Browse listings of B&B, Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Iceland:
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Iceland
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC 0
- Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Icelandic Krónur (Ikr)
- Country Dialing Code: 354
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List by
Iceland
Location
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Capital
Reykjavik
Population
296,737 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland
Climate
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Ethnic groups
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Religions
Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian 2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)
Languages
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Government type
constitutional republic
Background
Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Visitor's Impressions
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