Think of lunar landscapes, geysers, and black sand beaches…and now imagine red hot lava pouring down from a cliff, straight into the crashing waves of the ocean!
Well, these are just casual Icelandic pics, to add up to the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, one of nature’s most revered phenomenon.
Icelandic nature has such a rich palette of colours, that it is no wonder that the country has the world’s largest number of artists per capita.
And it is safe to say that Iceland has tradition in feminism and human rights activism. The nation ranks first, for seven consecutive years, in the Global Gender Gap Index.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Iceland since 2010 and gay and lesbian couples can adopt children. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland’s former prime-minister, is the world’s first openly lesbian head of government.
Looking at the facts, Iceland easily puts to shame most advanced nations in terms of tolerance and equality.
Iceland is far ahead of all other modern countries in yet another vital part of life – sustainability. The country meets virtually all its energy needs from renewable sources as the number one world leader in geothermal generating capacity and sustainable energy development. Which crowns it as the most eco-friendly country in the world and one of the countries with the highest standard of living.
And, seriously, Icelandic cuisine features some quite challenging culinary delicacies. Just think of cured shark, which can be poisonous due to the high levels or urea or Svið – boiled sheep head.
The least impressive about Iceland, seems to be the country’s name. And while the common belief, that the name was an attempt to repel settlers, is quite of a myth; the Icelandic language and grammar can, indeed, repel new learners.
And from our position as one of the marketing leaders providing certified Icelandic translation and Icelandic localisation services for over 20 years, we agree that Icelandic language is among the most difficult to master.
