THE ISLAND OF ICE & FIRE

STILL ACTIVE...

1963 – iceland of Surtsey created by submarine eruption 1973 – volcanic eruption on iceland of Heimaey frequent earthquakes 1996 – jökulhlaup (glacier burst) STILL ACTIVE...

HOW BIG IT IS? km 2 320,000 inhabitants (63% in the Capital Region) 2,166,086 km 2 ca 500 km ca 300 km Czech Rep.: km 2 10,4 million inhabitans

HOW FAR IT IS? Faroe Islands 66˚33´ 63˚24´ 13˚30´24˚32´ 286 km 950 km Arctic Circle 795 km

HOW COLD IT IS?

Reykjavík: mean annual temperature 5˚C average in January -0.4˚C, in July 11.2˚C wintertime: 0˚C ± 5summertime: 10˚C ± 5

ICELAND´s superlatives largest glacier in Europe - Vatnajökull (3100 km 3, 8300 km², 1000 km thick) most powerful waterfall in Europe - Dettifoss (avarage water flow 200 m 3 /s, 100 m wide, 44 m high) oldest parliament in the world – the Althing (founded 930 AD) most northern capital in the world – Reykjavík (64°08' N )

A BRIEF HISTORY 874AD Ingólfur Arnarson arrives → 1st permanent settlement (Reykjavík)

A BRIEF HISTORY: from Vikings to Economic Crisis 874AD Ingólfur Arnarson arrives → 1st permanent settlement under Norwegian → Danish crown 1918 independence 2007 ranked as the most developed country by the United Nations' Human Development Index 4th most productive country per capita 2008 the nation’s banking system systematically failed (Reykjavík) 1000AD – Christianity adopted

HOW DO THEY SPEAK? ICELANDIC the language of the Vikings Icelandic alphabet medieval Sagas & Eddas Hæ!Bæ!Hæ!Bæ!

OUR JOURNEY 0. 3b. 3c a. 3d.

by boat HOW DID WE TRAVEL? by plane by bus by bike by car

on foot...

... over & through water – the fords

... through water – the fords

OUR ACCOMODATION

WHICH REGIONS DID WE VISIT? The West Fjords Mývatn & Krafla NP Skaftafell & Jökulsárlon NP Jökulsárglúrfjur „Golden Triangle“ Around Vatnajökull The North

WEST FJORDS rugged but friendly

WEST FJORDS rugged but friendly

around VATNAJÖKULL: Jökulsarlon

Hveragerði VOLCANIC REGIONS around Krafla... & Mývatn

Mývatn & Krafla region

GOLDEN TRIANGLE ÞingvellírGullfoss Geysír Golden Falls Strokkur

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) WATERFALLS Goðafoss (waterfall of the gods) Svartifoss (Black Falls) Seljandsfoss Skógafoss (Forest Falls)

more WATERFALLS.. Stratifoss Dettifoss

TOWNS Reykjavík Akureyri Husavík Vík Hveragerđi Ísafjörđur

Husavík Ísafjörđur TOWNS Vík Akureyri 16,500 4, , ,200 (201,800) Reykjavík

Left behind by the Vikings: ICELANDIC SHEEP Without sheep Iceland would have been inhabitable. ~ 2 million

Left behind by the Vikings: ICELANDIC HORSE 5 gaits: fetgangur = walk, step brokk = trot tölt = faster walk skeið = pace stokk = gallop ~ in Iceland ~ abroad

PLANT LIFE

TREES

BIRDLIFE Ptarmigan Alpenschneehuhn Lagopus mutus

BIRDLIFE Common Eider Eiderente Somateria mollissima Whooper swan Singschwan Cygnus cygnus Golden plover Pluvialis apricaria Goldregenpfeiffer Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover Sandregenpfeiffer

BIRDLIFE Red-necked Phalarope Odinshünchen Phalaropus lobatus Redshank Rotschenkel Tringa totanus Uferschnepfe Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Whimbrel Regenbrachvogel Numenius phaeopus

BIRDLIFE OystercatcherAusternfischer Haematopus ostralegus Black-headed Gull Lachmöwe Larus ridibundus Herring Gull Silbermöwe Larus argentatus Fulmar Eissturmvogel Fulmarus glacialis

Puffin Vík

Puffin Fratercula arctica Papageitaucher Lundi PAPUCHALK PLOSKOZOBÝ

Puffin

Westfjords: Surprise in the water

Takk fyrir áheyrnina

Reykjavík

Iceland’s highest peak – Hvannadalshnjúkur (2,119 m). Iceland’s biggest lake – Thingwallavatn (83 m 2 )