Culture in Iceland

Iceland has only limited amount of available resources, it is interesting to note that locals think up of creative ideas to work within the constraints. It is also seen in some parts of their country how they integrate designing in their everyday living, such as recycling of materials and eco-friendly building structures. The increasing amount of green buildings in Iceland enhanced the culture of the society through eco-friendly practices.



Some of its interesting features:
-Double-glass facade that assists with the building’s natural ventilation scheme, daylighting and weather shielding
-These ice crystals made from glass formations diffuse light as it enters the building, reducing glare as well as heat gain
-Iceland is located at a high Northern latitude, so the glass is designed to take advantage of low sun angles.

Green building example - http://inhabitat.com/stunning-icelandic-institute-is-an-ice-frosted-eco-citadel/iceland-institute-of-natural-history-2/?extend=1

Through Iceland's example, it is evident that sometimes culture can also be shaped by nature. Limitations and lack of resources partially helped in shaping the Icelandic culture of building structures. Usually, culture is determined by the indigenous group of people who settled in the country.

Icelandic cuisines are not for the faint-hearted. Hakarl (decomposed shark), gravlax (salmon fish marinated with spices), hangikjot (smoked lamb), and slatur (delicacies made from sheep intestines) are some of the popular cuisines in Iceland.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/country-profile/iceland-economy-people-culture-and-flag.html

Apart from innovative designs as part of the Icelandic culture, other cultures in Iceland revolves around arts and music.

In Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, along the streets and alleys there will be project spaces, diverse artist run organisations and established galleries that offers its visitors an insight into the emerging scene. The museums in Reykjavik and surroundings offer exhibitions ranging from art historical revisions to contemporary projects as well.
http://www.iceland.is/arts-culture/visual-arts/

In terms of music, it can be categorised into classical music, opera, jazz and contemporary music. There are numerous annual music festivals in Iceland that showcase the colourful music scene with performances. Icelandic music is closely interlinked with the Nordic breed of music, pulsating the native ethnicity with folk and pop music that are religious in nature

The icon in Iceland is the Icelandic Horse. It has been purebred for a thousand years, treated with respect and raised to the highest level. The horse is a favorite among Icelanders and can be seen in art and literature all through Iceland’s history. It holds a special place in the mind of the nation. Thousands of people in Iceland own horses for the simple pleasure of riding out.

http://www.fhb.is/Files/hestarensk72.pdf

Iceland!

The country that I have selected for my assignment is Iceland. I am going to share some of my perceptions of Iceland which are not influenced by any other external factors. Iceland in my opinion should be rich in their own culture, whereby it can be very different and unique from their neighbouring countries. As I felt that not many people actually heard of or known where Iceland was, therefore I perceive Iceland as a country with its own authentic culture not influenced by people from other countries. Like most European countries, I believe that the people in Iceland will spend quite a bit of their spare time appreciating arts and music.

I feel that the people in Iceland celebrate festivals and special occasions similar to other European cities. Since entertainment in Europe is generally focused on music and arts, in my opinion there will be more music festivals and art exhibitions dedicated to its people in Iceland as well.

After the research, here is the overview of the facts of Iceland.

Iceland is located at Northern Europe and its people consists of descendants of Scandinavians and Norse. The estimated population size of Iceland as of July 2011 is 311,508. Icelandic, English, Nordic languages and German are the languages spoken in the country. The culture of Iceland, just as what I perceived, are mainly focused on design, literature, visual arts, music, film and performing arts. Their culture and passion for arts are evident even in the streets of their country.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html
http://www.statice.is/?pageid=452&itemid=bfd2aafb-84f5-4ec9-81e3-461a43276bca