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Previous Issues > June 2007 > Where In The World? > Iceland
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 Where In The World?
Iceland
 It's time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship's captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This
mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol . Get ready to travel the world!
On a globe, check out longitude 18 West and latitude 65 North, and you will find the Republic of Iceland. The nation is an island just a bit smaller than Kentucky, and it is the most western of all European countries. The capital, Reykjavik, is the most northern capital in the world. Iceland's government, a republic, has one of the oldest functioning legislative (law-making) groups in the world, the Althing. The Althing was created in 930. It's over a thousand years old! Iceland celebrates Independence Day on June 17, the day it was freed from Denmark rule in 1944.
Iceland sounds like the name of a very cold country, but Iceland has warm temperatures at least for its arctic location. A current called the North Atlantic Current brings warmer weather to the country. During the winter, the weather is mild and windy, and summers are comfortably cool. However, Iceland has more glacier-covered land than any other European country. Iceland also has a lot of geothermic activity, like geysers boiling water that shoots up from the ground! It also has over 200 volcanoes. Many waterfalls are also found in Iceland.
Geographically speaking, Iceland belongs to two continents! It sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the continents of Europe and America. These two continents are drifting apart at the speed of one-half to four inches per year. Because it is surrounded by water, Iceland's economy is mostly based on fishing.
Ashley Genova is a contributing writer from Fayetteville, NC. Sources: The World Factbook prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency; Encyclopedia Brittanica Online; Wikipedia, "Iceland."
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