Iceland (in the lane “land of ice”) is perhaps one of the most mysterious and mysterious countries on earth. It may sound like a hackneyed speech revolution, but it is: Reykjavik is the capital of the most interesting northern country. Despite the fact that the population of Iceland is small (a little more than three hundred twenty thousand people), it does not experience a lack of cultural content and from year to year attracts hordes of tourists from all over the world.
Despite the fact that the city is considered ideal for car traffic, the Icelandic capital can be bypassed in half a day on foot. Reykjavik is the capital of pub scrolling; this is facilitated by the high concentration and variety of cafes and bars. Skip a pint of local beer and move with a fun company to the next institution - the main evening entertainment for tourists and locals.
Climate features
Reykjavik, whose coordinates are close to the Arctic Circle, is located in the southwest of the Seltjarnarnes peninsula. Together with the agglomerations, the population of the capital is 63% of the entire country. Surprisingly, the average winter temperature of the northernmost capital is comparable to New York. Due to the warm current of the Gulf Stream, it rarely drops below -10 degrees Celsius.
origin of name
Reykjavik - the capital of Iceland - is the northernmost capital on earth. In the literal translation from Icelandic, the name of the city means "smoky bay." In fact, the name is in no way associated with either smoke or industry (it simply does not exist on the territory of Reykjavik). It's all about the geysers characteristic of the area, releasing steam poles, which were mistaken for smoke by the first settlers.
Music industry
Separately, I want to note the high level of musical culture of Iceland. Of course, to say that Reykjavik is the capital of Scandinavian music will be an exaggeration, but this is not very far from the truth.
Popular Icelandic artists:
- Bjork is a legendary singer and composer, actress, winner and winner of many music awards.
- Sigur Ros is a world-famous post-rock quartet originally from Reykjavik, with an amazing and unique melodic minimalistic sound.
- Emiliana Torrini - singer, former member of the GusGus collective, author of the final song of the movie "Lord of the Rings: Two Fortresses".
- Of Monsters and Man is a fairly young Icelandic collective performing in the genre of indie folk. Already in the second year of its existence, the group managed to become famous in the States and become the coveted resident of all European indie festivals.
Yon Gnarr
Reykjavik is the capital of free morals. The post of the head of the city is occupied by Jon Gnarr, the founder of the "Best Party" of the "anarcho-surreal" sense, a bright and odious person. Despite the fact that he is straight and the father of five children, Jon is actively supporting representatives of the LGBT community. On this basis, in the summer of 2013, he initiated the severance of the twin-city relations of Reykjavik with Moscow.
City Achievements
- It is considered the purest city in the world.
- It was recognized by UNESCO in 2011 as the most literary city.
- The richest city in 2007, according to The Economist Group.
The Land of Ice is an original and at the same time very developed corner of the planet. Combining local flavor and a high level of culture, Iceland attracts many creative and unusual people to its lands. Who knows, perhaps soon it will become the forefront of Western culture. One thing is clear: as long as Reykjavik grows and develops, the country will prosper.