European Countries Table of Contents:

Introduction Pg. 1

Belarus Pg. 1-5

Germany Pg. 5-9

Iceland Pg. 9-14

Greece Pg.

Resources Pg

European Map

Introduction:

Europe includes 46 individual countries along with a few territories and regions. Europe is not really a continent but part of the peninsula of Euroasia. Europe consists of 1/15 of the world’s total land area. Europe is separated from Asia by the Russian Ural Mountains and Ural River to the east, to the west by the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus in the southeast, by the Black Sea, the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles in the south. Europe is surrounded on three sides by major bodies of water such as: the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Artic Ocean to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Europe is separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Europe can be divided into five geographic regions. Scandinavia which includes: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. The British Isles which include: United Kingdom and Ireland. Western Europe which includes: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Southern Europe which includes: Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City. Central Europe which includes: Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. Southeastern Europe which includes: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia

and Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and the European part of Turkey. Eastern Europe which includes: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and the European portion of Russia, and by convention the Transcaucasian countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

The climate of Europe varies from subtropical to polar. The Mediterranean climate of the south is dry and warm. The western and northwestern parts have a mild, generally humid climate, influenced by the North Atlantic Drift. In central and eastern Europe the climate is of the humid continental-type with cool summ ers. In the northeast su b arctic and tundra climates are found. All of Europe is subject to the moderating influence of prevailing westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean and, consequently, its climates are found at higher latitudes than similar climates on other continents.

Belarus Flag

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he Belarus Flag was adopted in 1995; the red and green colors were used when the country was still a republic of the former Soviet Union. The color patterns used on the left side of the flag are the traditional Belarusian colors.

Belarus Map

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elarus borders Russia, The Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Minsk is the capital of Belarus and has a population of 10,044,000. Belarus is located on the eastern end of Europe.gv

Belarus Culture

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Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the leading religion in the country of Belarus. A little less than 50% of the Belarusian population is Eastern Orthodox. Around 990 A.D. the Orthodox Christianity religion came from Greece to Belarus. It has absorbed lots of formerly pagan traditions and used them for its own purpose.

Roman Catholicism is another big religion in Belarus. Around 30% of the population practices Roman Catholicism. This religion was promoted by the Grand Duke who traded Orthodox belief to the Catholic faith to get a throne of Polish king. For the next 600 years it was a struggle between the Catholic Church and Orthodox Church for possession of the souls and hearts of Belarusian’s.

Unia (Greek Catholic) Church is a compromise solution to unify both Catholic and Orthodox Christians in Belarus. Ipaci Pocei, a Belarusian religious figure suggested the Union – Unia Church. It has retained most of the rich and glamorous Orthodox rituals and décor but was subdued to Pope in Rome. This church was Karahod sought to unify Belarusian’s

against spiritual invasion from Poland and Muscovy.

Holidays and traditional celebrations in Belarus are very important to the people.

Spring Greeting is a cycle of celebrations designed to “awake’ mother Earth from the winter sleep which was important for such agricultural people as Belarusian’s.

This cycle includes such holidays a Davyd-Haradok.gif (157510 bytes) “Maslenitsa”, “Vialikdzen’” (Easter), “Yur’ya” and others. Each celebration is characterized by specific cycles of “vesnavyia” (spring) songs.

Kupalle (Solstace, June 21) is the most loved and cherished holiday in Belarus. The tradition is very ancient. Kupalle usually involves youth going into the forests and the meadows, mir.jpg (42888 bytes) wearing flower and grass garlands and wreaths on their heads (see picture). There are very many rituals of purification practiced such as jumping through the fire, bathing in the river or rolling in the grass dew.

Kaliady (December 25 – January 7) is a pre-Christian celebration of the end of the year. It comes from Latin “Calendae”, which is the name for the first day of each month. Another version of the origin of the word “Kola” (the wheel) is related to the turn of the year. These are the popular holidays in Belarus and they are very close to the people.

Belarus Economy

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he economy of Belarus has suffered mightily due to a big tragedy that happened in 1986 in Chernobyl. During a safety experiment at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant an operator pressed a button. Because of a design fault, the reactor went into meltdown and released a cloud of radiation that spread across the entire Northern Hemisphere. Even today the effects of Chernobyl are still felt. At least 100 times as much radiation Khatyn_Graveyard_of_Villages2.jpg (58267 bytes) was released by this accident as by the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. This horrible accident has been devastating to the economy of Belarus. Apart from the obvious enormous cost of emergency relief and relocation, the accident has also taken a massive toll on the region’s to ability create wealth. The region is forced to import almost all of the food that is consumed because the people are afraid to eat anything that is native to Belarus due to contamination. Today, even safe food products grown in the area are virtually impossible to sell because nobody trusts that they are safe to eat. The forest in the region is now contaminated which makes timber impossible to sell. All of these difficulties leave the government with an increasing trade deficit.

Belarus has a plethora of places to visit such as castles and historical landmarks. The picture to above is the Mir Castle- one of the many former residencies of the famous Belarusian Radzivill family. Today it is a residence of the college of architectural restoration.

During WWII every fourth citizen of

Byelorussian USSR perished. Thus there are a lot of memorials for the victims of WWII. The most known are Khatyn’, close to Minsk, and Brest Fortress. Khatyn is a memorial t a village burned during WWII with its inhabitants alive by Nazi. It has a Graveyard of Villages-each grave symbolizes one of those many Belarusian villages that have shared their terrible fate with Khatyn.

Grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax, beef, and milk are pretty much most of the agricultural products that come from Belarus. The major industries consist of metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, and refrigerators. The natural resources include forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay.

The exports from Belarus in 2001 totaled out to be $7.5 billion and those exports included machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, textiles, foodstuffs, and metals.The imports to Belarus in 2001 had a grand total of $8.1 billion

They imported mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, and metals. The major trading partners are Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Germany.

As far as buying things in the city, there are little grocery stands and merchandise stands on the sidewalks where a person could buy things. It is okay for someone to pick up an item to look at it before purchasing it, this is probably because they will do anything necessary to sell their items.

Belarus Geography

Text Box: Belarus has a plethora of places to visit such as castles and historical landmarks. Brandt

Belarus is located on the eastern part of Europe. It shares borders with Russia in the North and East, Ukraine in the South-East, Poland in the west and Lithuania and Latvia in the North-East. Belarus is a landlocked, low-lying country with thick forests, and vast open fields. The area is 207.6 sq. km, which is slightly smaller than the area of Kansas.

Belarus’ 3,000 streams and 4,000 lakes are major features of the landscape and are used for floating timber, shipping, and power generation. Major rivers are the west-flowing Zakhodnyaa Dzvina and Nyoman rivers, and south-flowing Dnyapro. Lake Narach, the country’s largest, covers eighty square kilometers.

Nearly one-third of the country is covered with large unpopulated tracts of forests. The Belavezhskaya Pushcha in the far west is the oldest and most magnificent of the forests; this forest holds a reservation that shelters animals and birds that became extinct elsewhere long ago. Belarus shares the reservation with Poland.

The Belarus weather is very cold in winter and moderate in the summer. The average temperature in January is -6°C, and the average temperature for July is about 18°C, with high humidity. The average annual precipitation ranges from 550 to 700 millimeters.

There are many places to go in Belarus, especially if you are a person who likes to look at old historical churches. The one to the left is called the Red Cathedral and it is located in Minsk. It is very old and the people of Belarus are very proud of it.

This is another Catholic Cathedral in Minsk. The people of Belarus obviously made their churches as elaborate as possible. This is another example of the proudness of the people.

The landscape of Belarus is very beautiful and elegant in some areas such as this one. This looks like a little swamp land and is most likely located in the Southern part of the country.

Belarus People

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here are approximately 10,322,151 people that reside in Belarus. The population is considered to be a little on the old side since 14.3% of the people are 65 years of age or older. The big reason for there not being as many young people is from the disaster at Chernobyl. The economy suffers from it and people just do not want to live in a contaminated area.

About 81 percent of the people are native Belarusian, while about 11 percent are Russian. The Polish, Ukrainian, and others make up around 7 percent of the population. Eastern Orthodox is the dominant religion and Russian is actually the dominant language over Belarusian. The literacy rate in Belarus is a very good 99.6% with the people at the age of 15 or more.

The population graph above shows that the population of Belarus has been declining since 1994. The biggest reason is because more people know of the dangers of Chernobyl now than they did before and it has hurt the country deeply.

Belarusian’s like to wear their finest clothes because they are very proud people and want to look good for their country. The only real difference I can see from Belarus to the U.S. is that they like to wear those really big coats with the big

furry collars and the big furry hats. Other than that, there is not too much of a difference.

If a U.S. citizen were to go to Belarus, it would be wise to not have an appearance of wealth. The average school teacher in Belarus makes about 80 dollars a month and the people are not afraid to take from someone who has more than them. There have also been stories of cops giving fake tickets to the unknowledgeable tourist so they can make a little bit of extra money. These are things that a person should watch out for when visiting Belarus.

Belarus Travel Package
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7 days		November		May
Lodging		$ 350.00		$ 364.00
Airline Ticket		$1,253.90		$1,089.78
Meals		$ 70.00		$ 70.00
Daily Spending		$ 215.00		$ 215.00
Train Tickets	$ 210.00		$ 213.00

Total	$2,098.90		$1,951.78
Daily Average	$ 419.78		$ 390.36

This chart and graph show the little price differences in Belarus depending on if you want to travel in November or May. It is a little more expensive in November and it is also much colder in November, so I would recommend going to Belarus in May.

Germany’s Flag

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he flag of Germany was re-adopted on May 23, 1949. It has three horizontal colors, which are: black, red, and yellow stripes. The colors of the flag were the colors the German soldiers wore during the Napoleonic Wars.
Map of Germany

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Germany is located in Central Europe. It borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. It lies between the Netherlands, Poland, and the south of Denmark.

Germany’s Culture

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Wedding Traditions in Germany differ from region to region. But here are some of the traditions practiced. A polterbend that is an informal party held the night before the wedding where plates and dishes are broken in the thought of bringing good luck to the bride. After the wedding ceremony rice is thrown when the bride and groom leave the church and the belief is that as many rice grains the get caught in the brides hair is how many children they will have. The veil dance is a game for the night of the wedding, where every person that would like to dance with the groom or bride has to pay for it. Germans wear their wedding rings on their right hand and normally the bride and groom have identical wedding bands.

Christmas is a very important traditional German holiday. Preparation for this holiday begins with the advent season. During this time in many homes you will find advent calendars that have twenty-four little doors to open with candy behind them. Another thing done before Christmas is the purchase and decoration of a Christmas tree. The Christmas celebration starts on Christmas Eve (24) and lasts until the second Christmas Day (26).

The most well known German celebration would have to be the Oktoberfest. The first Oktoberfest was actually part of a marriage celebration in October of 1810. It celebrated the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. It consisted of a series of horse races which started the tradition of the October festival. The following year it became an annual affair. The Oktoberfest we know today, evolved over time and included a number of different traditions. Oktoberfest begins towards the end of September with a parade and the mayor tapping the first keg and ends the first week of October.

German Geography

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Germany is located in the Central Europe. It borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea between the Netherlands and Poland and it is located south of Denmark. Germany is located in central Europe; it has an area of 356,959 square kilometers and is the sixth largest country in Europe. The size of Germany is slightly smaller the United States state of Montana. Germany’s natural resources are iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, and nickel. Germany’s only natural hazard is flooding.

Germany's climate is considered moderate and does not usually sustain long periods of cold or heat. Northwestern and coastal Germany has a maritime climate caused by warm westerly winds from the North Sea. Warm summers and mild cloudy winters characterize the climate. Germany normally endures cool, cloudy and wet winters and summers. They also tolerate a high relative humidity. In central Germany the climate is continental and marked by seasonal variations in temperature, with warmer summers and colder winters.

ne of the most famous sites in Germany would have to be where the Berlin Wall separated Eastern and Western Germany. It was built on August 13, 1961 as a barrier surrounding West Berlin as a symbol of the Cold War. After the construction of the wall citizens of West Berlin were no longer allowed to enter East Berlin. On November 9, 1989 the border separating Eastern and Western Berlin was opened. The fall of the Berlin Wall represented the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Communism in Germany. On July 1, 1990 an economic, monetary and social union was formed

between East and West Berlin. After this all of the restrictions regarding traveling between East and West Berlin were dropped and Germany was reunited. The wall had almost completely vanished by 1991.

Germany’s Economy

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Text Box: Germany is famous for its many historic castles, splendid cathedrals, and stately city halls. Germany is one of the world's leading trading nations. It imports large amounts of food, fuel, manufactured goods, and industrial raw materials. The country's major exports include automobiles, chemicals, iron and steel products, and machinery. Germany trades with countries in all parts of the world. More than half its trade is with European Union nations. Switzerland and the United States are also important trading partners. Germany is among the world’s largest technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages; eastern: metal fabrication, chemicals, brown coal, shipbuilding, machine building, food and beverages, textiles, and petroleum refining.

Germany’s major forms of transportation are railroads and highways connecting all parts of Germany. Germany has one of the most extensive railroad networks in the world, providing passenger and freight service. Its highway system includes about 6,500 miles of four-lane highways called autobahns. Adolf Hitler began building the autobahns in the 1930's. Today, Germany has one of the world's highest rates of private automobile ownership. The Rhine River and its branches carry more traffic than any other European river system. Canals connect the major rivers of Germany. Germany's largest airline is the Deutsche Lufthansa, it flies to all parts of the world. Major airports operate at many cities, including Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich.

Germany is famous for its many historic castles, splendid cathedrals, and stately city halls. Over the centuries large amount regional varieties and styles have been used. Such as gothic, renaissance, baroque, and classic have contributed to Germany’s unique look. At its best modern German architecture is amazing.

The work force for teenagers in Germany is very similar to here in the United States. Many teenagers find part time jobs in restaurants, small shop, grocery stores, and in many other places. At this point in time unemployment in Germany is considerably low compared to here in the United States.

German People

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The language most commonly spoke in Germany is German. Some examples of their language are Essen-food, Trinken-to drink, Auto-car, and Schule-school. The two main religions in Germany are Protestant and Roman Catholic. Germany’s government is a federal republic. Germany consists of 16 individual states and Berlin is the capital. In Germany the form of money used is the Euro. One United States Dollar is equal to .872979 Euros.

In Germany when being served a classic German breakfast it would consist of a variety of breads and rolls served with honey or jam along with a cup of coffee or tea. Those who would rather a flavorful start to the day would be served cheese and cold meats. The midday meal traditionally eaten quite early would consist of potatoes, vegetables, and some sort of meat. Dinner is usually a cold meal served with different kinds of bread, a variety of cheeses, cold meat and a salad. A small hot dish, often soup, may also be served.

State laws instead of the federal government control the public schools in Germany and because of this are many differences between the various state schools. In the beginning a Grammar school is attended for four years, then the child would move on to a secondary school that consists of two levels. The Grammar School attended is known as Hauptschule. The German name for the two combined levels of secondary school is Realschule. In Germany school attendance is required for children ages seven to eighteen. After completing the required amount of schooling the student could continue to attend school full time, attend a vocational school part time or enter the work force. When continuing your education full time it is known as Gymnasium and if you choose to attend a vocational school it is called a Berufschule.

Fine Arts Interests of Germany

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There have been many different types of architecture used throughout the years in Germany. Some of them are Neolithic, Medieval, Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Vernacular, Romantic, and Baroque. These different types of architecture were used and still are throughout Germany as well as many other countries. You can see examples of these types of architecture in city buildings, churches, schools, museums and homes.

I. M. Pei - Museumsbauten Some of the most unique types of architecture are found in German cities and towns are shown through their variety fabulous castles. These castles are used as country resorts, museums, schools, spas, and some of them are even used as living quarters for the families that own them. Most castles that are still in good condition are a very big tourist attraction in German cities. Normally the owners of the castles give tours of them to people who desire to see the castles. There are also many ruins of castles around Germany that many people enjoy visiting.

Germany has had many famous writers and poets. Here are a few of the well known ones. Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher, writer and critic. Ludwig Uhland was a German romantic poet and author. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German novelist, poet, and playwright. Annette von Droste-Hulshoff was a famous German writer and poet.

Here are a few names of some popular German musicians. They are Die Prinzen, Herbert Gronemeyer, PUR, Nena, and BAP. Even though I am sure all of the younger generations listen to these artists Germany will always be known for their folk music. The most famous German composers would have to be Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. These composers are known throughout the world for their amazing talent.

When you go to visit Germany you will stumble upon many fabulous art galleries in practically every city. They hold some of the world’s most unique artifacts.

Average Temperatures of Germany

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This table shows average temperatures in Germany for each month of the year. It tells you what the average high and low temperature would be. It also displays the average amount of precipitation Germany would receive each month.

Average Temperatures for *Berlin* *Germany*
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Month	Average High	Average Low	Average Precipitation

January	35.2	26.8	1.7
February	38.3	28	1.5
March	46.2	32.9	1.5
April	55.6	39	1.7
May	65.5	46.8	2.2
June	71.2	52.5	2.8
July	73.6	55.2	2.1
August	73	54.3	2.6
September	65.7	48.9	1.8
October	55.9	42.6	1.4
November	44.6	35.8	2
December	37.8	30	2.2
Average	55.22	41.07	1.96
Minimum	35.2	26.8	1.4
Maximum	73.6	55.2	2.8

Chart of Average Temperatures

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Text Box: Iceland is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky This chart shows the average weather temperatures for Germany. It also shows the minimum and maximum temperatures that Germany experiences each month.

Attractions in Germany

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This is a query of different museums found in Germany. It provides the information of their name and phone number.

Category	Name	Phone Number
Museum	Stadt Museum Gohre	03 641/35 98-0
Museum	Alte Pinakothek	49(0) 89/23 805- 216
Museum	Suermondt-Ludwig Museum	02 41/ 479 80-0
Museum	Lowenburg	0049 56 19375 200

Flag of Iceland

By: Jennifer Coughlin

Flag of Iceland

he flag of Iceland consists of a blue field with a red cross that is bordered by white. The Iceland people wanted a blue flag with a white cross at first, but the King rejected it because it would look too much like the flag of Greece. The Flag’s colors represent the island’s geographical make-up. The blue was for the mountains, the red was for fire, since Iceland has a lot of volcanic eruptions, and the white was for ice. The king adopted the flag on November 30, 1918.

The Island of Iceland

By: Jennifer Coughlin

Iceland is an island located northwest of the UK. It is located between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Iceland is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky. Official Name of Iceland: The Republic of Iceland (in Icelandic, Lýðveldið Íslands). .

A Cultural Look at Iceland

By: Jennifer Coughlin

Religion:

Iceland has complete religious freedom, but 95% of the people that live in Iceland are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is the established church of Iceland. The ancient Norse religion Ásatrú has been making a more popular comeback in Iceland since the 1970’s. Ásatrú focuses on the natural forces and harmony of nature represented through ancient gods. Other religions found in Iceland are Roman Catholic and other Protestant religions. The Icelandic government provides financial support to the churches including covering pay and benefits for clergy.

Holiday traditions:

Christmas is much different in Iceland than many other places. The children of Iceland count down the days with a much older, darker and fun way than the normal Santa Claus. There is a belief that there are 13 Yuletide Lads in the mountains that come to the town one a day until December 23. Each Lad has a prank he always plays and is named after that prank. Just a few examples of these names are: Sausage Snatcher, Door Slammer, Candle Swiper, and Pot Licker, are just a few.

Each child at bed time sets a shoe in the window where each of the Lads will place a small present. The 13 Yuletide Lads’ mother is known as Gryla, thought to be an ogress who lives on a diet of boiled naughty children, and their father is the layabout Leppaluði. It is said that if you don’t receive a gift you shouldn’t worry about being mad fun of in public, because folklore is said that they are eaten by a Giant Cat. The Christmas celebrations do not start until every Lad has visited.

Celebrated Festivals:

The largest festival of the year is Independence Day, which is June 17 and celebrated nationwide. The streets are filled with colorful parades, street music with dancing, and many other outdoor events. There are many other national and local festivals in Iceland that are mostly held in the summer months such as Sjómannadagurinn, which is a nationwide event that is dedicated to the seafarers, and Midsummer, another nationwide celebration that is traditionally where the Midsummer’s dew is thought to possess healing powers and if a person rolls in the dew they are to be cured of 19 different health problems, and they are many more.

Iceland: An Economic View

By: Jennifer Coughlin

The economy of Iceland is capitalistic. It does have an extensive welfare system, which includes generous housing subsidies. Iceland has a low unemployment rate and a remarkable distribution of income.

Tourism:

Iceland is rapidly becoming one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe. The major attractions of Iceland are its own natural glaciers, active volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, portentous peaks, and vast lava deserts.

Iceland also has a rich history and folklore tradition. History and folklore tradition can be seen at the National Museum, which holds many religious and folklore relics that date all the way back to the first settlers. Another place to visit is Hallgrimskirkja, a church that was designed to look like a lava mountain.

One major downfall to visiting Iceland is the price. Since almost everything in Iceland has to be imported the price is high. A low priced meal in

Iceland cost $10 to $15 U.S. dollars and a budget hotel cost about $20-$50 a day. People can stay at hotels, youth hotels, or camp grounds on their stay. There are many ways to get around Iceland such as by bus, rental cars, on foot, or on bike. U.S. citizens only need a passport to visit Iceland and can visit up to three months. This can be extended only by the local police departments in Iceland.

One thing to remember is to plan you vacation before Aug 31. Most places in Iceland start shutting down for the year. Many of the popular attractions along with camp grounds, hotels, and even buses stop operating.

Though they predict since the raise in tourist this may change in the upcoming years.

Agricultural and Industrial:

Iceland’s economy relies mostly on fish. Over 12% of the jobs in Iceland are in the Fish Industry. Iceland also grows potatoes, hey, and fruits and veggies, only in green houses. They also have a great supply of meat. Industries include fish processing, ferrosilicon production, aluminum smelting, geothermal power, and tourism. Iceland is making new developments, such as software production, biotechnology, and financial services will be taking place soon.

Fine Arts of Iceland

By: Jennifer Coughlin

The fine arts in Iceland have flourished in past century. The Icelandic film industry is flourishing. Literature has a tradition that goes as far back as the Middle Ages. Iceland has the National Theater, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Opera House and the Icelandic Dance Company, which help contribute culture fill life to all.

Literature:

Elías Snæland Jónsson born in West Iceland writes various novels for children and adults. He once won the Icelandic Children’s Book Prize for his book, “Deep in the Glacier.” He also writes plays. Here are some titles of a few of his books: “Lord of the Sea,” “The Magic Valley,” and his award winning book “Deep in the Glacier."

Another author in Iceland is Anna Kristín Brynjúlfsdóttir she also writes books for children, but she also writes poetry for adults. Just a few titles of her books are: “Cuddle a spider,” “Four Little Bears,” and “Six Poets.” These two authors are just a few of many in Iceland.

Music:

Björk Guðmundsdóttir is a singer/songwriter from Iceland. She is said to be Iceland’s most popular and influential export. She is a founding member of the break through act the, “Sugarcubes,” in 1986. Björk has been going solo since 1993. Also she is the first to show Icelandic music to the world. Her music style found its way off the island and onto the world’s top music charts. She has established herself as one of the most original voices on the music scene today She is known for songs such as: “Human Behavior," "Big Time Sensuality" and "Oh So Quiet."

Architecture:

Húsið in Eyarbakki is one of the oldest buildings in Iceland. It cam to Iceland in a kit form in 1756, it is mad out of timber and lumber. From 1756 to 1926 it was known as the “House,” because it was the only wooden house in the town of Eyarbakki. Most houses in this town were made out of turf.

Art:

Gísli Sigurðsson was born 1930 on a farm near Geysir. He has been painting for 50 years and his painting has gone through various stages in this 50 years period. He started doing landscapes because he was inspired by the glaciers andmagnificent countryside of Iceland.

Iceland:

Land of Fire and Ice

By: Jennifer Coughlin

Land Geography:

Iceland is one large Iceland comprised with many other smaller ones. Iceland is approximately 39,756 square miles, just slightly smaller than Kentucky, with an average height of 500 meters above sea level. It is the second largest Island in Europe, it splutters in the Atlantic Ocean northwest of Scotland, west of Norway and southeast of Greenland. Glaciers cover about 11% of the country. Iceland also has 10,000 waterfalls, over 200 volcanoes, and has multiple hot springs. Iceland’s highest point is Hvannadalshnúkur; it rises to 6952 ft above sea level.

Iceland is called the land of “fire and ice,” because of its contrasting landscape. Geologically speaking Iceland is the youngest country of all of Europe, only approximately 16 to 20 million years old. Iceland was formed by volcanic eruptions in the North Atlantic seabed. A majority of Iceland’s people live between Reykjavík and Vík.

Iceland has so many earthquakes that in order for people to make a fuss over them the earthquake must be so powerful, it would reform the land or make a new island in the ocean. Thanks to the earthquakes that reshape the land, the Island is left with very few trees. Only through massive reforestation do the people of Iceland enjoy a few recreational forests. The country however does have large amounts of tundra, grasslands, bogs, which are wetlands, and barren deserts.

Weather:

Because of the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a cool temperate climate, one that consists of cool summers and mild winters. Though a warning to travelers, the weather is very changeable and one should be prepared for the unexpected. It tends to rain a lot in the southern and western coast, Iceland’s capital Reykjavík sees about sunny days in January. July and August are the warmest months, and for the most part the weather improves has you move north and east. It's sunniest around Akureyri and Lake Mývatn in the central north and warmest around Egilsstaðoir in the east. Though neither place seems to be free of an uncomfortably chilly winds. They may be prone to clearer weather, the interior deserts canexperience other problems such as blizzards, and high winds that can whip up dust and sand into maelstroms, which are a lot like tornadoes.

People of Iceland

By: Jennifer Coughlin

Language:

The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. Icelandic is Teutonic language of Nordic group. It is believed that the language has changed some from the original tongue spoken by the Norse, the first people to settle Iceland in the 9^th century. English is spoken and understood through the country. They also speak German throughout the country.

The Icelandic alphabet has two letters unique to it: Þ/þ (thorn) pronounced like th in "thing” and Ð/ð (eth) pronounced like th in "them". Icelandic also includes some vowels not found in the English language such as: Á/á, É/é, Í/í, Ó/ó, Ú/ú, Ý/ý, Æ/æ, Ö/ö. The Icelandic language is known as one of the purest in Europe. Here is a pronunciation guide provided by icelandsagatravel.com:

Pronunciation Guide:
The stress falls on the first syllable..

Vowels:
A as in "hard"
Á as in "how" or "about"
E as in "get"
É as in ye in "yes"
I as in "sit"
Í as in ee in "see"
O as in "ought"
Ó as in "gold"
U as in "hook"
Ú as in "choose"
Y is similar to I
Ý is similar to Í
Æ as in "five"
Ö as u in "fur"

Consonants:
Ð, ð (the eth) as th in "then"
J, j as in "yet"
Þ, þ (the thorn) as th in "thought"

Diphthongs:
au as in "oil"
ey and ei as ey in "they"
fl as bl
fn as pn as in "open"
hv as kf
ll as tl/dl as in "bottle"
rn as rdn or dd
tn and fn at end of words are silent

Traditional Foods:

They say traditional Icelandic found doesn’t taste as bad as it sounds, but I’m not so sure about that. Here are just a few examples of traditional Icelandic foods and what they really are:

Hákarl

o This is putrefied shark meat that has been buried for up to six months at a time to ensure appropriate decomposition.

Hrútspungur

o This is pickled ram’s testicles pressed into a cake.

Svie

o This food is a sheep’s head complete with the eye balls, cut into two pieces, and then it is boiled and eaten either fresh or pickled.

Slátur

o This is the mish-mash of sheep leftovers, which are tied up in the sheep’s stomach and cooked.

Skyr

A unique Icelandic treat, and yogurt-like substance, made out of pasteurized skim milk and bacteria growth.

These are just a few examples of the traditional Icelandic foods. Iceland’s most traditional brew is brennivín, a sort of schnapps made out of potatoes and flavored with caraway. Coffee is very popular in Iceland and brew, wine, and spirits are also available in Iceland though they seem to be expensive.

Excel Spread Sheet Chart

By: Jennifer Coughlin

This chart is from a spreadsheet I did of 8-day tours in Iceland and the price of each of those tours. Theses are the prices for the year 2003.

Access Query

By: Jennifer Coughlin

This query was taken from a database comparing the cost of hotels in Iceland. This query shows the hotels that include breakfast in their price but not transportation to and from the airport.

Hotel Name	Breakfast Included	Transportation Included
Hotel Cabin	Yes	No
Ódinsvé	Yes	No

Escorted Tours in Iceland:

Excel Spreadsheet

By: Jennifer Coughlin

This spreadsheet show the names, dates, number of days and prices of 8 day escorted tours in Iceland the happen all year around. It also shows the average price of all the trips, plus what is the most expensive trip, and the cheapest trip.

Escorted Tours
Tour Name	Number of Days	Dates	Price
So. Iceland Spring/Fall Tour	8	Mar-Oct	$ 1,335.00
W. Iceland Spring/Fall Tour	8	Mar-Oct	$ 1,500.00
Iceland's Hot Spots Tour	8	Jul-Sep	$ 2,718.00
Iceland Farm Tour	8	Jun-Aug	$ 2,385.00
North and South Iceland Tour	8	Jun-Aug	$ 2,640.00
Ring Road Tour	8	Jun-Aug	$ 2,635.00
Average Price			$2,202.17
Maximum Price			$2,718.00
Minimum Price			$1,335.00