THE ISLAND OF ICE & FIRE

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?

103.000 km2 320,000 inhabitants (63% in the Capital Region)

2,166,086 km2 

ca 500 km

ca 300 km

Czech Rep.: 78 866 km2 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?

HOW COLD IT IS?

Reykjavík: mean annual temperature 5˚C

average in January -0.4˚C, in July 11.2˚C

wintertime: 0˚C ± 5 summertime: 10˚C ± 5

ICELAND´s superlatives

largest glacier in Europe - Vatnajökull (3100 km3, 8300 km², 1000 km thick)

most powerful waterfall in Europe - Dettifoss (avarage water flow 200 m3/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

1262- 1918 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!

OUR JOURNEY

0.0.3b.3b.

3c.3c.

1.1.

2.2.

3a.3a.

3d.3d.

by boat

HOW DID WE TRAVEL?

by planeby plane

by bus

by bike

by carby 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 FJORDSrugged but friendly

WEST FJORDSrugged but friendly

around VATNAJÖKULL: Jökulsarlon

Hveragerði

VOLCANIC REGIONS

around Krafla...

& Mývatn

Mývatn & Krafla region

GOLDEN TRIANGLEÞingvellír Gullfoss

GeysírGolden Falls

Strokkur

Gullfoss (Golden Falls)

WATERFALLS

Goðafoss(waterfall of the gods)

Svartifoss(Black Falls)Seljandsfoss

Skógafoss(Forest Falls)

more WATERFALLS..

Stratifoss

Dettifoss

TOWNSTOWNS

Reykjavík

Akureyri

Husavík

VíkHveragerđi

Ísafjörđur

HusavíkÍsafjörđur

TOWNSTOWNS

Vík

Akureyri

16,500

4,000

300

2,300

120,200(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 = trottölt = faster walk

skeið = pacestokk = gallop

~ 80 000 in Iceland~ 100 000 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

Oystercatcher Austernfischer

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

Puffin

Westfjords: Surprise in the water

Takk fyrir áheyrnina

Reykjavík

Iceland’s highest peak – Hvannadalshnjúkur (2,119 m).

Iceland’s biggest lake – Thingwallavatn (83 m2)