Icelandair
Departure: Frankfurt 2 p.m.
Arrival: Keflavík: 3.35 p.m.
Duration of flight: 3 hours 35 minutes
Time:
Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) throughout the year, and does not go on daylight saving time. This translates into a time difference of 2 hours between Germany and Iceland.
www.icelandair.us
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandair
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Boarding in Frankfurt, Germany
www.icelandair.us/hekla-aurora/
Hekla Aurora
"Dressed in the beautiful colors of an Icelandic winter landscape, our aircraft Hekla Aurora flies the northern lights across the Atlantic every day of the year."
"Not only is our Boeing 757 wrapped in this exquisite livery, but in addition, Hekla Aurora’s interior is illuminated with beautiful one-of-a-kind mood lighting recreating the fabulous display of the Aurora Borealis. Our new livery is just one component of our campaign celebrating the Icelandair Stopover. This exciting option allows you to stopover in Iceland for up to seven nights at no additional airfare on your way between Europe and North America, giving you the time to explore the beautiful, unparalleled sights of our home country."
www.icelandair.us
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandair
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www.iceland.is
Iceland is located at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The main island is entirely south of the Arctic Circle.
The country lies between latitudes 63° and 68° N, and longitudes 25° and 13° W.
The warm North Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similar latitude in the world. Iceland is the world's 18th largest island, and Europe's second largest island after Great Britain.
Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America; thus, the island is generally included in Europe for historical, political, cultural, and practical reasons.
Geologically the island includes parts of both continental plates. The closest body of land is Greenland (290 km, 180 mi). The closest bodies of land in Europe are the Faroe Islands (420 km, 260 mi); Jan Mayen Island (570 km, 350 mi); Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, both about 740 km (460 mi); and the Scottish mainland and Orkney, both about 750 km (470 mi). The mainland of Norway is about 970 km (600 mi) away.
COUNTRY SIZE: 103,000 sq.km (40,000 sq. miles), bigger than Hungary and Portugal and a little bit smaller than Cuba.
POPULATION (2015): 329.100
An estimated 7% (23.000) of the population is of foreign-born nationality.
CAPITAL: Reykjavík
The largest municipalities are Reykjavík* (121,800); Kópavogur* (33,200); Hafnarfjördur *(27,900); Akureyri (18,200); Reykjanesbær (14.900).
* denotes cities in the capital region.
MEDIAN AGE: 37.1 years
CURRENCY: Icelandic Króna (ISK)
www.oanda.com/currency/converter/
TIME
Iceland is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) throughout the year, and does not go on daylight saving time.
ECONOMY
GDP = $14,5 billion. Unemployment rate: 5%.
Iceland was the last country to be settled in Europe, when emigrants from Scandinavia and the British Isles first came to live on the island in the ninth and tenth century. It remains the most sparsely populated country in the continent with less than three inhabitants per square kilometer. Shaped by the unrelenting forces of nature, Iceland’s harsh natural environment has bred a resilient nation that has learnt to exist under extreme conditions, and harness the natural resources they create for its own prosperity.
The cornerstone of Icelandic culture is the Icelandic language, which has spawned a literary tradition that dates back to the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Violent tales of blood feuds, traditions, family and character. A strong literary tradition still thrives in modern Iceland. and Icelandic authors publish more books per capita than in any other country in the world. Iceland also boasts a prospering music scene, a burgeoning film industry, and Icelandic design is coming of age.
Icelandic customs and traditions are inspired by centuries long insular existence and a curious mixture of pagan influence on a christian religion. Icelandic folk tales are ripe with mysticism, ghosts and elves and trolls, and further shaped by the natural forces and a taxing environment.
Government
Iceland is a parliamentary constitutional republic. Suffrage is universal from 18 years of age. The president is elected by direct popular vote for a term of four years, with no term limit. Most executive power rests with the Government, which is elected separately from the presidential elections every four years. Althingi is a legislative body of 63 members elected for a term of four years by popular vote. Judicial power lies with the Supreme Court and the district courts.
Language
The official language of Iceland is Icelandic, a North Germanic language derived from Old Norse. It has changed relatively little throughout the centuries.
In grammar and vocabulary, it has changed less from Old Norse than the other Nordic languages; Icelandic has preserved more verb and noun inflection, and has to a considerable extent developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from other languages.
The puristic tendency in the development of Icelandic vocabulary is to a large degree a result of conscious language planning, in addition to centuries of isolation. Icelandic is the only living language to retain the use of the runic letter Þ in Latin script. The closest living relative of the Icelandic language is Faroese.
Religion
Most Icelanders (80%) are members of the Lutheran State Church. Another 5% are registered in other Christian denominations, including the Free Church of Iceland and the Roman Catholic Church. Almost 5% of people practice ásatrú, the traditional Norse religion.
Nature and Environment
From a geological standpoint, Iceland is a very young country, still in the midst of its own creation. Shaped by the forces of nature, the, barren landscapes demonstrate the creativity powers of the four basic elements—earth, air, fire, and water—in a dramatic way. Active volcanoes, bright green valleys, glacier-cut fjords, black sand beaches, and roaring rivers are the most distinctive features of the Icelandic landscape. And although they are very accessible, they still remain virtually untouched by human civilization. In a fast-paced world of sprawling development, Iceland's pure nature and empty expanses stand out as a luxury.
Despite the name, “ice” only covers about 10% of the land, but still represents the largest glaciers left in Europe. It represents a source of pure water and symbolizes the purity of Icelandic products. Icelanders are proud of their close ties to nature, and dedicated to preserving this natural wealth through responsible conservation. According to the Environmental Performance Index, created by the World Economic Forum in 2012, Iceland is the world's greenest country. Iceland is at the forefront of renewable energy production, and nearly every home in the country is supplied with heating and energy from renewable energy sources.
Iceland has also made a commitment to responsible fisheries management, and incentive programs to reduce fossil fuel-driven transportation through the use of hydrogen and methane.
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On the way to Keflavík, Iceland
Iceland is located at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The main island is entirely south of the Arctic Circle.
The country lies between latitudes 63° and 68° N, and longitudes 25° and 13° W.
The warm North Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similar latitude in the world. Iceland is the world's 18th largest island, and Europe's second largest island after Great Britain.
Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America; thus, the island is generally included in Europe for historical, political, cultural, and practical reasons.
Geologically the island includes parts of both continental plates. The closest body of land is Greenland (290 km, 180 mi). The closest bodies of land in Europe are the Faroe Islands (420 km, 260 mi); Jan Mayen Island (570 km, 350 mi); Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, both about 740 km (460 mi); and the Scottish mainland and Orkney, both about 750 km (470 mi). The mainland of Norway is about 970 km (600 mi) away.
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Mount Keilir, Reykjanes Peninsula ("Smoke Peninsula"), Iceland
View from the air plane, approaching Keflavík Airport, Iceland
www.visitreykjavik.is/mount-keilir
Mount Keilir, a small volcanic mountain, is situated between Reykjavík and the international airport at Keflavík, south west of Hafnarfjörður. The mountain is the symbol and the most distinctive landmark of Reykjanes peninsula. It was created in subglacial eruptions during the last ice age, giving it it's distinctive cone shape. Although rather small, it is impressive in the way it rises from the ground level so sharply.
The conical mountain (379 meter) was formed during the Ice Age, underneath a glacier and is classed as a hyaloclastite mountain, although scientists believe it to actually be the plug of a large crater (hyaloclastite crater plug).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyaloclastite
Hyaloclastite is a hydrated tuff-like breccia rich in black volcanic glass, formed during volcanic eruptions under water, under ice or where subaerial flows reach the sea or other bodies of water. It has the appearance of angular flat fragments sized between a millimeter to few centimeters. The fragmentation occurs by the force of the volcanic explosion, or by thermal shock during rapid cooling.
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