The following are a few of things we have learned about Iceland and its people.

The people of Iceland do not discriminate on the basis of appearance, race, colour or creed. This is something they are proud of and something the rest of us could learn from.

Iceland is home to a progressive and peaceful nation that has formed a society whereby freedom and equality are held in high regard. Iceland continuously ranks highly for measurements of quality of life, gender equality and democracy and is one of the worlds highest ranked countries for health care and education. Iceland has universal health care under which all residents are covered by the Icelandic social insurance scheme, there is no private health in Iceland. Education is compulsory for children aged 6-16 and there are no fees for the compulsory education. University education attracts no tuItion fees and student loans are available for living expenses and materials. It is also compulsory to learn how to swim in Iceland.

There is virtually no crime in Iceland.

Iceland with a population of 360,000 punch well above their weight in many fields.

Iceland is also a land of extreme geological contrasts. Widely known as the land of ‘fire and ice’, Iceland is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe and some of the worlds most active volcanoes. Iceland is only around 25 millions years old and is still  expanding by around an inch a year at the continental rift.

Book of Settlements…

Almost everything we know about Iceland’s earliest history comes from Landnamabok, also known as the book of settlements, composed by Ari Dorgilsson in the late 11th or early 12th century. It records the first people to come to Iceland, when they settled, and who their descendants were in meticulous detail. It is from this that we know that Ingolfur Arnason and Hallveig Frodadottir were Iceland’s first permanent settlers and that they settled in Reykjavík.

Genealogy…

80% of the male population of Iceland is from Norwegian descent while 67% of the female population is from British Islands, namely Ireland. Many of the original woman in Iceland were slaves taken by the Vikings whom later married the Vikings. It is said that Icelandic woman are amongst the most beautiful in the world and a reason for this is their descendants were handpicked by the Vikings all those years ago.

Gender Equality…

Iceland is a world leader in gender equality with woman holding 30 of the country’s 62 parliamentary seats and currently hold 44% of representation on company boards. Woman of Iceland won the right to vote in 1917 and in 1975 the Woman’s Day Off  was held where all woman in Iceland refused to go to their jobs, do the housework or raise their children. This protest was in response to Icelandic woman being sick of the fact that they earned 60% of what men did.

Creativity…

Creativity is extremely important for Icelanders and writing and music is an integral part of life in the country. One in three Icelanders publish a book.  They are also a pragmatic and practical people who value self sufficiency through being able to repair, renovate, hunt and fish.

Cats …

Icelanders love cats and it is estimated that there are 20,000 cats in Reykjavík, these cats often roam around the city and we have met several of them in our travels. This love of cats reminds me of the Netherlands. There is a cat cafe in Reykjavík, Kattakaffihusid and we will visit it tomorrow.

The most famous cat of Iceland is the Christmas cat, Jolakotturinn. The Christmas cat is the pet of child-eating monster Grylls and her husband Leppaluoi. They are the parents of the 13 Icelandic Yule Lads. The Christmas cat is not cute though. She’s actually a gigantic kitty that likes to scratch. As legend goes, she eats all the children who don’t get new clothes for Christmas.

Icelandic Philosophy …

The Icelandic phrase ‘Thetta reddast’ is frequently used and has been described as the country’s motto. ‘Thetta reddast’ can be translated to ‘it will all work out in the end.’

Life could often be difficult in this land and has culminated in Icelanders developing a carefree mentality. When faced with difficulties Icelanders always maintain a belief that things will work out in the end. In a country with so much unpredictability, especially with regard to the weather, coupled with constant change there is no better attitude than ‘thetta reddast’.