Seljalandsfoss, Suðurland, Iceland – image credits: Diego Delso [delso.photo – License CC-BY-SA]
About The Country
Iceland is an island of 103.000 km2 (39,756 sq. miles), about one-third larger than Scotland or Ireland. Its highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, rises to 2.119 m and over 11 percent of the country is covered by glaciers, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe.
The Energy
Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and geothermal activity: 30 post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries, and natural hot water supplies much of the population with cheap, pollution-free heating. Rivers, too, are harnessed to provide inexpensive hydroelectric power.
The People
Out of a population numbering more than 300.000, half live in the capital Reykjavík and its neighboring towns in the southwest. Keflavík International Airport is located about 50 km from the capital. The highland interior is uninhabited (and uninhabitable), and most of the population centers are situated on the coast.
The Language
Iceland was settled by Nordic people in the 9th century – tradition says that the first permanent settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking who made his home where Reykjavík now stands. The Icelanders still speak the language of the Vikings, although modern Icelandic has undergone changes of pronunciation and, of course, of vocabulary! Iceland is alone in upholding another Norse tradition, i.e. the custom of using patronymics rather than surnames; and Icelander´s Christian name is followed by his or her father´s name and the suffix -son or -dóttir, e.g. Guðrún Pétursdóttir (Guðrún, daughter of Pétur). Members of a family can therefore have many different “surnames”, which sometimes causes confusion to foreigners!
The History
In 930, the Icelandic settlers founded one of the world´s first republican governments; the Old Commonwealth Age, described in the classic Icelandic Sagas, lasted until 1262, when Iceland lost its independence, and in 1944 the present republic was founded. The country is governed by the Althing (parliament), whose 63 members are elected every four years. four-yearly elections are also held for the presidency; President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was elected in June 1996 to succeed Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, and was re-elected in June 2000. The head of state plays no part in day-to-day politics.
The Economy
The economy is heavily dependent upon fishing. Despite efforts to diversify, particularly into the travel industry, seafood exports continue to account for nearly three-quarters of merchandise exports and approximately half of all foreign exchange earnings. Yet less than 10 per cent of the workforce is involved in fishing and fish processing. The travel industry makes up the second-largest export industry in Iceland. The standard of living is excellent, with income per capita among the highest in the world. The financial sector has been liberalized in recent years. The economy is service-oriented: two-thirds of the working population are employed in the service sector, both public and private. Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area (EEC).Some places that we were given seem to have been created especially to give us the possibility to relax and enjoy the beauty of this world. Stunning mountains, wonderful beaches, rain forests are what we look for when we want to disconnect from our daily routine and responsibilities. Many of us choose to spend holidays in the middle of nature and thus get a full battery charge. Well, Seljalandsfoss in south Iceland is such a place where words seem to be useless.
Iceland is well-known for its waterfalls and the most notable of them is Seljalandsfoss. The country has a north Arctic climate which is the reason why it rains so frequently and why there’s so much snow. There are many large glaciers in Iceland due to its near-Arctic location. During summer, these melt and thus feed many rivers. And that makes Iceland home to a great number of waterfalls.
As we’ve said before, Seljalandsfoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in South Iceland. You might wonder what makes this waterfall so special. Well, you can actually go behind it and this is definitely not something you can do with many waterfalls.
Iceland offers many tourist activities and things to do other than the magnificent waterfalls. For a list of Things to do in Iceland, visit our activity post at: https://travelsfy.com/activities-and-things-to-do-in-iceland/
Dropping 60m over the cliffs, the waterfall is situated between Selfoss and Skògafoss and you can easily reach it thanks to the many tour buses that stop there or see it from the Ring Road. If you want to go by car, then you should know that the turnoff that leads to Seljalandsfoss is about 28 km west of Skògafoss on Road 249.
The views from the backside of the waterfall are worth every second. Check the pictures to see more about Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls and its beauty.