Top 10 Iceland facts

Nordic Countries. In the early twentieth century, much of the impetus for the prohibition movement in the Nordic countries and North America came from moralistic convictions of pietistic Protestants. Nordic countries had started prohibition before the United States did. Between 1915-1919, laws were passed in Norway, Iceland and Finland.

In Iceland. Dettifoss is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 45 metres (150 ft) down.

Iceland. The Cod Wars were disputes running from the 1950s to the 1970s over fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Each of the disputes ended with Iceland's victory. As a result, the already declining British fisheries were hit hard by being excluded from their prime fishing grounds with thousands of fishermen and people being put out of work.

In Iceland. The Golden Circle consists of three of the most popular tourist sites in Iceland; National Park, Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss waterfall. Golden Circle takes you from Reykjavik one way, and after visiting the sites, another way back to the city, making it into a 300 km circle. The Diamond Circle is a route around Húsavík and Lake Mývatn in North Iceland.

Draken Harald Hårfagre is the largest Viking ship built in modern times. It is a ship that combines ocean-crossing sailing capabilities with a warship's use of oars. The longship is 35 metres (115 ft) long with a beam of approximately 8 metres (26 ft) and a displacement of about 95 metric tons. It is equipped with 50 oars.

Gateway to Hell. After the eruption of 1104 stories, probably spread deliberately through Europe by Cistercian monks, told that Hekla was the gateway to Hell. The belief that Hekla was the gate to Hell persisted until the 1800s. Apparently, Jules Verne was inspired by the story. In his "Journey to the Center of the Earth", a path downwards is found inside other Icelandic volcano, Snæfellsjökull.

In Iceland. At 74.5 metres, the Church of Hallgrímur it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. Situated in the centre of Reykjavík, it is one of the city's best-known landmarks, and is visible throughout the city. There is a viewing deck at the top, from which observers can admire the city and the surrounding mountains.

Denmark Strait. The Denmark Strait or Greenland Strait is an oceanic strait between Iceland (to its northwest) and Greenland (to its southeast). The Norwegian island of Jan Mayen lies northeast of the strait.

Öræfajökull is the largest active volcano in the country, and on the summit crater's north-western rim is Hvannadalshnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland at 2,110 metres (6,920 ft). Geographically, Öræfajökull is considered part of Vatnajökull, and the area covered by glacier is within the boundary of Vatnajökull National Park.

16 years. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir served as the fourth President of Iceland from 1980 to 1996. With a presidency of exactly sixteen years, she remains the longest-serving elected female head of state of any country to date. Currently, she is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.