Iceland
Geography of Iceland
Eric Hines
World Geography 102
Mrs. Witkowski
December 6, 2010
Geography of Iceland
The country that I choose is Iceland. Iceland is very unique and interesting not only because of its clean air and amazing scenery but also its natural beauty and landscapes. Nature is a big force of Iceland but the volcano’s, waterfalls, and glaciers seem to attract most tourist. There landforms are probably the most unique. The Northern Lights is also something that people find very interesting because how it is created and the view you can see. It is something that everyone should see at some point in their life. The sources that I choose to use to research the Physical Geography, Economics, History, Cultural, and Political features of Iceland were mainly books including; Ring of Season: Iceland , It’s Culture and History; Island Guide to Iceland; and Landmark Visitor Guide: Iceland. The main site that was used from the internet was the CIA World Factbook. The geographical features of Iceland in this paper range from physical/environmental, historical, culture/demographic, political, and economics that help create this country.
Iceland’s Physical/Environmental features are some of the most unique features of any country. According to Cathy Harlow Visitor Guide, Iceland is Europe’s Western most country, which is located in the North Atlantic just south of the Arctic Circle (p. 11). Iceland’s geographic coordinates are “65 00 N and 18 00 W” (CIA World Factbook). Its land occupies 103,000 square kilometers with its terrain and landforms bringing many tourists to this country every year. Volcanoes in Iceland are probably the biggest and most interesting land forms in this country. There are many different eruptions in volcanoes but according to Landmark Visitor Guide by Cathy Harlow, “the most common eruptions in Iceland are the fissure type, where lava and ash are ejected along a rift and form small craters around the eruption site” (p. 22). In
Eric Hines
World Geography 102
Mrs. Witkowski
December 6, 2010
Geography of Iceland
The country that I choose is Iceland. Iceland is very unique and interesting not only because of its clean air and amazing scenery but also its natural beauty and landscapes. Nature is a big force of Iceland but the volcano’s, waterfalls, and glaciers seem to attract most tourist. There landforms are probably the most unique. The Northern Lights is also something that people find very interesting because how it is created and the view you can see. It is something that everyone should see at some point in their life. The sources that I choose to use to research the Physical Geography, Economics, History, Cultural, and Political features of Iceland were mainly books including; Ring of Season: Iceland , It’s Culture and History; Island Guide to Iceland; and Landmark Visitor Guide: Iceland. The main site that was used from the internet was the CIA World Factbook. The geographical features of Iceland in this paper range from physical/environmental, historical, culture/demographic, political, and economics that help create this country.
Iceland’s Physical/Environmental features are some of the most unique features of any country. According to Cathy Harlow Visitor Guide, Iceland is Europe’s Western most country, which is located in the North Atlantic just south of the Arctic Circle (p. 11). Iceland’s geographic coordinates are “65 00 N and 18 00 W” (CIA World Factbook). Its land occupies 103,000 square kilometers with its terrain and landforms bringing many tourists to this country every year. Volcanoes in Iceland are probably the biggest and most interesting land forms in this country. There are many different eruptions in volcanoes but according to Landmark Visitor Guide by Cathy Harlow, “the most common eruptions in Iceland are the fissure type, where lava and ash are ejected along a rift and form small craters around the eruption site” (p. 22). In
References: CIA World Factbook. Iceland. Dec. 2010. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the- world-factbook/geos/ic.html Harlow, Cathy. (2006). Landmark Visitors Guide: Iceland. England: Landmark. Lacy, Terry G. (1998). Ring of Season: Iceland- Its Culture and History. United States of America. Michigan UP. Mead, Rowland. (2007). Globetrotter Island Guide: Iceland. London: New Holland. Sigurdsson, J. F. and Gudjonsson, G. H. (1996), Illicit drug use among Icelandic prisoners prior to their imprisonment. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health, 6: 98–104. Tomasson, Richard F. (1980). Iceland: The First New Society. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.