Mind-Blowing Iceland Facts to Make You Fall in Love with the Country
Lovely Traffic Lights
In 2008, Iceland suffered a devastating economic crash that left its citizens feeling down. To lift everyone’s spirits, the town of Akureyri took a unique approach by adding heart-shaped fixtures to its traffic lights. Former mayor Eiríkur Björn Björgvinsson believed that this small act of kindness had a big impact.
Akureyri is the second-largest urban area in Iceland, located about 100 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. The population of Akureyri was around 19,642 as of 2022. It is a popular tourist spot, with several must-visit locations, including the Botanical Garden. This garden features a wide variety of plants and species from various neighboring countries also.
Iceland Has The Highest Movie-Watching Per Capita
Living in Iceland, where winter days are short and the weather is often harsh, can be a challenge. But its citizens have found a way to cope – by watching movies. These citizens watch about 3.2 movies per person per year according to a 2019 research by Motion Picture Association of America.
Iceland has a deep love for the cinematic arts, which is reflected in its own creative output. With more writers per capita than anywhere else, one in ten citizens have published a book in their lifetime. The country is also home to the oldest film festival in the world, Reykjavik International Film Festival, which was established in 1978.
Defying Last Names
Names play a very important role in Icelandic culture. Unlike many other countries where people use family surnames, Icelanders use patronymic last names, which consist of their father’s first name and a suffix for daughter or son, similar to the Arab naming tradition. Everyone in the country is referred to by their first name, regardless of their profession.
Women keep their original names when they marry and if they change their surnames when they move abroad, they have to revert back when they return to Iceland. The National Registry even allows people to have more than one name if they want to make it longer or unique.
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