Iceland Facts

There are 13 Santas in Iceland, each leaving a gift for children. They come down from the mountain one by one, starting on December 12 and have names like Spoon Licker, Door Sniffer and Meat Hook.

It was once against the law to have a pet dog in a city in Iceland!

Iceland has no railway system or army!

There are no ants in Iceland, Antarctica, and Greenland.

Iceland has the most Internet users per capita of any country in the world with over 86 percent of people using the Web, compared with only 69 percent of Americans.

Iceland has no standing army and has been ranked the world's most peaceful country every year since the Global Peace Index began in 2008.

As many as 62% of Iceland's population think it is possible that elves may exist.

Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world. With a population of just 370,000, the country releases about 1,500 new titles annually—roughly one book for every 250 people. One in ten Icelanders is said to publish a book at some point in their lifetime.

Iceland has been so culturally isolated through history since the Vikings, that compared to other Scandinavian counties, people who speak Icelandic can still read the old Norsk sagas.

In Iceland, 100% of domestically produced electricity comes from renewable energy.

Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world, with about 1,500 new titles annually for a population of just 380,000. The tradition of 'Jólabókaflóð' (the Christmas Book Flood) sees most books published in the months before Christmas.

In Iceland, construction projects have been delayed or rerouted to avoid disturbing rocks believed to be inhabited by "hidden people" (Huldufólk). In 2013, a major highway project was halted after activists argued it would destroy an "elf church" — a large rock formation. The road was rerouted. Surveys show over 50% of Icelanders say they won't deny the existence of elves.