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Iceland Lifestyle and Culture

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Surprisingly the tiny Nordic country of Iceland ranks high amongst the happiest countries in the world according to their quality of life despite its isolation, extreme weather, and long dark winters.

In just about any sense Iceland is small, at just under 40,000 sq miles, the entire country can fit into the U.S state of Kentucky. Iceland's population of over 300,000 is extremely homogenous with nearly 95% ethnic Icelandic.

About two-thirds of its people live in or around the capital of Reykjavik which ranks as one of the safest, cleanest and, most eco-friendly cities in the world.

Reykjavik is not too different from the rest of Iceland as the country runs almost completely on renewable geothermal energy and boasts extremely low crime rates. As a result, police, and security have little presence, and even the country’s larger cities more or less function like small towns.

Icelandic people have high levels of collective trust and as such are known to keep valuables in plain sight and send their young children to school by themselves. This co-operative mentality is reinforced by Iceland’s government infrastructure, the country is a parliamentary republic and maintains a generous social welfare system that provides free education through university as well as healthcare and 9 months of paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.

Due to these factors, most Icelanders are healthy, well-educated, and employed.

The unemployment rate is just 5% and the average citizen lives about 83 years which is 12 years longer than the global average. This can also be attributed to Icelander's healthy lifestyles, a typical Icelandic meal is a mixture of organic produce, yogurt, and local fish and the most popular leisure activities are ıce climbing, kayaking, and going to the gym.

Another national pastime is reading and writing, Iceland publishes more books per capita and translates more international literature than any other nation in the world.

Studies show that roughly 1 in 10 Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime.

Perhaps the best symbol of Iceland’s ubiquitous health, happiness, and unity is its huge heated public pools also called ‘Sundlaugin’. These pools are widely regarded as a staple where families, teenagers, and seniors are known to lounge in them in their nudity every day.

These pools are not only lauded for their health benefits but also their ability to unite the community and build public trust.

" Its a place to be" - Martin from Canada

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