By Laura Baginski
Mother Nature pulled out all the stops for Iceland: boiling mud pits, spewing geysers, rumbling volcanoes, thundering waterfalls, steaming lava fields, and towering ice caps--all on a tiny island the size of Ohio. It would be easy to assume that Iceland, with all these harsh extremes, would be hellishly inhospitable. The truth is, this bizarre, stark, mostly treeless country is jawdroppingly stunning, and is considered one of the best places in the world to live.
How do Icelanders harness all these natural phenomena to their advantage? These industrious direct descendants of the Vikings see opportunity when most would see wasteland. Geothermally heated water is pumped from miles below the earth's surface to provide cheap, pollution-free heat and hot water to much of the population. The country's countless waterfalls provide hydroelectric power. Unpolluted rivers and streams feed the country with fresh fish. And to Icelanders, the 800 hot springs that dot the landscape provide pleasant places to bathe, socialize, and relax.
It's a country like no other, and an example that larger nations would do to well to study. With little crime, there's no need for police to carry guns. A peaceful nation, Iceland finds an army unnecessary. The literacy rate is near 100 percent and most of Iceland's 283,000 inhabitants can speak multiple languages. Icelanders are justifiably proud of what they've done with this explosive terrain. And they're eager to share their country's wealth of natural wonders--bubbling mud pits and all--with the rest of the world.
|
