Climate and Vegetation for the Ecotourist

Basic Information Settled around 1000 A.D. Capital is Reykjavik About 300,000 people

Island country near Artic Circle Iceland is 65 degrees N and 18 Degrees West The Gulf Stream Mostly Tundra Cities located in Fjords

Climate in the Summer Warm front colliding with cold fronts Gives southern and western coasts rain reaching 50-70F 20hrs of sunlight Cloud cover

Climate in Winter Severe winter storms Winds over population Precipitation about inches month Long nights, no light Average low 27 degrees F Warmer than New York!

Vegetation Was once covered with trees Half of country below 400m Mostly desert Low-growing shrubs Willow and dwarf birch

Vegetation near Geysers Geysers add warmth to the soil and water to a plants system Near geysers, a more bountiful amount of plants survive

Glaciers and Geysers 11% of whole country is covered by glacier Vatnajökull,1000 m thick 250 areas of activity 90% of energy

Natural Disruptions Most volcanic place on Earth Has emitted 1/3 of total lava Mid-Atlantic ridge,seperating the two plates Have created the modern land Basalt