ICELANDIC GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
GEOGRAPHY IN ICELAND
Iceland is the
second largest island in Europe, with a total area of 103,000 km²
(39,768 square miles), situated in the middle of the North Atlantic
Ocean, directly under the Arctic circle (66° N). The coast line is
6,000 km long; the distance between the north and south coasts is
c.300 km, between east and west c. 500 km.
The shortest distances to Iceland's nearest neighbours is about
280 km to Greenland, 400 km to the Faroe Islands, 800 km to
Scotland and 950 km to Norway. By air, Iceland is
about 3 hours from western Europe and 5 hours from North
America.
With a population of only 320,000, Iceland is the
most lightly populated country in Europe.
Over half of the inhabitants live in the metropolitan area in and
around Reykjavik and about 75 % of the land is uninhabited -
consisting mostly of sand and stone deserts, lava fields and
glaciers.
Total area: 103,000 km²
Inhabited area: c. 25 %
Total population: 320,000
Metropolitan area, population: 170,000
Time: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) throughout the year.
CLIMATE IN ICELAND
The climate in
Iceland is milder than many people expect. Thanks
to the Gulf Stream, Iceland enjoys a cool temperate ocean climate
with cool summers and relatively mild winters.
However, the weather is very changeable and one should always be
prepared for unexpected changes.
2008 Temperature Averages in Celsius
(Centigrade).
Reykjavík Akureyri
Jan. -0.2 -1.5
Feb. -0.2 -0.4
Mar. 0.8 -1.4
April 3.9 1.4
May 8.6
8.0
June 10.6 9.1
July 12.5 12.4
Aug. 11.5 11.5
Sep. 9.4
9.8
Oct. 2.8
1.2
Nov. 2.8 1.1
Dec. 1.1
-0.3
Daylight in Reykjavík (hours):
1 Jan. 4.5
1 Feb. 7.2
1 Mar. 10.2
1 Apr. 13.5
1 May 16.8
1 Jun. 23.2
1 Jul. 23.8
1 Aug. 18.0
1 Sep. 14.6
1 Oct. 11.5
1 Nov. 8.0
1 Dec. 5.0
Travellers in Iceland should always bring along
lightweight woollens, a sweater or cardigan, a rainproof coat and
sturdy walking shoes. If you are travelling in wintertime or are
heading into the interior, you will need warm underwear and socks,
rubber boots and a warm sweater (fleece, wool).
For weather information see: www.vedur.is/english
Midnight sun:
Due to the country's location directly under the Arctic circle,
the nights are bright in all parts of Iceland during summertime. In
the month of June the sun never fully sets in the northern part of
the country.
NORTHERN LIGHTS IN ICELAND
The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora
Borealis are a spectacular natural phenomenon, often seen dancing
around in fantastic colours across the Icelandic Arctic sky.
The Northern lights are caused by the
interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere
near the North Pole. That creates this wonderful light effect,
known as the Aurora Borealis. The winter in Iceland brings the
chance to see this spectacular phenomenon in the dark northern
sky on a cold and clear night.