Iceland has a top-notch universal healthcare system, which is paid for with the citizens’ taxes. There is almost no private health insurance in Iceland and no private hospitals. And honestly, with the country’s statistics, why would there be?
According to a study in The Lancet, the Icelandic healthcare system has the world’s second-best healthcare access and quality, a composite measure collected as a part of the Global Burden of Disease Study.
Icelandic Language
What language is your Duolingo owl guilting you into learning? If it's Icelandic, we are both impressed with your ambition and sorry for you. We looked and found that the longest word found in Icelandic is vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúraútidyralyklakippuhringur. Now that's a mouthful!
It should come as no surprise that Icelandic has been consistently ranked as one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn as a result of the archaic vocabulary and complex grammar.
Iceland's Airports
With much of its terrain consisting of plateaux, mountain peaks, and fertile lowlands, it makes sense that the country’s only international airport sits in the middle of a lava field. This fact easily puts it up high on the list of coolest airports in the world.
If you're planning to visit Iceland, then you have no choice but to travel to this airport, as the other airports are only meant for domestic flights.
Freedom of Religion
Icelanders have always been very open-minded in terms of religion. Many Icelanders believe in fairies and elves, while a large part of the population still remains members of the Church of Iceland, with the Lutheran Church being the state church of Iceland.
Since the end of the 19th century, Iceland has been more open to new religious ideas than many other European countries. Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Icelandic constitution since 1874.
A Country of Cinephiles
Icelanders watch more movies than any other nation, which is not all that surprising when there are only between 2-4 hours of daylight in winter, and it's a freezing blizzard outside! You just have to find something nice you can pass the time with while staying indoors, or you'll go mad.
Their love for the cinematic arts extends beyond their living room, though, as the country also has the highest rate of cinema attendance per capita in the world.