Iceland

Iceland, located near the Arctic Circle in the north Atlantic, between Greenland and Norway, is an island of 103.000 km². It is the second largest island in Europe, following Great Britain and one of the youngest landmasses on the planet, and consequently home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes. The island owes its existence to a large volcanic fissure in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet; and it is growing by about 5 cm per year, as it splits wider at the point of the two tectonic plates. Hence, its landscape is characterized by stunning waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, and steaming lava fields. Almost 80% of the country is uninhabited.

Credits: Tony Prower, National Geographic