冰岛简介 - iceland today

iceland is the land of fire and ice, a vast and wondrous landscape of spouting geysers, massive glaciers, blue lagoons, and multicoloured valleys stretching to the sea. iceland is the home of the sagas, with fantastic nature and one of europe's fastest growing economies.

the economy of iceland is small but well-developed, with a gross domestic product estimated at us$10.57 billion in 2005 (and a per capita gdp of $35,600, which is among the worlds highest.) like the other nordic countries, iceland has a mixed economy that is mainly capitalistic but supports an extensive welfare state. social expenditure is, however, below that of mainland scandinavia and most of western europe. the icelandic economy is highly dependent on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export income and employs 4% of the workforce; therefore, the state of the economy remains sensitive to world prices for fish products.

iceland was the last european country to be settled over a thousand years ago by vikings from norway and sweden. it is a country of geothermal springs, geysers, mudpools, volcanoes, glaciers, avalanches, waterfalls, fjords, and midnight sun. the country enjoys a high standard of living, comparable to that of the united states and the quality of housing is very high. reykjavik, 'smoky bay', is the northernmost capital in the world, home to about 65% of icelanders.

there is continuous daylight in june, july and august and a dark period from mid-november to february that only provides 3-4 hours of sunshine a day. residents enjoy long twilights in early spring and late autumn.

an island of dramatic contrasts, iceland is a landscape forged by fire and ice. steaming lava fields and hot pools reflect its volcanic nature, while massive glaciers continue to sculpt the mountains and valleys, leaving thundering waterfalls and plunging fjords. many of the attractions that iceland has to offer are to be seen en route.

iceland is richer in geothermal hot springs and high-temperature activity than any other country in the world and geothermal power is one of the most important resources in iceland. home heating is provided by geothermal power in 90% of the homes.

iceland has already gone further than any other country in exploiting its abundant sources of renewable energy. virtually all of its electricity and heating comes from hydroelectric power and the geo-thermal water reserves tapped from the hot rock layers lying just beneath the surface of this extraordinary island.

iceland has a driving ambition, to run its fishing fleet and every vehicle on its roads with clean hydrogen fuel. in iceland's bubbling volcanic landscape, what once sounded like a science fiction fantasy is now taking shape. iceland is full of natural energy and by harnessing these resources, its waterfalls and hot springs; it wants to become the world's first hydrogen economy.

over the next 30 years, it aims to do away with polluting fossil fuels like petrol and diesel altogether and replace them with what could be the cleanest fuel on earth. these plans could reduce iceland's greenhouse gas emissions by 50%.

to make hydrogen you need water and electricity. iceland has plenty of water. it can also produce electricity cheaply and cleanly, hydropower from its glacial rivers and waterfalls. from its craters and crevices, huge stores of underground heat. only 5% of geothermal power has been tapped so far. one day, iceland thinks it could use it to provide enough green electricity to make hydrogen for itself and to export to other parts of the world.

just over 81% of the households in iceland live in owner-occupied dwellings. about a third of the residents live in detached homes, another third live in blocks of flats and 22% live in multi-family dwellings (2-5 families). fifteen percent of the residents live in terraced or semi-detached houses.

icelanders have one of the world's highest life expectancy rates: 78.8 years for men and 82.6 years for women. almost 4/5ths of the country is uninhabited with most of the 300,000 people living along a narrow coastal belt and the lowland plains in the south and southwest in their 23 towns and 42 villages. less than 11% of the population lives in the rural districts.

iceland is one of the most volcanic regions in the world. more than 13% is covered by snowfields and glaciers, and most of the people live in the 7% of the island that is made up of fertile coastland. the gulf stream keeps iceland's climate milder than one would expect from an island near the arctic circle. the total landmass of iceland is 103,000 sq km (39,769 sq miles).

glaciers account for over 11.5% of the country's terrain with the vatna glacier in southeast iceland measuring 3.240 square miles and reaching a thickness of 3,000 feet. in the deep snow of the steep mountainous terrain of the northwest, north and east, avalanches have destroyed farms and killed people. jules verne's novel, journey to the center of the earth, was set on iceland's snaefells peninsula, known for snaefellsjokul, a spectacular volcano crowned by a glacier.