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Twenty-six hundred miles from New York, eleven hundred miles from Oslo, Norway, and just

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south of the Arctic Circle, there is a land of spectacular beauty and intriguing contrasts.

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Iceland's location indicates frigid weather, but the average January temperature is 30 degrees

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above zero because of southwesterly winds blowing over the warm Gulf Stream. Although the country

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is small, it has much to interest visitors. Iceland's history began in the early eight

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when pagan Norsemen arrived and drove out the Irish monks who had preceded them. One of these

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visitors saw ice floes in a northern fjord and named the country Iceland. The Vikings brought

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with them sturdy horses with small muscular bodies. No others have been imported, so the

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bread stock is a pleasure to ride and race today. Settlers also brought long fleeced sheep.

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Descendants of that hardy breed now provide an abundant supply of meat and wool. The first

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permanent Icelandic settler was a Norwegian chieftain, Ingelfjord Arneson. Chiefs of the

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prepared a code of law in 930 AD. The elected law speaker recited these laws from Lodvurg to

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the annual meeting of the all thing. The world's oldest legislature still allows the people to

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elect their leaders. At their assembly in the year 1000, the nobleman agreed to throw their

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pagan idols into Godafoss and proclaimed Christianity the official religion for the

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country. In 1117, the age of writing began. During the next two centuries, 40 sagas relating the

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history of early settlers were recorded in Old Norse on parchment. One of these tells the story

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of Leif Erikson, a native Icelander who discovered the North American mainland and named it Vinland.

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From the 14th to the 19th centuries, Iceland suffered from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,

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famine, and foreign misrule. Then on June 17, 1944, independence was declared from Denmark and the

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Icelandic Republic was established. Geologically, the country is one of the youngest land masses on

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the globe. Volcanic eruptions often change the terrain or make new land masses as Certse did

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recently off the South Coast. Ten percent of the island is covered with lava flows.

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These hexagonal columns are characteristic of basaltic formations. Eventually, lichens cover

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the barren lava and the process of making soil begins. Mosses then obtain a foothold and in

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time are replaced by advanced vegetation. Birch forests were common when the colonists came,

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but they used the trees for building and fuel. Now, a reforestation program makes it possible

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for everyone to enjoy the woodlands and wildflowers. Many thermal areas, some with geysers,

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are found throughout the country. The Icelandic word geyser has been given to similar eruptions

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all over the world. Bubbling mud pools in sulfurous areas indicate young volcanic activity. Only 11

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percent of the country is covered by glaciers. Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Europe.

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Grey rivers caused by melting ice of the glaciers gush from beneath their tongues. These rivers may

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create spectacular waterfalls like Detafoss, the country's largest. Foss means waterfall in

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Icelandic. Thirteen percent of the people make their living from agriculture, but only one

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percent of the land is cultivated. Generally, the winters are mild, but frost does occur,

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which heaves saturated ground into tussocks. Trenches are dug to drain this land, which permits

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harvesting of the grass. Recently, drying machines have been imported and prove helpful

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in saving more of the valuable grass crop upon which the agricultural prosperity depends.

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Ninety-five percent of Iceland's exports are fish and fish products, and one-fifth of the population

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is employed by the fishing industry. Icelandic herring is known as the finest and most nutritious

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in the world. Only the best quality is salted and packed, and the remainder is made into fish meal

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and oil.

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Cleaned cod called stockfish are dried during the summer for export.

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At this time, too, the whale, the world's largest mammal, is hunted. Millions of years ago, they roamed

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the earth on four legs, but when they took to the sea, their bodies became streamlined. This warm

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blooded mammal has lungs and breathes as man, and can hear keenly for about a mile. The finback is

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the most common species in these waters. They are brought to a coastal station for processing.

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Choice steaks are used for table meat. Oil is exported to other countries of Europe and used

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in margarine. The remainder is made into cattle food and fertilizer. An average size whale is worth

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about $3,000. Many workers are employed in other industries. Some make candy, gum, and cookies to

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satisfy their sweet tooth. Carpet manufacturers use domestic wool to make high quality carpeting.

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Furniture factories produce a Scandinavian style of furniture. Ceramic artists sometimes

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use a mixture of native clays and volcanic ash to create unusual objects. Much of the machinery,

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raw materials, food, and other essentials are imported by the 4,000 ships visiting the ports

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each year. The majority of men work in transportation, commerce, and construction. About half of the

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population of 200,000 live in the capital Reykjavik. Reykjavik means smoky bay. The smoke,

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actually steam, comes from hot springs. Most of the buildings are heated by this natural hot water

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pumped through insulated pipes to these storage tanks. The modern hotels, apartments, and homes

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are built of reinforced concrete to prevent damage from occasional slight earthquakes.

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Since there are no railroads, inter-island travel is usually by plane. Built on several levels

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along a deep fjord, Akareri is the second largest city with a population around 10,000 and the

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business and shipping center of the north. This is also an excellent ski area, having the best snow

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cover from March through May. Summer skiing is possible on permanent snowfields in the interior.

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Iceland has no army. Only firemen and policemen wear uniforms. Crime is rare,

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so policemen mainly direct traffic. Early in their life, children are given responsibilities.

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They are taught to enjoy work and be proud of their accomplishments. Here it is a disgrace not

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to work. There is no unemployment, poverty, or social distinction because the Icelanders

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value the individual as a person. After basic compulsory education, young men interested in

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sea may attend the Marine Navigational School. Two and three-year courses teach all phases of

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equipment, maintenance, and navigation. Agricultural students experiment with fruits and vegetables in

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glass houses heated by hot springs so more fresh produce will be available. At the University of

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Iceland, six courses are offered tuition-free to qualified students. Girls can enroll in one of the

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many homemaking schools where everything from biochemistry to purchasing is studied. They take

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in doing handiwork for their future home and family. The women seldom have domestic help,

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so every housewife must know how to cook and care for her home. When available,

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whale steaks are inexpensive. The taste is difficult to describe because it does not

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resemble fish or meat. Skir is a national dish made of cow's milk, is very high in protein,

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and is eaten as a main course for dessert. The average family has three children. The mother

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is rarely employed away from the home as her family is her main responsibility. The father

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makes all the major decisions and pays all the expenses. Although they love their families and

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home, the men seldom show their emotions. Because wages are low and the cost of living is high,

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the government assists in several ways. Working mothers may leave their children in day nurseries

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for about five dollars a week. Small government grants are made to parents for each child under

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16. Towns offer garden plots with supervision to children who agree to work in them at least

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hours each day. Children are required by law to learn to swim. The pools utilize natural

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hot water, so it is a pleasure to swim any time of the year. Children are exposed to cultural

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activities at an early age. They visit the studio of Asbandeer Svensson, who uses various materials

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in his sculptures. Watch craftsmen make filigree jewelry from gold and silver.

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Or they can observe the ancient form of wrestling, gleema, in which contestants

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toss each other by lifting and twisting.

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A popular camping trip is to Mevatn, which means Lake of the Midgees. Here,

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tiny insects hang like a cloud on warm, still days.

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Some 230 species of birds have been observed here and are protected by law.

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Barrel's golden-eye duck is found nowhere else in Europe. The kiddiwake, a seabird,

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nests on ledges of remote cliffs. The European oyster catcher is very colorful,

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but her chick is unnoticed among the rocks. The eider colonies are also protected by law,

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so the ducks are quite tame. The males watch over the drab hen while she plucks the down

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from her breast to line the nest. After the chicks leave the nest, the down is gathered

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by the farmers and made into warm comforters. The utopia for fishermen are the

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many lakes and rivers that provide excellent sport fishing. The salmon season opens about

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June 10th, and enthusiasm reaches its peak when these beauties are pulled from the icy waters.

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Whatever your natural interests may be, Iceland can fulfill them.

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Those who share an appreciation of natural beauty are always welcome to enjoy Iceland's

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spectacular and moving manifestations and discover for themselves that this is truly

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a nice land and not an ice land.