Iceland is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is known as the land of “Fire and Ice”, but the beauty of this elegant country will leave you neither burnt nor feeling left cold.
The friendly Icelandic people have preserved their natural landscape. Most live in or around the capital city, Reykjavík, in the southwest of the island. The remaining people live around the coastal areas, where the conditions are the most favourable for fishing and farming, leaving the majority of Iceland pristine, untouched and glowing with beauty.
The rolling landscape of Iceland holds an abundance of natural resources due to waters surprisingly warm for a northern country. It pioneers clean energy, with the majority of houses heated and powered by natural geothermal activity. This is made possible due to Iceland’s volcanic activity and numerous geyser hot springs, which are a beautiful example of the diversity in the northern island’s landscape.
It is clear that the people of Iceland have not only used its amazing earth to live, but also to thrive.
In contrast to the heat of its volcanoes, Iceland’s beautiful landscape boasts icy glaciers encompassing three large areas, sharp, as if they were living diamond. These are complimented by clear glacial lakes and shimmering caves nestled in the crystalline icescape.
The inner highlands of Iceland are sprawling lava deserts. While they are mostly uninhabitable, there are glowing oasis areas which cling to the edge of the larger rivers. Past volcanic eruptions have also created visually striking beaches, as hot lava rolled down from volcanoes and met the cold ocean. This caused the lava to immediately cool in the icy water and shatter into black sand.
These conditions have helped to turn Iceland into a beautifully unique country. With aurora borealis visible in the sky and such a diverse range of environments, Iceland is visually interesting and extremely photogenic.
Photography by Sean Ensch
Text by Candas Kirk