Iceland

Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland, is a country of north-western Europe. It comprises the island of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean, together with its outlying islets. Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the junction between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. These plates are pulling away from each other, causing magma to well up from deep in the Earth. As a result, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active, and richer in geothermal activity than any other country on Earth. Its most famous and spectacular attractions are the geysers that can be found all over the island. One in particular is known as Strokkur, which produces a water spout about every five minutes, rising to a height of 25 metres (over 80 feet).

Iceland's interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, with large glacial rivers flowing down through the lowlands to the sea. Due to the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude. As of April 2007, Iceland had a population of 309,699. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík.