We will tell you how to “freeze” your youth, how shark oil and volcanic lava are useful, what ökull is and why beauty contests are prohibited in Iceland.

"No" bikini

Icelandic girls, like most of the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries, age late - all thanks to the climate. Regular cold really prevents the appearance of deep wrinkles, which are typical for residents of hot countries. Taking into account the fact that in Iceland, even in summer, the temperature rarely rises above ten degrees, girls do not have to lose much weight: they do not often wear a revealing bikini. Icelandic women feel quite sexy in woolen sweaters.

Natural cryotherapy

The beautiful skin of the inhabitants of the island is due to natural cryotherapy. However, strong icy winds can damage the skin if not protected. Therefore, there are fatty creams and consistencies in every girl's cosmetic bag.

In Icelandic stores, light and airy fluids and pourable serums are almost never available - there is no demand. The most popular is the Icelandic national remedy Shark Cream, that is, shark fat cream. It not only protects the skin from frost, but also heals, soothes and tones it up.

Blue Lagoon

Iceland is a stunning place with unspoilt nature, incredible cliffs and a huge number of geothermal healing springs. The most famous is the natural pool called the Blue Lagoon. It is distinguished by its rich azure-milky color and thermal water of 36.6 ° C. Naturally, Icelanders have a cult of water; they do not mind spending all their free time in hot springs.

Tourists are usually embarrassed that Icelanders drink water directly from the tap. The fact is that it undergoes complete purification, but nevertheless it is taken from thermal springs, and therefore has a characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide. But Icelanders believe in the benefits of their water.


Take care of your nerves!

Icelandic women are perhaps the calmest girls, while one of the happiest. Let the world be obsessed with plastic surgery, beauty injections, weight loss and visits to psychoanalysts.

Icelandic girls believe that these complexes are a manifestation of self-dislike. They accept themselves as they are. Icelanders are tolerant: in 2011, they refused to hold the national contest "Miss Iceland", believing that it was discrimination. Perhaps that is why they look better: in their life there are no stresses and complexes on the basis of appearance.


Always in moving

In Iceland live strong tall girls with mostly blond hair and full lips. It is interesting that they cannot imagine life without sports: cycling, rock climbing, rafting, swimming, horse riding, handball, golf - all this in the fresh air amid the beautiful Icelandic landscapes.

Jokull and volcanic lava

Icelanders "are happy with what they are rich." Women support the domestic manufacturer by choosing cosmetic products from volcanic lava, shark oil and yokull - this is how Icelanders call water obtained from an iceberg.

Melt water, like lava, becomes a component for scrubs and tonics. By the way, despite the constant cold, SPF creams are also a must-buy here: snow reflects the sun and enhances its effect on the skin.

Here, perhaps, I will not dwell on gastronomic and ethnographic impressions. I'd rather focus on gender issues. Readers of this column will certainly be interested in how they are doing with "this".

So, I'm in an Icelandic bar. Field expedition. Studying customs. Girls of incredible beauty flash around. Feeling like I got to some Reykjavik Fashion Week. My friend Henrik shows a funny app on his smartphone - Inslendinga App. It allows you to find out if it makes sense for a man and a woman to start a serious relationship. Henrik explains: only 320 thousand live in Iceland. people, and many are related to each other in varying degrees of range. And closely related marriages, as you know, increase the likelihood that children born will suffer from serious illnesses. So they released such a useful program. For lovers, it is enough to launch it and touch smartphones. After that, the application, using the genealogical database, will calculate the degree of relationship and recommend to enter into a relationship or refrain from it. In case of danger of incest, a loud signal will be heard.

Henrik is a tour guide and movie star. No, really. I myself have seen an illustrated story about him in a local secular weekly. He turns his attention to a girl talking to a bartender. “This is Miss World (we actually have three), her name is Unnar. She is also a swimming instructor and kindergarten teacher. We all have two or three professions here. Even the coach of the football team has a dentist's main specialty. " It’s not Unnar’s list of versatile interests that amazes me, but why Miss World wasn’t that waitress over there. Or that girl over there in the orange leather jacket. Elves, they are so similar to each other in their flawless beauty.

One of my compatriot compatriots tightened his jaw a little, takes a sip of fennel vodka and is going to rush into battle - to get acquainted with local beauties. Henrik stops him, warning him that this is not the case here. And how should it be then? Everything is surprisingly simple: women here do exactly what men do in our area. That is, they choose their partner. No, of course, our fair sex does not lag behind in this regard. But ours still allow them to look after them.

As if in confirmation of Henrik's words, three persons sat down with us and asked if we had any chewing gum. And then they asked: “Where are you from? How do you like it here? Like? And the Icelandic girls? Well, thank you for the compliment, of course, but my friend says that I have a fat ass. No, don’t you think? Are you on Instagram? Let's make friends. This is me in the thermal spring. How do you like this swimsuit? What about black hair? I'm going to dye my hair brunette, because there are so many blondes here ... "

I can firmly say: never before in my life have such beautiful girls pestered me. This, of course, raises self-esteem. But it didn’t happen. Why? Are you satisfied with the answer that I am married? Well, fine. Another thing is interesting: why do women choose men in Reykjavik? A new friend answered the question: “There is no time for tenderness in harsh Iceland. The day is short, the night is long, everyone has two or three jobs. I now need to manage to deliver the mail, go to the university and help my parents gut or salt the fish. We don't have time for you at all. "

Of course, the protagonists of UEFA EURO 2016 are the Icelandic national team players who managed to snatch victory from the England national team, and, perhaps, this is the only team in the Championship, to which fans from all over the world are warmly treated. Today we publish a selection of 30 curious facts about what kind of country Iceland is, and what kind of people live there.

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, it is home to a little more than 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the island was only 50 thousand people. About 30 thousand fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, about 10 percent of the country's population.

2. If you paid attention, then all the names of the Icelandic national team players are similar, they end with "son". The point is that in Iceland, instead of surnames, patronymics are used, in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic. For boys, the particle "sleep" (son) is added to the name of the father, for girls - "dottir" (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different genders in a family, then they will have different "surnames", for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son of Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, in the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the mother's name.

Photo: Icelandic wedding

3. However, this does not mean that Icelanders do not at all strive to preserve their surname, they simply do it in a peculiar way, some give children the same names after a generation, that is, they name the child by their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, one can trace the line kind.

4. The classic names of Icelanders are familiar to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means "the main stone", in Iceland are the same normal human names as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are: male - Yon and female - Gudrun.

5. In Iceland, in everyday life, especially long and complex names are shortened, for example, a young man named Aðalsteinn can be called simply Ali, Guvrun - Hunna, Stefan - Steppi, Yon - Nonni and so on.

6. Until recently, it was believed that Icelanders are descendants of Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but recent genetic examination has established that the genes of the Irish prevail in the gene pool of modern Icelanders, who in ancient Iceland existed as slaves. On the other hand, this is in perfect agreement with the local belief that the Vikings Icelanders stole all beautiful women from England and Ireland for the purpose of amorous diversions, and for reproduction.

Photo: panorama of Reykjavik

7. The Icelandic language, due to the long isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very poorly compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages ​​is extremely small. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to the very language of the northern peoples, in which the Vikings spoke in ancient times, and the ancient sagas of Icelanders can read at all, as they say, without straining.

8. Icelandic household sagas, unlike other works of folk art, are a dry listing of facts, because of this, it is sometimes difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the feelings of the heroes or experiences, only a meticulous enumeration of events: he went there, won such and such, married such and such, killed such and such, was killed by such and such. At the same time, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event took place, and in what period of time it happened. Previously, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the absence of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered Icelandic everyday sagas to be historical documents that did not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are still perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art. and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.

Photo: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik

9. Another reflection of this peculiarity of national thinking is the names of geographical objects. In fact, complex and multi-step words are just a definition of the place in question. So, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city of Kopavogur stands for “bay of a young seal”, and the difficult to pronounce name of the famous volcano Eyjafjallajökull, as “Island of mountain glaciers”.

10. At the same time, 90 percent of the country's population is fluent in English. No less curious is the following fact - a foreigner in order to find a job in Iceland does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants who have moved to Iceland, even after 10 years of living in the country, do not know Icelandic; English for both life and work is more than enough for them. Another interesting thing, in the event that a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and get it without any problems.

In the photo: the priest of the church Ásatrúarfélagið and his follower

11. Including because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime here. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave babies to sleep in strollers on Reykjavik street, while they themselves go with their friends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often thrown in cars, and Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even sleep in it, not who managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, police in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland has no armed forces, their functions are performed to some extent by the coast guard.

12. Today in Iceland, the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagið is very popular, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods. The Ásatrúarfélagið priests are allowed, for example, to perform the wedding ceremony, it is considered an official procedure in the country, while homosexual couples can also be married.
Today, 2,400 people officially rank themselves as followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and even now, a large-scale construction of a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods is underway in Iceland, this will be the first such structure since the time of the Vikings.

In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live

13. The traditional date for the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, people here still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden inhabitants (elves). Elves are huldufouls, these are creatures living in round stones of a certain type, ordinary mortals cannot see them, except for those cases when the spirits themselves decide to appear to people.
The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or a house, can cause problems, because huldufolk cannot be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations over it.

In the photo: the evil spirits of Yule Lad

14. Christmas in Icelandic will be Yule, that is, it is a direct copy of the word "Yule" - the ancient holiday of the winter solstice among the Germanic peoples, so it is not surprising that Santa Claus is an unpopular character here. Here Yule Lad is working for him at Christmas, but they don’t give gifts to children, on the contrary, the heroes of folklore are the evil spirits of winter. There are fifteen spirits, and they come from the very Hidden inhabitants of the huldufoulk. The spirits come to the cities strictly according to the schedule, the first to descend from the mountains on December 12 are Gryla and Leppaludi - mom and dad of thirteen Yule Lad. In this case, dad is a lazy and overweight male spirit, and his wife is an evil old woman, an analogue of the Russian Baba Yaga, by the way, she also has a hook. Following their parents, one after another, their children come to the cities - the evil spirits of Yule.
Each of the spirits, according to beliefs, is engaged in sabotage to the best of its ability and capabilities: one steals dishes, another blows out candles in houses, a third steals sausages, a fourth licks milk supplies, a fifth tangles sheep's wool, in a word, everything is in business. The evil cat Yolokotturin accompanies the spirits, according to legend, she steals small children and eats them. Yule Lad figurines in Reykjavik can be seen on Christmas eve at every corner, their images are also pasted on Icelandair aircraft, and projections with them are broadcast on shop windows and facades.

15. It is believed that the national dish of Iceland - haukarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. The Greenland shark has no urinary tract, its meat contains poisonous ammonia, therefore, in order for the meat to become edible, it is left to rot out underground or in the basement for three months. Haucarl tastes (and smells) like pure urea, as it usually stinks in some dirty public toilet. So, in fact, modern Icelanders almost never eat haukarl - this is entertainment for tourists, many of the locals have never tasted this nasty thing, as they say, the smell alone was enough to fully understand the scale of the disaster.

16. But the fried chicken breast is a dead end, on the contrary, a popular local dish, a kind of delicacy. Puffins are caught in the summer, when they arrive on the island to nest, the meat of the puffin is very tasty, but I really feel sorry for the bird, look how cute they are, they even know how to kiss! In a word, he ate and cried, ate and cried.
Many more are shocked that whales are eaten in Iceland, by the way, they taste like steak. But, according to the Icelandic fishermen, if you do not thin out the whale population, then they multiply very quickly, and then eat all the commercial fish. Iceland regularly violates quotas for slaughtering whales, and animal rights activists, and the whole of Europe, are regularly unhappy with this.

Photo: Icelandic national dish Plokkfiskur

17. In general, if we talk about Icelandic cuisine, then cod, haddock, smoked salmon, lamb in various forms, in particular - lamb fillets, small lobsters (they are slightly larger than large shrimps) and, of course, herring are popular here ... Of course, potatoes are popular among vegetables; by the way, the delicious local dish Plokkfiskur is prepared from the leftovers of haddock and potatoes.
In addition, Icelanders are very fond of sprinkling food with ketchup and mayonnaise, the most popular local drink is Coca-Cola. For sweets, candies and lollipops with licorice are held in high esteem, and in the summer, locals lean on berries, which are doing well in Iceland. But there are no McDonald's restaurants in the country, the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.

18. Even in Iceland, they eat horse meat, and this is also a little sad, because local horses are a real miracle of nature. They are short, hardy, and in winter they are covered with thick wool. At the same time, Icelandic horses are not frightened, there are no predators dangerous for them on the island, so horses are not used to fearing for their lives, they easily approach strangers, allow themselves to be stroked and fed.

How the horses originally got to the island is still debated. In ancient times, Icelanders assumed that all local horses were descendants of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin, historians believe that the Vikings brought horses to Iceland in the 9th-10th centuries AD, and geneticists claim that horses were brought to the island from the shores of Scotland. Even in Iceland, hippotherapy is popular - the treatment of neurological disorders through communication with horses.

19. Iceland is based on thermal springs, therefore renewable energy sources are mainly used here. As a result, thermal water flows from the tap, which, however, smells very strongly of hydrogen sulfide, but you gradually sniff at it, the houses are also generously heated, and since the pipes with hot thermal water in Reykjavik are laid right under the sidewalk, the streets of the Icelandic capital can never icy, so it makes no sense to sprinkle them with chemistry.

In the photo: Icelandic jeep for driving on winter off-road

20. But, do not think that everything is so beautiful. Outside the cities, many roads in Iceland in winter become impassable: there is ice, drift, and snow blockages here. Therefore, the most popular type of car used when you need to travel from Reykjavik to Akureyri in winter is a jeep, and the more the better. On excursions to national parks or to geysers, tourists are carried on such monsters as in the photo below.

21. But what is really great in Iceland is thermal pools with hot water, built in the open air. Of course, everyone has heard about the famous Blue Lagoon, erected near the thermal power plant, but this is more entertainment for tourists. Icelanders themselves most often go to ordinary thermal pools, which are open in an amount of about one in 10 houses. Everything is simple there: you go in, wash, climb into the open thermal pool. When buying a subscription, the cost of a visit is around 2 euros.

Curiously, when visiting the thermal pool, guests must wash their hair, and since most of the pools are located in the open air, the very fact that the locals bathe with their heads wet and do not get sick is admirable. In general, visiting the thermal baths in Iceland is the same kind of evening entertainment as going to a bar, it is here that young people most often invite girls on their first date. It turns out very convenient, and cheaper than going to a bar, and you can immediately see a person in all details.

22. In fact, Iceland in winter is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below minus 6 degrees, but the piercing and sometimes knocking down wind will fully compensate for this. But in summer it is never hot in Iceland, the air temperature here rarely rises above 20 degrees, and the same wind, do not forget about the wind.

23. If until recently Turkey was the most popular resort for Russians, the Canary Islands still perform the same function for Icelanders. The reasons for the love of Icelanders to the Canary Islands are prosaic: nature is similar, flying is relatively close, very budgetary by Icelandic standards, but, most importantly, it is warm, and the fact that the water in the ocean is cool does not bother them at all.

Photo: Northern Lights over Reykjavik

24. In winter, Iceland is not just dark, but very dark, on December 21 - the shortest day of the year - dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. But in winter, you can regularly observe the Northern Lights here, in Iceland it is usually green, and there is even a website that shows the likelihood of the appearance of the Northern Lights in a particular region of the country, its address: http://www.vedur.is ...
In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply not about anything, in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

Photo: Icelandic Parliament Building

25. The government of Iceland is based on democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth turning to the history of the country: as the island was settled in the regions of Iceland, tinges were formed - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. At the Tings, courts were held, disputes were resolved, and a collective discussion of vital issues concerning the community took place. Once a year at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general gathering - althing, in order to settle relations between the regions. As a rule, success during the althing was achieved by those who had the powerful support of wealthy landowners. The first althing took place in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland fell under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was captured by Great Britain, which, in turn, transferred Iceland to the United States. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over England for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge for the years of occupation.
However, the Icelandic Althing was re-assembled in 1845 and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. The entire population of the country took part in the finalization of the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012, the proposals of citizens were accepted through social networks and even through youtube. But, most curious, with all this, the country has had the same president over the past 16 years - Oulavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. For the second term, Grimsson remained due to the absence of candidates for the post of head of state, for the third time he won in the voting, for the fourth term he again went due to the lack of candidates for the presidency, and for the fifth time he won the elections again. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Houdni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.

In the photo: Haftor Bjödnson as Grigor "Mountain" Kligon

26. In Iceland - socialism, here everyone gets about the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important,” that is, no matter whether you work as a waiter or a scientist, you are equally worthy of respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Haftor Bjödnson - the strongest man on the planet and the performer of the role of Grigor "Mountain" Kligon in "Game of Thrones", like many Icelanders , for a long time not only engaged in bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.

In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.

27. And the local population is very fond of reading, today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

In the photo: a girl in a lapel

28. In Iceland, there is absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriage has been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, try to maintain friendly relations when parting, because the country is small and it will still not work to completely stop communication. Icelanders marry easily and divorce easily; in case of divorce, children usually live 50-50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists, they do not allow themselves to pay for themselves in restaurants, they themselves, without any difficulties, pull bags, make repairs, nail nails, and so on. True, the pluses of tolerance give rise to minuses, in Iceland with personal space it is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.

29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Austrian economy, which is based on self-reliance and building a system of closed reproduction of a community with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment. No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more expensive than local ones, and the choice is not great. With wine, in general, it's funny, it's expensive regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and frank chatter will cost about the same. The clothes are also mainly of local production. And the main national thing in the wardrobe of any Icelander is lopapeysa - a knitted jacket made of sheep wool with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, the lapel cost is quite expensive, but the thing is worn for years.

30. Iceland, according to statistics, is one of the most active countries in
social networks. Almost all of its inhabitants have accounts on facebook, but in addition to facebook, there is also a local social network www.ja.is in the country, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also the phone number, address and place on the map where their houses are located. So if you want to meet one of the Icelandic national football team players and he still lives in the country, look for him on www.ja.is, he will definitely be there.

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population of about 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the country was only 50 thousand.

2. Since everyone in Iceland knows each other, when parting or divorcing, the couple always tries to maintain a good relationship. Cases when an ex-boyfriend does not communicate with an ex-girlfriend or ex-spouses do not talk to each other are extremely rare, because in any case, they have almost all friends and acquaintances in common.

Icelandic women and Icelandic girls are amazing. I am often asked this question: what are Icelandic women? People all over the world have often heard of strong and independent Icelandic women. Quite often they have also heard of sexy and beautiful Icelandic women - it always seems like there are quite a few foreign men who just hear the words “beautiful Icelandic women”, which they automatically translate to “sexy Icelandic women”, but don seems to listen when they appear words like "strong, independent and feminist Icelandic women."

3. Instead of surnames in Iceland, there are patronyms, that is, an analogue of our patronymic. The particle "sleep" (that is, son) or "dottir" (if it is a daughter) is added to the father's name, it turns out, for example, Silia Palmarsdottir, that is, Celia is the daughter of Palmars.

4. In the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the mother's name.

Or at least that's what they indicate. Singer Nanna Brynes from Monsters and Men is a great role model. Some time ago I was interviewed by a girl from Kenya who wanted to know more about Icelandic women and what they are - and why they are so strong and independent. What is it about Icelandic society that allows this equality to grow and flourish?

Icelandic women in international media

It is interesting, however, why these two women were thrown into the international spotlight, one to display breasts and the other to abandon the competition based on a woman's physical beauty. Is that all the world cares about? Nudity and beauty? This is what the Icelandic news covers.

5. Since everyone in Reykjavik knows each other, the doors of houses are often left unlocked, car keys are thrown in cars, and children in strollers are left unattended at the entrance to a cafe, bar or shop.

6. In Reykjavik, it's normal to go to the nearest grocery store in your pajamas.

Very few international media articles mentioned that Miss Iceland is a member of the national athletics team, none of them mentioned that she is a “pole vaulter”. Nobody mentioned anything about what she was doing. They all just focused on her beauty and ludicrous body, shameful.

Nobody has criticized beauty pageants in and of themselves. In Iceland, people were proud of her for leaving, but she also opened up a discussion about why colorful contests still exist in modern society. However, beauty pageants do not help relieve this pressure. Another piece of international Icelandic news should have received the most attention, as it featured thousands of Icelandic women who left their jobs early to protest the wage gap between men and women.

7. Residents of Reykjavik almost always pay for purchases with bank cards, even if they order coffee at a bar. Cash is not accepted here.

8. Icelanders are sure that blowing your nose is bad for your health, so in winter everyone here sniffs, that is, sorry, suck snot into themselves.

9. But spitting, on the contrary, is not considered indecent, even girls spit without any problems on the street and in public places.

It happened on the same day that Miss Iceland left the beauty pageant, but it looks like Miss Iceland got a lot more media coverage. The country has reached a dead end. When videos like the ones below are made, they all make Iceland look like a fairy-tale country where women have already achieved equality in Iceland. They often stress that Iceland is slowly but certainly closing the pay gap.

This means that Icelandic women will not receive equal pay as men for the next 52 years. Change takes time, but of course it doesn't take so long to deal with such a basic issue. There are a number of notable Icelandic women who do amazing things to promote equality, either by actively fighting for it or simply being strong and powerful and good role models.


10. In fact, Iceland in winter is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below -6 degrees.

11. But in winter it is dark in Iceland, December 21 - on the shortest day of the year, dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply not about anything, in June Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

Significant pros and cons of migration

Vigdi Finnbogadottir is Iceland's first female president. She is loved and respected by all of Iceland. The country will take a huge step towards equality for women, no matter how it handles this position. At least little girls and grown women will know that it is possible to become president.

I hardly need to introduce Bjork, she is very famous all over the world. She has influenced artists around the world and has complete creative authority over all of her work. She definitely paved the way for other influential female artists from Iceland such as Emiliana Torrini and Nanna Brindin Hilmarsdottir from Monsters and Men.

12. The lack of sunlight in winter is to some extent compensated by the northern lights, it can be observed constantly, so after a couple of weeks you no longer pay attention to it.

13. Since the sun does not shine in Iceland in winter, all residents of the country, in order to avoid rickets and other unpleasant diseases, take fish oil without fail, but not in liquid form, but in tasteless capsules.
14. Almost all residents of Iceland have a Facebook profile, according to the latest data, Iceland is an active country on the social network.

They showed few Icelandic girls that women can be successful rappers - without having to take all their clothes off in their music videos. A great example of how they are fighting this is the indication of the number of Icelandic girls and women who participate in each year and what happened a few years ago.

In all this talk about how strong and independent Icelandic women are, men tend to be forgotten. But Iceland would not be the most equal country in the world if men did not want equality, thus it would be easier to strive for it together. Icelandic men are supportive and respected. If something needs to be done, they expect women to be able to do it as well as they can.


15. Even if a resident of Iceland, for some reason, does not have a Facebook profile, it can still be easily found on the Internet. All residents of the country, of their own free will, register on the website www.ja.is, where they indicate their name and surname, telephone number, address and place on the map where their house is located.

It is also very rare for Icelandic men to close doors for women or even offer to pay for drinks - they usually expect women to be able to open their doors and pay for drinks. We learn from our mothers and fathers and grandparents. She had just started her own company and couldn't afford to take a break.

Always in moving

Plus, as her own boss, she has already helped close the pay gap on her own terms. You don't always have to do the same as everyone else to be part of this change. The changes come in small doses, but someone has to be the one to start. And you can help him in many ways. If you don't want to organize meetings or negotiate, you can write posts or blogs or share positive articles. Whether you are a man or a woman.

16. In Iceland, if a person is well disposed towards you, he demonstrates this by touching you every now and then.

17. There are an order of magnitude more blondes in Iceland than brunettes, so local residents like to dye their hair in a darker shade.

18. In order to spend the night with an Icelandic girl, long courtship is not required, most Icelandic women, as they say, are easy going, which is why Italians and Spaniards love to come to Reykjavik so much.

Economic situation in the region

And, hopefully, one day all people will treat the same, no matter how they look, where they are from or what gender they are - and children will read about unequal pay in school books and consider this a bewilderment, since the fact, that women were not allowed to ride bicycles - just at the beginning of this year he was unhappy that women rode bicycles in Iran.

We still have a long way to go. A description of Iceland's “country feeling” and what that means to you when it comes to women. Therefore, you should visit Reykjavik and not worry about other cities. The type of accommodation and materials you will need to maximize your chances of getting romance How to make Iceland on the cheap Low alcohol consumption: the most common liquors, typical prices and Icelandic drinking habits. Important tips about visiting the year so you don't come when it's dead. ... Most of the book is about women.

19. Icelanders are very tolerant, Reykjavik regularly hosts a gay parade, since 2010 homosexual marriages have been allowed here, and the percentage of bisexuals in the country is very high.


20 ... The most popular professions in Iceland are painter, musician or designer. Every second bartender or waiter tries to get an education in a creative profession, and at the same time plays in some rock or folk group.

Icelandic nightlife is arguably the best in the entire world

How to deal with the skeptical, non-flirtatious, shy and feminist nature of an Icelandic girl. Two qualities Icelandic girls use to choose a man for an instant romance A detailed breakdown of the five types of Icelandic girls who most want to meet a foreigner. How many approaches you likely have to take to have an affair with an Icelandic girl. How to arrange dates with girls on the biggest dating site in Iceland before you even arrive. How to convince the Icelandic girls you constantly run into in Notes about how you will be perceived based on your race. A depressing description of an Icelandic guy's game that should make you feel better about yourself. What type of clothing to pack, what makes one of the most stylish countries in the world. Stories: Six short stories of my time in Iceland's travel guides: details about the capital.

  • Description of the appearance, shape and size of the figure of Islam, character and vibration.
  • Welcome to Iceland: Country History and Logistics.
  • Girls: how they look and act.
  • Game: how to effectively meet local women.
Just finished a book months before my Iceland trip and while it knocked some of the wind out of my sails, how cold the locals are compared to other Scandinavians, this wonderful reading and quality Reykjavik City Guide Section will at least save you money on other guidebooks.

21. For the reason described above, no one uses the services of designers, for example, in order to come up with a design for an apartment or a wedding dress. The inhabitants of Iceland are sure that each of them is his own artist, therefore they prefer to come up with the interior of the apartment and the design of the dress on their own.

22. Repairs in apartments are also done mainly with their own hands, without hiring workers.

Read Iceland's Explosion Without Risk Today

Another problem that Rush faced was that, after walking blindly across the country, he was seen and viewed as an outsider, and they were all about the social circle. The paperback is also available for a few more dollars. After submitting your payment by credit card, you will be immediately taken to the book download page.

A 15-year-old Icelandic girl was given the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother, despite opposition from the authorities. On Thursday, a court ruled that the name "Blaer" could be used. This means "light breeze". The decision reverses an earlier rejection by the Icelandic authorities, which said it was not a valid female name. Until now, Blair Bjarkardottir has been identified simply as "The Girl" in communication with officials.

23. The Israelites are crazy about Eurovision, they take the competition for young performers very seriously, and during the live broadcast the whole country is watching what is happening on TV.

24. There are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland; the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.


The Reykjavik District Court ruled on Thursday that the name "Blair" could be used. Finally, I'll have Blair's name on my passport. Like several other countries, including Germany and Denmark, Iceland has official rules on how a child can be named.

Blair's mother, Bjork Eidsdottir, fought for the right to recognize the name. The court ruling means that other girls are also allowed to use that name in Iceland. In an interview earlier this year, Eidsdottir said she was unaware that the name "Blair" was not on the list of recognized female names when she gave it to her daughter. The name was rejected because the panel viewed it as a masculine name that was inappropriate for a girl.

25. The most popular names in Iceland are male - Yon and female - Guvrun. Also, old mythological names are still common, for example, aðalsteinn, which means "main stone".

26. Icelanders, like Russians, like to use in everyday life not full, but abbreviated versions of names, so David in the diminutive Icelandic version will be Dubby, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppi, Yon - Nonnie, etc.

The court found that on the basis of testimony and other evidence that the name can be used by both men and women, and that Blair is entitled to his name under the Icelandic constitution and human rights conventions in Europe. He rejected the Government's argument that her request should be denied protection of the Icelandic language.

Blair told the court that she was very happy with her name and had problems with her when she dealt with government agencies that rejected her. The court did not grant her any damages. The government did not indicate whether it would appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

27. The language of Iceland has remained practically unchanged over the past 1000 years, so there are letters in it that have disappeared from English, plus the inhabitants of the country can read the old Viking sagas in the original without any problems.

28. The local population is generally very fond of reading; today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

29. The price of wine in Iceland is often influenced not by the year of its production or its quality, but by its strength. Thus, an expensive but light French wine can cost several times less than a 15-degree mumble.


30. Iceland has no armed forces, and the Coast Guard performs their functions to some extent.

31. Police officers in Iceland do not carry weapons, they are not given pistols.

32. For the most part, Reykjavik residents have a terrible parking lot, and may throw their car right across the street. Having tow trucks and parking fines in the wrong place is of little help.

33. Icelanders try to use only renewable energy sources, gas and petrol are used here only to refuel cars and boats, and that is because electric cars have not taken root in the country.

34. There is no need to pay for water in restaurants and cafes; it is still poured from the tap. This water is from the locals, and therefore it is absolutely drinkable.


35. But hot tap water in Iceland smells like rotten eggs. The fact is that it also enters the water supply system directly from hot thermal springs, and they are rich in hydrogen sulfide.

36. Hot thermal baths are a popular nightlife option in Reykjavik, and the cost of a visit with a subscription is around 5 euros.

37. In the houses of Iceland, as in Russia, there is a central heating system, which favorably distinguishes the country from Italy or France, where you have to pay for each activation of the heater.

38. Until the seventies of the twentieth century, Icelandic legislation for the inhabitants of the country to kill Turks with impunity. This is due to the fact that in the past, Turkish pirates have often robbed Icelandic ships and coastal villages.

39. To this day, Icelandic legislation allows the inhabitants of the country to kill polar bears for food.

40. Licorice is very popular in Iceland, it is added to any dishes, plus they produce chocolates filled with licorice.


41. Iceland's national dish is haukarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. If you do not chew and just swallow it is still quite edible, but if you chew the meat, you will feel the "magic" taste of urea. The fact is that the Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract and its meat contains poisonous ammonia. In order for the meat to be eaten, it is left to rot out underground or in the basement for three months. The taste of this dish, among other things, was mocked by the creators of The Simpsons in one of the episodes of the animated series.

42. In Iceland, fish is mainly eaten, while all dishes are watered excessively with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, after which the real taste of the fish may not be recognized.

43. Most Icelanders have very bad teeth, while Iceland is one of the main sugar-consuming countries, and Coca-Cola is also very popular here.

44. Most Icelanders still believe in elves and trolls, which makes it difficult to build a house or road. Before starting construction here, they consult with local "witches" on the subject of whether it is possible to move this or that stone, or whether an elf lives under it. Sometimes, in order not to "offend" the elf and move the stone, Icelanders have to perform magical rites, for example, keep the stone in honey for some time.

45. 2,148 people in Iceland adhere to the pagan teachings of the Ásatrú Association, which is based on the revival of Icelandic and Norse pagan beliefs. This religion is officially accepted, and its ministers can perform a wedding ceremony, which is equivalent to the traditional registration of marriage.


46. In addition to the well-known Santa Claus, there are 15 more Santa Claus of different types in Iceland, by and large all of them are elves, in which the locals believe.

47. Every major store in Reykjavik has a playground.

48. All Icelanders wear lopapeysa, a knitted lambswool sweater with a characteristic national pattern. We can say that this is the very example of a national costume that has not disappeared over time.

Typical Icelandic appearance? How are Icelandic women different? How to get $ 10,000?

I made these screenshots three months ago for the Telegram chat dedicated to Iceland (https://t.me/epiciceland). Since then, leafing through the photos on my phone, I sometimes come across them and tell myself that it's time to add a publication to the site about Icelandic girls. It looks like the time has come.

I’ll say right away that I don’t want to offend anyone with my opinion and I don’t pretend to be objective. This post will be my subjective attempt to answer a question often asked about Iceland - “ What do girls look like in Iceland?”.

I tried to find and select a few photographs with the most typical “Icelandic” appearance.

Yes, in most cases they are blondes with blue eyes. When compared with other peoples, the average Icelandic woman (and a man too) is much larger than representatives of other nationalities. No, I'm not saying that they are full, they are just large. That is, a girl can have a beautiful, proportional figure, but she will have a big "everything". Features of the northern peoples.

This "northernness" is also noticeable in communication. After the hot, southern countries, where all the locals simply sparkle with cordiality and goodwill, Icelandic indifferent and cold looks act as a contrast shower. I don’t know what affects them so much, but even in the simplest everyday situations, like going to the supermarket, such detachment slips through that it becomes uncomfortable.

I am familiar with the family life of Iceland only from the stories of local residents, and therefore I cannot say anything, but by and large, it seems that Icelandic women are not at all opposed to doing the housework and “following” men, taking a passive position. Perhaps that is why there are VERY many single young mothers in Iceland (by the way, they give birth here too VERY early) and VERY many Icelandic men marry women from other countries (my respondent was just from such a family). Not so long ago, there was even a joke on the Internet that the Icelandic government was ready to pay $ 10,000 to any man who married an Icelandic woman. The joke was so believable that it was even picked up by several news sites, but in the end it turned out to be a fake :)

Fake news that immigrants are being offered 5,000 euros to marry Icelandic women appeared on the Internet in September 2016. And until now, this joke excites the minds of users of social networks.

Just think, in addition to payments, immigrants were allegedly offered automatic citizenship. Such a strange bribery of grooms is connected, allegedly, with the fact that there is a catastrophic situation in Iceland - there are twice as many women as men, and the latter are in no hurry to tie the knot. Do you believe? We are not.

Take a look at the Icelandic beauties in our top 15, which includes the most famous beauty pageant winners, models, actresses and singers of Icelandic roots and living in Iceland or abroad.

15. Johanna Gwüdrun Jounsdottir(born October 16, 1990, Copenhagen, Denmark) - Icelandic singer. Better known under the pseudonym Yohanna / Yohanna. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 she took second place.

14. Branja Yonbjarnardottir(born April 15, 1994, Kopavogur, Iceland) - Icelandic model. Appeared on the covers of: Edelweiss Switzerland (2012). Works in Milan.

13. Fanney Ingvarsdottir(born 1991) - Miss Iceland 2010, participant of the Miss World 2010 and Miss Supranational 2013, where she became the owner of the Miss Bikini title.

12. Berglind Icy(born June 4, 1977, Habnarfjordur) - Icelandic actress and model. In 2004, she was recognized as the St. Pauli Girl (a model whose image is featured on the label of the beer bottles of the same name). Filmed for the magazine "Maxim". In 2013 she starred in the TV series "Siberia".

11.Joanna Vala Jondottir(born 1986 Rekjavik, Iceland) - Miss Iceland 2007, represented her country at the Miss World 2007 pageant.

10. Edda Oscars- Icelandic model.

9.Sif Agustdottir(born 1989) - Icelandic model.

8. Halla Villaulmsdottir(born January 30, 1982, Rekjavik, Iceland) - Icelandic actress and singer. Films with her participation: Bullying (2001), Astropia (2007), Ghost on the Net (2009).

7. Anita Briem(born May 29, 1982, Reykjavik) - Icelandic actress. She made her debut in 2004 in the TV series Doctors. Best known for her roles in The Nun, The Tudors, Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D and Dylan Dog: The Vampire Chronicles.

6.Alexandra Helga Ivarsdottir(born 1989 Rejavik, Iceland) - Miss Iceland 2008, represented Iceland at the Miss World 2008 pageant, where she won the Miss World Sports title and entered the Top 15 finalists.

5. Unnur Byrna Villalmsdottir(born May 25, 1984, Rekjavik, Iceland) - Icelandic model, actress, winner of the Miss Iceland 2005 and Miss World 2005 contests.

4. Sigurn Eva Armannsdottir(born 1993 Arcanes, Iceland) - the owner of the title Miss Iceland 2011. She represented her country at such contests as Miss World 2011, Miss Supranational 2012 (entered the Top 10), Miss International 2013 (entered the Top 15).

3. Malla Kjartansdottir(born 1993) - Icelandic model.

2. Tanya Astpersdottir(born 1992) - Miss Iceland 2014.

1. Asdis Ran(born August 12, 1980 in Reykjavik, Iceland) is an Icelandic model living in Bulgaria. Mostly posing in lingerie and topless. In 2010 she appeared on the cover of the Bulgarian edition of "Playboy". She was married to an Icelandic footballer.