5 Most Amazing Facts About The Happiest Country In The World Iceland

When most people think of Iceland, the first thing that comes to mind is probably ice lots and lots of ice. However, strangely enough this actually isn’t the case. Iceland is hardly icy at all; on the other hand, Greenland has plenty of ice and isn’t very green. And while Iceland may not have much ice, it does have many unique things to offer the world. Here we delve into one of the happiest countries in the world.

# Handball

In Iceland, handball is basically the national sport. When the president of Iceland spoke to the media after a recent Olympic win, he explained how important the sport is to their country. Everyone in the country knows the names of the national team’s players and the overall success of the team is considered very important. Handball is not particularly popular in the United States, or in many parts of Europe, but it enjoys popularity in some parts of the world, including certain Scandinavian countries. Handball has been described as being sort of like soccer, except you actually use your hands. It is actually an incredibly fast-paced and brutal game; scores generally run much higher than soccer and violent play is often perfectly within the rules.

# Skyr

Eaten regularly as a snack or with meals, the dairy product Skyr is one of the most popular foods in Iceland. However, despite its popularity within the country, it isn’t well known outside of Iceland. That may change soon however, as Russell Crowe recently returned from a trip to Iceland with a love for the stuff and now it will be coming to Fresh Markets throughout the United States.

Skyr is considered by many to be much like yogurt, but it is actually a form of soft cheese and is prized for having a high amount of protein and virtually no fat. Unfortunately, unless you live in Iceland or have a Fresh Market near you, it will probably be difficult to get any of this delicious dairy treat. While there are recipes for it, due to the way it is made with a bacterial culture you need Skyr to make more Skyr. There are substitutes that can be used but the end result won’t be quite the same.

# The Yule Lads

As you’re probably aware, most countries celebrate something similar to Christmas, but every place usually does it a little differently. Iceland is no exception to this rule. Instead of Santa Claus, Iceland has something called the Yule Lads. These strange lads have an interesting history because they didn’t start out as bringers of Yuletide joy; they were actually descended from trolls and were used the way parents today use the threat of taking away a video game console—to scare small children.

However, in the 1700s a decree was issued that actually made it illegal for parents to do this, and eventually the Yule Lads became a Christmas tradition. The Yule Lads who have heartwarming names like “Skyr Gobbler, “Window Peeper,” and “Bowl Licker” each have their own colorful personality. They now visit every year, each one stopping by a day after the other.

# The Cod Wars

Since the 1950s, Iceland has often clashed with the British over the use of Icelandic waters for fishing. In Iceland, the fishing industry is pretty important and basically serves as the main source of food. So perhaps it is unsurprising that the “cod wars” started back in 1958 when Iceland decided they needed to increase the exclusion zone around their territory—this is the section of water that other countries are not allowed to fish in.

Of course, the British government retaliated by sending their own navy to protect fishermen they had in the area, and considering how these things escalate, it wasn’t long before people were firing shots and ramming boats. Eventually, a diplomatic solution was decided upon and the British backed off. This same scenario ended up playing out twice more over the years, with Iceland eventually increasing the range of their exclusion zone from an original 6.5 kilometers (4 mi) to 320 kilometers (200 mi).

# Volcanic Energy

Iceland has a ton of volcanic activity. While some countries might be scared to live in the center of a fiery ring of volcanoes, Iceland grabbed nature by its slippery throat and figured out how to use it to their advantage. Roughly 85 percent of Iceland’s energy is from renewable resources, and well over half of that is geothermal alone.

Of course, it didn’t start out as a means of power for most of the country—before geothermal energy became more prevalent, it was mainly just used for basic water heating purposes. However, over time it eventually became used for general electricity needs. On top of everything else though, the most important use for it is heating swimming pools. Iceland has well over 150 public swimming pools, and most of those are kept heated thanks to all-natural volcanic heat.