Vatnajökull National Park | Iceland

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Vatnajökull National Park is one of three national parks in Iceland. It encompasses all of Vatnajökull glacier and extensive surrounding areas. Vatnajökull is Europe's largest glacier outside the arctic, with a surface area of 8,100 km2.

Vatnajökull National Park - dynamic nature of fire and ice is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Flags of the World | Iceland

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The flag of Iceland followed the example of the other Scandinavian countries and consists of a blue background bearing a red cross, which is embedded in the traditional white Scandinavian cross. The blue color is supposed to represent omnipresent Atlantic Ocean, the red lava and Icelandic volcanoes, and the white stands for another Icelandic natural landmarks - glaciers and geysers.

Surtsey Island | Iceland

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Surtsey, the southernmost of the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, was formed during a volcanic eruption lasting from November 1963 to June 1967. Surtsey, meaning 'Surtur's island', is named after Surtr, the fire god in Icelandic mythology.

The island is UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008.

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Pjofafoss Waterfall, part of a set of two tourist stamps, issued 2016.  

Volcanic eruption at Fimmvörðuháls | Island

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Fimmvörðuháls is the area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull in southern Iceland. One of the most popular hiking trails in Iceland.

The Fimmvörðuháls eruption in 2010 was small and spectacular and attracted visitors from around the world It lasted for 23 days.

Puffins Island | Iceland

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The Puffin stamp on the last post inspired me to show this card from Iceland that I received last year. The charismatic puffins arrive in Iceland in April and depart at the end of August. Near Reykjavik you can find two puffin islands, Akurey and Lundey.

 

The islands serves as a haven for seabirds including thousands of Puffins. Frequent sightseeing tours from nearby Sundahöfn harbor travel here by boat, as puffins and other seabirds have become a major tourist attraction in Iceland.

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Europa stamp 2013.

Jökulsárlón-Glacier lagoon, Iceland

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“Ice and fire” – these are two words, which perfectly grasp the nature of Iceland. This postcard is about the Ice-part. Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland.

This lagoon is a result of a warming climate. Situated at the head of Breiðamerkurjökull-glacier, it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean about 90 years ago. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the Icelandic glaciers. The lagoon is not very wide but it is over 200 meters deep which makes it the deepest lake in Iceland.

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In May 2013 Iceland issued a sheet of four stamps with the Northern Lights as its theme. The northern lights can be seen anywhere in Iceland when the so-called aurora collar is over the country on a dark cloudless night. 

Reykjavik, capital of Iceland

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Reykjavík is the capital  Iceland and the largest city with a population of 120,000. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe, with less than three inhabitants per square kilometer. Despite the name, “ice” only covers about 10% of the land, but still represents the largest glaciers left in Europe. 

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Europa stamp 2013.

Iceland: Þingvellir National Park

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Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.

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(left) Fimmvörðuháls is the area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull (we all remember the 2010 eruptions) and Mýrdalsjökull in southern Iceland. The route between Skógar and Thórsmörk goes through this pass and is one of the most popular walking routes in Iceland, despite being 22km long and involving 1000m of climbing.

(right) The Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species.

Maria wrote on the back of the postcard: "In Iceland, there are very few trees, no Mc Donalds, and the population is only about 320.000." I think its a special country. Thx for sending Maria!