Iceland review - 2013, Page 70

68 ICELAND REVIEW
Summer alwaYS arriveS
the Same daY

The official first day of summer in
Iceland, Sumardagurinn fyrsti, is on April
25 this year, marking the beginning of
Harpa, the first of the six summer months
of the old Icelandic calendar. A public
holiday, Sumardagurinn fyrsti always falls
on a Thursday in late April—even though
it might still be snowing outside. Frost
the last night before summer is actually
a good sign: it means that the season will
be warm and sunny. Traditionally, people
celebrate the new season by treating each
other to gifts. ESA
oh, babY

A total of 4,533 babies, 2,317 boys and
2,216 girls, were born in Iceland in 2012,
41 more than in 2011, according to
Statistics Iceland. The highest number of
births was in August, 432, and the lowest
in December, 337.
Two thirds of children were born out of
wedlock. However, 51 percent of those
were born to parents living together, while
16 were born to single parents. The mean
age of primiparas in 2012 was 26.9 years,
up from 21.3 in 1970, 21.9 in 1980, 24 in
1990, 25.4 in 2000, and 26.8 in 2010. The
mean age of mothers in 2012 was 29.9.
Icelandic residents numbered 321,857
on January 1, 2013, up by 2,282 individ-
uals the year prior. The number of nuclear
families was 78,168. ZR
liGhtinG up

Around Iceland, you will find 125
lighthouses, some placed on the best
panoramic spots in the country, like
on Garðskagatá on Reykjanes penin-
sula, Hornbjarg in the West Fjords and
Ingólfshöfði promontory in Southeast
Iceland. The tallest lighthouse is
Reykjanesviti on Reykjanestá (pic-
tured), towering 31 meters (101 feet)
into the sky, from a 38-meter (125-
feet) hill. It’s next door to Keflavík
International Airport. PS
PHOTOS By PÁll STEfÁNSSoN
F a c t s &
F i g u r e s
f&f Babies, more babies, the long and
winding coastline, Jan Mayen, light
in the dark, happy summer!
So lonG

The coastline around Iceland is 6,808
km (4,230 miles), while the Ring Road,
which encircles the Republic, is 1,332
km (828 miles).
Greenland is Iceland’s closest neigh-
bor; the distance between the islands
is only 287 km (178 miles). Iceland’s
second-closest cousin is the Faroe Islands,
420 km (261 miles) away. Third is the
Norwegian island of Jan Mayen at a dis-
tance of 550 km (342 miles). The moth-
erland, Norway, lies 970 km (603 miles)
to the east of Iceland. Scotland is closer
at 798 km (496 miles) from the Icelandic
mainland.
The size of Iceland is 103,000 square
km (39,800 square miles). The fishing
grounds around Iceland measure 758,000
square km (293,000 square miles)—the
size of France and the United Kingdom
combined. PS
One of few airports in the world that is both tax
and duty free — meaning up to 50% off city prices.
Tax & Duty Free
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Experience Iceland
All of our shops and restaurants offer you
Icelandic memories to take home.
Nearby Landmannalaugar