There is such a country in the world, it is in the westernmost part of Europe, located in the middle of the North Atlantic, the north is close to the Arctic Circle, 1/8 of the country is covered by glaciers, the glacier area accounts for 13,000 square kilometers; however, it is also a multi-volcanic, geologically active country, there are more than 100 volcanoes in the country, almost the entire country is built on volcanic rocks, this country is Iceland, it also has "volcanic island", "fog island", "frozen land", "ice and fire island" is called, then, Iceland this " What kind of country is the country of the "Two Heavens of Ice and Fire"? Looking down, follow in my footsteps to give you an insight into the most authentic state of Iceland.
The first time I went to Iceland was 5 years ago, very early heard that Iceland is a country without mosquitoes, at first I was still half-convinced, before going to prepare anti-mosquito potions, because I used to work in Africa, you know, mosquitoes in Africa is a terrible bug, because the way of malaria is mosquitoes, once people get malaria if not treated in time, it is life-threatening, so no matter which country I travel to I will carry anti-mosquito potions, worth going to Iceland to believe that it is true, At that time, it was the summer in Iceland, and it was indeed not bitten by mosquitoes for almost half a month in Iceland, nor did it find traces of mosquitoes, and in the major supermarkets and pharmacies in Iceland, there was no mosquito coil, mosquito repellent and the like, perhaps Icelanders did not know what mosquito coils were, because they had not seen mosquitoes, and where did the mosquito coils come from? Isn't it incredible to think about it?
What kind of country is Iceland? Below I will introduce the most real situation in Iceland from the aspects of Iceland's national overview, economy, education, medical care, transportation, consumption, food, tourism, etc.
Country summary of Iceland
The Republic of Iceland, referred to as Iceland, is an island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, one of the five Nordic countries, it is bordered by the Greenland Sea in the north, the Danish Strait and Greenland in the northwest, the Norwegian Sea in the northeast, the land area is 103,000 square kilometers, the coastline is about 4970 kilometers long, and the population is only about 340,000, which is the least densely populated country in Europe. Although Iceland is located at the edge of the Arctic Circle, the climate is very suitable due to the warm north Atlantic current.
I believe that many people have soaked in hot springs, but many people may not know that Iceland is the country with the largest number of hot springs in the world, there are about 250 alkaline hot springs on the whole island of Iceland, and the largest hot springs can produce 200 liters of spring water per second.
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, it is the highest latitude capital in the world, the largest port city in Iceland, and the main political, economic and cultural center of Iceland, with a population of 209,000 people.
The vast majority of Icelanders belong to the Germanic ethnic group, but with the eastward expansion of the European Union, the number of immigrants from Eastern Europe has increased significantly, and the official language of Iceland is Icelandic, which belongs to the Indo-European language family and the northern branch of the Germanic language family, with a population of more than 300,000.
Economy of Iceland
With a GDP of $21.7 billion and a per capita GDP of $59,300 in 2020, Iceland is a highly developed capitalist country with a Nordic welfare system of state-provided health insurance and higher education. In 2014, Iceland ranked 13th in the United Nations Human Development Index, and in 2018, the Global Happiness Index was released, and Iceland ranked fourth.
As an island country, Iceland is quite rich in fishery resources, fisheries are one of Iceland's pillar industries, and most of the fishery products are exported; Iceland is blessed with unique hydropower and geothermal resources, a very developed energy industry, abundant electricity, low prices, and unique geothermal utilization and development technology; Iceland's biopharmaceutical industry is growing rapidly, ranking fourth in the world and one of the main pillars of Iceland's economy; Game, business, antivirus disinfection, teaching and laboratory software developed, is one of the world's major software exporters; High-energy-consuming industries such as aluminum smelting and steelmaking have developed rapidly in Iceland, and Iceland will become one of the world's largest aluminum producers; Tourism is currently Iceland's largest industry, accounting for 29% of GDP; The service sector occupies an important position in the national economy, with the output value of the service sector and retail trade accounting for 71.7% of gdp in 2017; Iceland is located in a high latitude, the amount of sunshine in winter is small, and grain, vegetables and fruits are basically imported.
Education in Iceland
Education in Iceland is very developed, as early as 100 years ago, the eradication of illiteracy, the national literacy level is high, the implementation of 10 years of free and compulsory education. In 2003, education funding accounted for about 8.5 per cent of GDP. There are 205 primary schools, 36 secondary schools and 12 institutions of higher learning in the country. The University of Iceland is the largest comprehensive university, and there are two main sources of funding for the University of Iceland: one is the state appropriation, and the other is the lottery revenue. In 2004, the state allocated about $83.15 million, and the lottery revenue was dedicated to the construction of school buildings. Scientific research in Iceland is mainly carried out by universities, research institutes, enterprises and individuals, and the government budget is invested in every year. I have to say that Iceland has indeed spent a lot of money on education and scientific research, and it is inseparable from good educational standards to revitalize the country through science and technology and become a highly developed country.
Medical care in Iceland
Iceland has a strong welfare fund and a well-developed social welfare and health insurance system. Medical costs are shared proportionally by individuals, states and insurance companies. According to the World Health Organization, Iceland's total health expenditure in 2011 accounted for 9.2% of GDP, and per capita health expenditure was $3,361 in purchasing power parity terms. With an average of 32 hospital beds per 10,000 people between 2006 and 2012, it's no wonder icelanders have such a high happiness index in the world, and most importantly, Iceland's welfare is so good.
Transportation in Iceland
Iceland has no railways, domestic transport mainly relies on roads, the national highway is about 13,000 kilometers, of which the most important road, the No. 1 Ring Road, has a total length of 1,339 kilometers; As of 2014, there are 18 large and small airports in Iceland, of which 8 airport runways are in better condition, and 4 airports can provide international flight services, mainly Keflavik International Airport; Iceland's cargo transport is mainly by sea, with 62 large and small port terminals along the coast, of which 15 can berth freighters and cruise ships.
Consumption in Iceland
Iceland's prices are recognized as the first in Europe, according to the "Iceland" magazine report: Iceland's consumer prices are on average 66% higher than In Europe, and prices exceed those of developed countries such as Switzerland, Norway and Denmark.
My trip to Iceland can be said to be the country I travel to spend the most, in the Icelandic capital to live in the hotel are 1000 yuan a night to start, rent a one-bedroom house more than 10,000 yuan a month, a bottle of mineral water to more than 20 yuan, a small strawberry nearly 10 yuan, a pound of vegetables more than 20 yuan, in Iceland a simple lunch is close to 200 yuan, taxi starting price is about 50 yuan, more than 10 minutes away is hundreds.
The highest-paid profession in Iceland is athletes and fishermen, athletes generally have an annual income of more than 5 million yuan, and the annual income of fishermen is about 2 million yuan, although the income level of Icelanders is high, but such a high level of consumption, I am afraid that there is not much money left in a year.
Icelandic cuisine
The icelandic cuisine that impressed me the most was the "soup", mainly "lobster soup", "mutton soup" and "bread soup".
"Lobster Soup": Lobster soup is one of iceland's most prestigious regional flavours. Although this dish is not unique to Iceland, its taste is unique among many lobster chowders. Orange-yellow soup, somewhat similar to Thai sour and spicy soup, usually with four or five lobster meat in the soup, the taste of melting in the mouth will definitely make you unforgettable. Lobster soup usually comes with cream and bread, and the bread is dipped in a thick soup, which is probably the most authentic way to eat.
"Lamb broth": Lamb broth is probably the most popular Icelandic delicacy in Chinese. Local Icelandic lamb is stewed with potatoes, carrots and other vegetables, and the lamb is delicious and the soup is sweet. A bowl of hot lamb soup is under the belly, and the whole body is warm, as if the cold of Iceland has been isolated. This dish can be tasted in many local restaurants and costs around ISK 2,000.
"Bread soup": This is a very special way to eat, I also ate it for the first time in Iceland, that is, seafood soup and lamb soup in large bread, and the soup can be renewed for free, and it can be changed to another flavor.
In addition to the "soup", Iceland's hot dogs are the best I have ever eaten, Iceland's hot dogs are made of local lamb, it is said that it has long become a recognized national delicacy of the Icelandic people, and has been rated as the best hot dog in Europe by the British "Guardian".
Tourism in Iceland
Iceland has the purest air and water in the world, as well as the best hot springs, Icelanders have a straightforward personality and are friendly to foreigners, which is why I travel to Iceland.
Iceland's main tourist attractions are glaciers, volcanic landforms, geothermal fountains and waterfalls, and you can also see the aurora in autumn and winter.
I think the top 10 most recommended tourist attractions in Iceland are: Iceland's Golden Falls, Reykjavik Cathedral, Blue Lagoon, Jökull Lake, Þingvellir National Park, Vatnajökull National Park, Great Geyser, SeljaranFoss, Skogafoss, DettiFoss.
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