Today
in Iceland, the afternoon temperature is supposed to be just a little
bit warmer than freezing. But there is going to be a brisk breeze
that is going to make it feel a lot colder than that.
Hooray!
It must be summer!
Wh-wh-what?
Despite
the cold temperatures found in Iceland in late April, the beginning
of summer is celebrated then. This year, it's celebrated
today!
The
idea of summer beginning in April goes back to the Old Norse calendar
that divided the year into only two seasons, winter and summer. Even
when it snows on the First Day of Summer, Icelanders celebrate
the "arrival of summer" with parades, organized entertainment, sporting
events, and family get-togethers.
Did
you know...?
Iceland
is sometimes described as “where Europe meets America.” This is
because it is considered a part of Europe—and is fairly close to the northern parts of Europe, especially the British Isles—but is even closer to
Greenland, which is part of North America.
Actually,
Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the place where two pieces of
the oceanic crust are spreading apart, making the Atlantic Ocean
increase in size (ever so slowly). The Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs all
the way from the Arctic to the Antarctic—but in the spot where
Iceland is, there is a mantle plume. That means that liquid rock is pushing
up in that one spot. The underwater volcanos formed above that plume eventually built up high enough to form
islands.
Iceland
is greener than the very icy Greenland.
Geothermal
energy (harvesting the heat from the volcanos and the hot springs)
provides about 80% of Iceland's energy needs. That means that energy
is very cheap there compared to other nations. Icelanders are even
able to heat some of the sidewalks of their cities during wintertime!
Iceland
is known for more than volcanos and hot springs. It's got beautiful
fjords (narrow inlets of the sea), powerful waterfalls, interesting
landforms, and (at times) breathtaking northern lights in the
nighttime sky. Check out the beauties of Iceland here and
here.
Also
on this date:
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