Iceland, an island of almost 40,000 square miles, is now one of Europe's most popular travel destinations. It offers a wealth of natural wonders, as well as history, culture and clubbing!
Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and is a hot spot of geothermal activity. Natural hot water springs supply much of the nation with cheap, pollution-free heating.
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Highest peak,
Hvannadalshnukur, is 6,500 ft
Largest glaciers in Europe
11 percent of the country covered by glaciers
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More than 100 fjords along the coastline
Abundance of green, fertile valleys
Over 10,000 waterfalls
Countless hot springs
Aurora Borealis
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Iceland has suffered markedly from deforestation and soil erosion. But more recently, Icelanders have taken responsibility for preserving nature. Eco-tourism, such as whale and bird watching, has become one of the nation's most important sources of income.
Other nature-based things for tourists to do include: bicycling, sport fishing, horseback riding, hiking, rafting and skiing.
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More urban-minded visitors will be pleased to hear that Reykjavik, the "Capital of Cool", is one of Europe's most popular nightspots.
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Concerned about the impact of travel on global warming? So are we. We're not asking pledgers to make additional travel plans, but to swap a current travel destination for one to Iceland.
You may be able to reduce your impact by taking a ferry from one of several northern European ports:
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Ferries from Norway
Ferry from Newcastle, UK
Ferries from Aberdeen, Bergen, Faroes, Denmark
A trip to Iceland can also be booked as a stopover journey on a previously planned transatlantic flight with Icelandair.
You can also contribute to efforts against global warming by limiting your own consumption of fossil fuels, and by not buying products from Esso/Exxonmobil, the world's number one climate criminal.
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