Iceland is one of the last places on earth to be settled by humans. Over 1,100 years ago, Norwegian Vikings discovered Iceland by chance. With its magnificent glaciers, roaring waterfalls and epic natural night shows, it’s easy to see why travelers want to visit this country at the edge of the world. There are many features that make this country unique, but here are some of the most interesting ones...

YOU CAN TOUCH TWO CONTINENTS AT ONCE
Iceland is the only place in the world where you can swim between two tectonic plates. It’s also the only place where you can touch two continents at the same time—both North America and Eurasia. One of the world's cleanest bodies of water is found here. The Silfra fissure was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

NO RAILWAY SYSTEM
Iceland does not have a railway system. Railways are only used for transporting construction materials and, due to the small population, are not used for public transport.

YOU CAN TOUR ICELAND IN 24 HOURS
You can travel around Iceland in less than 24 hours. By car, you can circle the whole island in one day.

BABY NAMES ARE CHOSEN FROM A LIST
When naming babies, a name must first be picked from an approved list and get approval from the naming committee. If parents want to choose a name not on the list, they still have to get approval from the committee.

BABIES SLEEP OUTSIDE IN THE COLD
Parents often have their babies take naps outdoors in cold weather. It is believed this helps strengthen the immune system.

NO MOSQUITOES
There are no mosquitoes in Iceland. The cold climate isn't suitable for mosquitoes to survive, so you won't find them there.

NO MCDONALD'S
There is no McDonald's in Iceland. A branch opened in 1993 but was closed in 2009 due to high taxes and rising prices. However, the main reason is considered to be a boycott among locals. The local burger chain 'Hamborgarabulla' is very popular among Icelanders, and McDonald's began to be boycotted as a result.

FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT
The world’s first democratically elected female president is Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, elected in Iceland in 1980.

PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ELVES
A significant number of Icelanders believe in elves and think there is an elf school in the Reykjavik area. The percentage is around 54%.

SURNAMES ARE DIFFERENT
Members of the same family in Iceland can have different last names. When two people marry, each keeps their surname. If they have a boy, “-son” is added to the father’s or mother’s surname; for a daughter, “-dottir” is added, creating a new last name.

FAMILY RELATION APPS
They have developed an app to check if people they are dating are related to them. Iceland, with a population of around 360,000, has seen little immigration, so the likelihood of relatives dating is high. This led to the creation of the Íslendinga app.

ARCTIC FOX
The only native mammal in Iceland is the Arctic fox. There are about 8,000 to 10,000 Arctic foxes in the country. Arctic foxes are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

HEART-SHAPED TRAFFIC LIGHTS
In the city of Akureyri, the red lights at traffic signals are shaped like hearts. This initiative was started in 2008 to lift public spirits during the economic crisis, with the municipality redesigning traffic lights to boost morale.