|  | Geographic Information about Iceland Iceland is a large island with extensive volcanic and geothermal activity located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean east of Greenland immediately south of the Arctic Circle. It lies about 4,200 kilometers (2,600 mi.) from New York and 830 kilometers (520 mi.) from Scotland. The rift associated with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which marks the division between the European and North American plates runs across Iceland from the southwest to the northeast. This geographic feature is prominent at the Þingvellir National Park where the promontory creates an extraordinary natural amphitheater. Just over a thousand years ago Iceland's first parliament (Althing) was convened there.
About half of Iceland's land area, which is of recent volcanic origin, consists of a mountainous lava desert (highest elevation 2,119 m (6,970 ft) above sea level), and other wasteland. Eleven percent is covered by three large glaciers:
Vatnajoekull (8300 km2)
Langjoekull (953 km2)
Hofsjoekull (925 km2)
and several smaller ones:
Myrdalsjoekull, size 695 km2
Drangajoekull, size 199 km2
Eyjafjallajoekull, size 107 km2
Snaefellsjoekull,
Twenty percent of the land is used for grazing, and only 1% is cultivated. An ambitious reforestation program is under way. The inhabited areas are on the coast, particularly in the southwest, whereas the central highlands are totally uninhabited.
Because of the Gulf Stream's moderating influence, the climate is characterized by damp, cool summers and relatively mild but windy winters. In Reykjavik, the average temperature is 11C (52F) in July and -1C (30F) in January. |
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