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Overview
The island of Iceland lies in
the North Atlantic Ocean, midway between Europe and America. This funny island with its chilly name is
rapidly
becoming one of Europe's hottest holiday destinations. The country's
many natural
wonders are simply amazing: stunning active volcanoes, gentle valley glaciers, Europe's
biggest waterfall, vast lava fields, predictable and not-so-predictable geysers,
relaxing thermal pools and of course the romantic aurora
borealis in the night sky. The small city of Reykjavik at the island's
west cost is the world's most northern capital and a
charming little city that serves as a gateway for you to explore the rest of this
fascinating island. It's a little trick to get to Iceland from Thailand
but once you arrive, you know that the trouble was all worth it.
A bit of History
Settled by the Norwegians and
then the Celtic (Scottish and Irish) during the 9th and 10th
centuries, Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning
legislative assembly, called the Althing, which was been active since
the year 930. Independent for
over 300 years, the island was subsequently ruled by Norway and then Denmark.
The eruption of the Askja volcano in 1876 devastated the country's economy
and also lead to widespread famine. Over the next half a century, about 20% of the
island's population emigrated to other countries, mostly to Canada and the US.
You probably even find some in Thailand, who knows. Limited autonomy from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
was finally attained
at the end of World War II. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
have since increased significantly and are today among the
highest in the world. In 2008, the country virtually declared bankruptcy
as Iceland's mighty banks collapsed.
The Highlights
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Explore the
island's many natural wonders |
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Enjoy Reykjavik's
famously uninhibited nightlife |
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Head out onto the
Sea for some serious whale-watching |
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Ride the dogsledge
through a wonderfully wintery landscape |
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Take a trip over to
Greenland and say hello to the Eskimos |
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Country Profile
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Country Name |
Iceland |
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iCapital City |
Reykjavik |
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Major Gateways |
Reykjavik (REK) |
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Population |
300,000 |
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Languages |
Icelandic |
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Main Religions |
Lutheran, Catholic |
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Currency
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Icelandic Krona (ISK) |
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Time Difference with Thailand |
-6h (summer), -7h
(winter) |
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Calling Code |
+354 |
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Best Time to Visit |
May - September |
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Visa Requirement for Thai Citizens |
Visa required |
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Travel Time from
Bangkok |
15h (via London or
Copenhagen) |
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More info |
www.icelandtouristboard.com
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Map |
Click here
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Flag |
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