The Icelandic government banned the stationing of black American soldiers in Iceland during the Cold War so as to “protect Icelandic women and preserve a homogenous national body”. After pressure from the US military, the ban was eventually lifted in the late 1960s.
Iceland
During the Cold War, the Icelandic…
During the Cold War, the Icelandic government imposed a ban on black US soldiers on its US base for the purposes of “protecting” Icelandic women and preserve a homogeneous “national body.”
In Iceland men would have to to…
In Iceland men would have to to lift a 100 kg stone to hip height to qualify to work on a fishing boat. Some of the original stones still sit on the beach at Djúpalónssandur. This tradition became the inspiration for lifting the Ardblair Stones in Scotland, Iceland, and Wales.
People who speak Icelandic can…
People who speak Icelandic can still understand the old Icelandic Sagas because of how little the language has changed over the past 1000 years.
Iceland has largest banana plantation …
Iceland has largest banana plantation in Europe. They use geothermal energy to heat greenhouses, allowing for the production of tropical fruits like banananas.
There’s a grocery chain in the UK…
There’s a grocery chain in the UK called Iceland Foods that once pursued legal action against Icelandic companies that use the name Iceland in their names. Iceland Foods was founded in 1970, while the country Iceland was established in 874.
90% of Icelandic women went on strike…
90% of Icelandic women went on strike both professionally and domestically in 1975. This led to the passage of equal pay legislation the following year.
The city of Reykjavík, Iceland, uses…
The city of Reykjavík, Iceland, uses hot water to maintain the temperature of a section of its downtown pond so the birds living there always have a corner in which to swim, even in winter.
Iceland has so much geothermal energy…
Iceland has so much geothermal energy that it has hot water distribution systems straight to houses.
Children in Iceland are not allowed…
Children in Iceland are not allowed to have names with the letter “C” in them. All names must conform to rules of Icelandic language, which does not have the letter “C”.