At the same time, the average annual temperature on the southwestern coast (namely, where Reykjavik is located) is approximately 5 ° C, the average temperature in January is at around -1 ° C, and in July it is already +11 ° C. The corresponding figures in Akureyri (this is already the northern coast) are +3 °C, -2 °C and +11 °C. The general average annual temperature in the country does not fall below +4 °C. The average annual rainfall ranges from 1300 to 2000 millimeters on the south coast, and from 500 to 750 millimeters on the north, and also exceeds 3800 millimeters per year on the slopes of the Vatnajökull and Mýrdalsjokull glaciers exposed to the south.

Due to the latitudes in which the country lies, there are “white nights” throughout the summer in Iceland: on June 21, sunrise begins at 02:54, and sunset at 00:02 the next day. At the same time, there is no polar night in Iceland, but in winter (from about mid-November to the end of January), the height of the Sun at its highest point does not exceed a few degrees. So in winter, for example in December, daylight hours last only 5 hours.

It is better for tourists to come here in the summer, until the end of August, because in September many hotels begin to close for the winter, and the number of public transport flights is also reduced. In addition, nature itself is not conducive to freedom of movement. In a word, not the season.

Again, contrary to the name of the country, there is no accumulation of ice in the coastal waters throughout the year. Except for situations when there is a removal of polar ice in the north and east of Iceland. However, this happens less and less often, since due to the significant improvement in the climate since the early twenties of the twentieth century, the removal of polar ice to the coast of Iceland occurred only once - it happened in 1965.

The weather in Iceland changes dramatically, often within a day, depending on the passage of cyclones from west to east across the Atlantic Ocean. A local saying goes: "If you don't like the weather, then wait five minutes and it will get worse!".

Weather in Iceland by months

Reviews by month

February 1

April 12 May 11 June 8

July 72 August 14 September 10

October 3

Photos of Iceland

Cities and regions

In total, Iceland is divided into 8 regions, the country is also divided into 23 sisles and 24 urban districts in them, as well as 76 communities (municipalities). In addition, traditionally the country is divided by cardinal points into four quarters. The 8 statistical regions of Iceland are described below.

Main cities of Iceland

Landmarks of Iceland

For tourists, Iceland is attractive for a huge number of natural attractions - waterfalls, lava fields, geysers, thermal springs, fjords, glaciers and volcanoes. It's amazing how it all fits in such a relatively small area. In light of such natural diversity, the almost complete absence of significant man-made attractions is not very disappointing.

Below you will find lists with categories of interesting places in the country, the links will provide more detailed information on each attraction of Iceland - a general description, location on the map, ways to get there, photos, opening hours, ticket prices and much more.

Where to go in Iceland

Attractions

Museums and galleries

Entertainment

Parks and recreation areas

Transport

Wellness vacation

Private guides in Iceland

Russian private guides will help you get acquainted with Iceland in more detail.
Registered on the Experts.Tourister.Ru project.

Movement around the country

The main modes of transport in Iceland are buses, cars, boats and planes. There are no railroads. The main highway - Road number 1 runs around the island through the main settlements of Iceland - the cities of Reykjavik, Borgarnes, Blönduous, Akureyri, Egilsstadir, Höfn and Selfoss. The total length of roads is 13,058 km.

The most popular and convenient way to travel is by car. If you have rights, you can rent it without any problems. If you have planned a trip outside the city, which happens most often, then it is recommended to rent a jeep - despite the excellent quality of roads in the country, they are not everywhere, and where they are not, you can’t drive on anything but a seriously prepared jeep .

International and intercity transportation is carried out by air and sea transport. The main air carrier is Iceland Air, which operates both domestic and international flights to the United States, Canada, European countries and Russia. The cities of Reykjavik and Keflavik have two international airports. In total, there are 99 airfields in the country, but most of them are unsuitable for landing large aircraft.

Most of all, Icelandic cuisine can remind us of Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and, in some places, Baltic cuisines. As a rule, it is customary to use products that are able to withstand winter storage for a long period.

In its traditional form, Icelandic cuisine is based on seafood. One of the main components of the menu of most Icelanders is fish, which can be cooked in a wide variety of ways - herring, salmon and cod. Very often on the tables of Icelanders you can find: gravlax - marinated salmon; sild - pickled herring; hardfiskur - fried or dried fish generously flavored with spices; hakarl - in fact, obviously rotten fish, which is a great exotic for many tourists who first get acquainted with this dish; different types of sandwiches with fish, in all its forms, cannot be counted; the meat of many marine mammals.

When preparing meat dishes, Icelanders mainly use lamb. Very popular on the Icelandic table is svid - a whole pickled sheep's head, blakya - which is not just well-done meat, but literally burned to coals. It is also worth mentioning the smoked lamb meat - hangikyot. Another national dish of the Icelanders is haukarl, which is a somewhat rotten shark meat - the Giant or Polar Greenland shark. In fresh form, the meat of only the caught Polar shark is highly poisonous due to the high content of ammonia in it. The skinned shark carcass is cut into pieces and placed in specially prepared containers filled with gravel, in which the meat lies and gradually rots for 5-8 weeks or even more, depending on the season. Then the rather rotten shark meat is taken out and hung on special hooks, where it continues to “ripen” in the air for another 3-4 months. Pieces of meat during this time are covered with a crust on top, which then will need to be cut so that only the inner yellowish part of the piece remains, which is served on the table. Traditionally, in many Icelandic cities, Torrablot is held in January - a gastronomic festival where it is customary to cook and then taste the food of the ancient Vikings.

Skyr is a widespread, traditional dairy product in Icelandic cuisine. Skyr is a cross between curd mass and sour cream, has a sour taste and thick texture. Skyr is usually eaten with a spoon. Skyr is also used to prepare another Icelandic dish - hræringur ("mixed"), consisting of approximately equal parts of skyr and some kind of porridge. Jam or fruit is often added to the resulting dish and served for dessert, skyr can be served with fish for dinner, and cereal for breakfast.

The most popular drink is coffee. If we talk about stronger drinks, then the traditional Icelandic drink is brennyvin, something between whiskey and regular vodka. The Icelandic word "Brennyvin" can be translated as "burning wine". Brennivine is obtained by distillation of fermentation products based on caraway seeds and potatoes. The fermentation process is spontaneous, pre-prepared wort is usually fermented for 2-3 months. When the mash is ready, it is subjected to double distillation in copper stills. The alcohol content of the resulting drink is about 37.5 percent. People often call this drink "black death". According to Icelandic legend, Brennivin got his somewhat ominous nickname during the alcohol prohibition period in Iceland (1915-1922). But, this prohibiting law was somewhat softer than in the USA. In those years, the logo was created - a skull with crossbones. Very quickly, hard liquor drinkers got used to asking "black death" in liquor stores. According to tradition, "Brennyvin" is usually eaten with haukarl.

Nowhere else, except Iceland, you will not be offered to try "volcanic bread" - this is bread that is baked on an active volcano, in its upper layers.

Purchases

Iceland is an expensive country, but terribly unique in everything, including in terms of its products - from products made from volcanic lava to rotten shark meat, which is considered a delicacy - Iceland surprises at every step. In our article about shopping in Iceland you will learn everything about souvenirs worth bringing from this country, where to buy them, study examples of prices for basic products and goods, get acquainted with the VAT refund system and become mentally prepared for shopping in this harsh but hospitable country.