Iceland is a remote island country that sits about half way between North America and Europe, just below the Arctic Circle. Warmed by the gulf stream, Iceland's climate is cool and wet but not as frozen as the name and location would suggest. About the size of the state of Kentucky, Iceland is sparsely populated with just 323,000 residents (about the same as the neighborhood of Harlem in NYC). Reykjavik is the capital and by far the largest city with around 200,000 people in the metro area (think Topeka, Kansas). Iceland was first settled over a thousand years ago during a period of Viking expansion into the North Atlantic. Today, Reykjavik is connected to dozens of world cities with direct flights. The trip from New York City to Iceland takes about 5 and 1/2 hours.
Culturally, Iceland is somewhere between Europe and the United States. For students visiting from the US, Iceland will feel both familiar and strange. Nearly everyone speaks English, and cities are modern, safe, and easy to get around. But Iceland also has distinct foods, styles of architecture, and ways of thinking about life and the world that reflect its Northern European heritage. Iceland's forms of economic and social governance are very much Nordic. Taxation funds services for all individuals and families, regardless of need: paid parental leave, free or subsidized childcare, free education through college, free healthcare, and retirement pensions. (Yes, "free" means paid for through taxes.) Compared to the US, Iceland has almost no poverty and very high levels of equality. The gap between rich and poor is small, and government policies and programs actively promote opportunity and equality.
Millions of tourists visit Iceland each year for its rugged beauty and dramatic landscapes of waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, mountains, and glaciers. As the "land of fire and ice," Iceland experiences a tremendous amount of geothermal activity. Hot springs and steam bubble up across the island, heating homes, fueling geysers, and filling countless pools with steamy, sulfury water. Volcanoes erupt regularly, spewing ash and lava and reshaping the land. At the same time, glaciers cover over 10% of Iceland, and the barren interior remains covered in snow and ice for most of the year.
Despite these extremes, Iceland is a prosperous and modern country. Reykjavik--a designated "cultural capital" of Europe--is safe, clean, and walkable, with a packed calendar of festivals and cultural events. Icelanders are a friendly people who are rightly proud of what they have: an enviable balance of prosperity and equality, a rich and mythical Viking history, and a stunning array of geological oddities and awe-inspiring landscapes.
Culturally, Iceland is somewhere between Europe and the United States. For students visiting from the US, Iceland will feel both familiar and strange. Nearly everyone speaks English, and cities are modern, safe, and easy to get around. But Iceland also has distinct foods, styles of architecture, and ways of thinking about life and the world that reflect its Northern European heritage. Iceland's forms of economic and social governance are very much Nordic. Taxation funds services for all individuals and families, regardless of need: paid parental leave, free or subsidized childcare, free education through college, free healthcare, and retirement pensions. (Yes, "free" means paid for through taxes.) Compared to the US, Iceland has almost no poverty and very high levels of equality. The gap between rich and poor is small, and government policies and programs actively promote opportunity and equality.
Millions of tourists visit Iceland each year for its rugged beauty and dramatic landscapes of waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, mountains, and glaciers. As the "land of fire and ice," Iceland experiences a tremendous amount of geothermal activity. Hot springs and steam bubble up across the island, heating homes, fueling geysers, and filling countless pools with steamy, sulfury water. Volcanoes erupt regularly, spewing ash and lava and reshaping the land. At the same time, glaciers cover over 10% of Iceland, and the barren interior remains covered in snow and ice for most of the year.
Despite these extremes, Iceland is a prosperous and modern country. Reykjavik--a designated "cultural capital" of Europe--is safe, clean, and walkable, with a packed calendar of festivals and cultural events. Icelanders are a friendly people who are rightly proud of what they have: an enviable balance of prosperity and equality, a rich and mythical Viking history, and a stunning array of geological oddities and awe-inspiring landscapes.