Iceland sounds like a cold country and it can be, but even though it lies just south of the Arctic Circle it’s not always as cold as you might expect, due to the fact that it’s warmed by the gulf stream. More importantly, its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge straddling the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, has more impact on the island than its latitude.

The seismic and volcanic activity caused by these tectonic plates moving apart are what created Iceland in the first place, and what makes the island geologically unstable today. Consequently, this ‘Land of Fire and Ice’ which was created only 14-16 million years ago, is what makes Europe’s second largest island so different.

Only about a quarter of the island is habitable, mainly around the coast, as the centre is largely barren with lava fields, volcanoes, mountains and glaciers, but the geothermal energy which erupts in the form of hot springs and geysers also helps to produce energy for the 380,000 or so inhabitants, around 140,000 of which live in the capital Reykjavik.

Not only is Iceland the youngest European country, it was also the last to be settled, and as such there are no pre-historic records. The earliest people known to arrive here were Irish monks looking for remote places to live, but they left no lasting influence on the island, and it was the Viking explorers and their descendants who have left the biggest impression.

The first permanent settler was the Norwegian-Norse chieftain, Ingolfr Arnarson who, in 874, built his homestead where Reykjavik now stands. The Scandinavian influence (under different rulers) was the cornerstone of Icelandic life for centuries, but in 1944 Iceland declared independence from Denmark, and is now a Republic in its own right.

Fishing is the backbone of the economy, but with impressive natural scenery, marine wildlife and frequent displays of the Northern Lights, tourism is playing an increasingly important role.