ICELAND
- SO NEAR AND SO REMOTE
Egalitarian and Individualistic
High Living Standard and Safe
By Ruth
Halcomb
It is not as far
away as one might imagine, just five and a half hours from New York (closer
than San Francisco) and closer to London than Athens or Helsinki. What's
more, it's not as cold as New York or Zurich in winter. In summer, though,
it's never really warm.
Iceland is different.
It is extraordinary, in fact, and has been since the first brave
souls settled on this island over a thousand years ago. Iceland had a national
assembly in the year 930 and abolished slavery in 1117. Although it waited
until 1915 to give women the vote, it was ahead of the U.S. in this by
two years, and what's more, it elected a woman president in 1980.
Iceland has six chess
grand masters and several world class bridge players. The literacy rate
is 100%, and it is perhaps the most literary of nations, with the largest
number of poets and the largest number of books published (about 20 times
as many as the U.S.). One night every year, members of the Parliament
must all speak in rhyme. Icelandic is the oldest living European language
and people read the medieval sagas with no difficulty.
In Falling off the
Map, Pico Iyer writes that it has a "never-never quality: it is a
cozy, friendly, Christmas-tree kind of place." But Iyer is not deceived.
He witnessed the untamed quality as well. Writing about a midsummer visit
there, he describes the "ghostly light" after midnight, and
"the sun landing on the sea at 1:00 AM." To some, the landscape
is starkly beautiful; to others, surreal and barren. Of the few trees
remaining, most are dwarf birches. There are no ruins to visit because
most structures were built of wood and turf, and did not last. It is the
most volcanic place on earth, and only 1% of the land is under cultivation.
Iyer calls it "otherworldly...a country so lunar that NASA astronauts
did there training there..."
For about 2,400 hours
during the summer, total darkness never comes. Iyer reports that young
Icelanders cruise in their cars until the wee hours during "the saturnalian
summer" when "everything is topsy-turvy, and golf tournaments
start at midnight, and three-year old toddlers caper around till one...."
And when "people believe that rolling naked in the dew will cure
you of nineteen separate ailments and that you will be granted a wish
if you walk naked in the grass or cross seven fences, collecting a flower
at each one of them."
Returning to Iceland
in the dark of winter, he found these rites had not abated. He observed,
"people barking, people lying flat out on the street, their beautiful
faces shining with illicit glee."
Egalitarian and Individualistic
Terry G. Lacy points out in Ring of Seasons that two seemingly contradictory
values dominate: equality and individuality. In a 1990 Gallup poll 51%
said they valued equality most while 46% valued individual freedoms. She
finds islanders to be highly individualistic and often prone to disagree
yet able to work together and to give emotional support to others.
People here avoid
playing roles dictated by their occupation or anything else; they let
you know you are dealing with an individual. Employees take orders willingly
but need to know what part their tasks play in the whole project.
Icelanders are happier
than the citizens of other nations, according to a Gallup poll, although
some are not satisfied with their financial statues. The poll showed too
that most Icelanders equated happiness with marriage or with living together.
Couples who live together without the benefit of marriage are not legally
responsible for each other and are not each other's heirs. Three out of
four children are born to unmarried mothers, but Icelanders explain that
usually just the first child born out of wedlock. The state pays a benefit
to those whose income falls below a certain level if they are supporting
children. Same-sex couples who live together can have their relationship
legally confirmed and enjoy virtually the same protection under the law
as married couples.
Lacy reports that
belief in fate is strong here, which is not surprising in a place where
weather can upset the best laid plans. She also observes that depression
is rare and that people usually manage to maintain a positive attitude
even in the worst of situations, and are calm and competent in emergencies.
In 1973 when a volcano erupted on Westman Island, 5,000 people were successfully
evacuated.
Promptness is valued,
but because the weather can intervene, delays are excused. People avoid
planning ahead because of the unpredictable weather. Also, Lacy points
out, they make decisions quickly, and even political decisions are reached
efficiently because there are not many layers of command.
Icelanders love fashionable
clothing, nice cars and above all, on gadgets, especially electronics.
They're avid users of cell phones and the newest telecommunications devices.
Iceland has its cafes,
especially in Reykjavik where there is one for every taste and subgroup
imaginable. The place to meet people, however, is at a thermal pool. There
are many of these, too. One public bath, just outside Reykjavik boasts
not only a luxurious Olympic-sized pool, but also five hot tubs offering
different temperatures, ranging from warm to scalding.
High Living Standard, Safe
The standard of living is among the highest in the world with a per capita
income of US$ 30,575 (2000). Life expectancy rivals that of Japan despite
being a nation of drinkers and meat eaters. One of the safest countries
in the world, Iceland has a crime rate is so low the police don't carry
guns.
Trade unions are
strong and unemployment is only 1.9%. Many Icelanders hold two jobs, sometimes
out of necessity, but not always. Some children go to work at eight years
of age at jobs in construction, public maintenance and gardening. Icelanders
assure outsiders that they are not exploiting children since half their
wages are put away for their education. Children are treated with considerable
respect: for example, they are not usually corrected in front of anyone
from outside the family.
Resources for
Iceland
Also see
And sample popular
music from Iceland
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