Category: Ask IR

Ask IR

Where is Iceland?

Iceland is a North Atlantic island nation located between Greenland and Norway. The country is situated at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic

Erik Pomrenke May 9, 2023

Ask IR

What is Iceland doing about blood farms?

Since the 1980s, Icelandic horse farmers have been extracting the hormone Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) from their pregnant mares to gain extra income. The hormone

Erik Pomrenke May 4, 2023

Ask IR

What is Iceland’s target for biofuels as a share of motor fuels by 2030?

A key aspect of Iceland’s energy transition is exploring the uses of renewable energy in transportation. As can be seen from the graph below, electricity

Erik Pomrenke April 26, 2023

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What is Iceland’s Energy Mix?

Of all stationary energy produced in Iceland, some 70% is hydroelectric and 30% is geothermal, with a negligible but growing percentage of wind power, at

Erik Pomrenke April 14, 2023

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How did Barónstígur get its name? Was there ever nobility in Iceland?

Before Iceland lost its independence to Norway in the 13th century, the Icelandic Commonwealth (as the stateless society in Iceland since the time of settlement

Erik Pomrenke April 14, 2023

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What are the top university programmes in Iceland?

Iceland is home to several major universities, but the two largest are the University of Iceland, a publicly funded research university, and Reykjavík University, a

Erik Pomrenke April 13, 2023

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I’d like to learn more about the settlement of Iceland and the Viking Age. What are some good resources?

Around 870, farmers, warriors, and merchants from Norway and the North Atlantic began coming in earnest to the island to settle permanently. The first to

Erik Pomrenke April 4, 2023

national and university library of iceland

Ask IR

Does Iceland Have a National Library?

Yes, it does, but it’s more properly known as the National and University Library of Iceland. It’s by the far the largest library in Iceland,

Erik Pomrenke March 24, 2023

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Does Reykjavík Have Heated Sidewalks?

When the city of Saskatoon wanted to invest in heated sidewalks in 2013, the CBC wrote: “Imagine a city with snow-free sidewalks all winter long

Erik Pomrenke March 15, 2023

Ask IR

When Do Puffins Arrive in Iceland?

The Atlantic puffin (in Icelandic, lundi), is something of a national symbol, with many tourists and Icelanders alike flocking to bird cliffs to catch a

Erik Pomrenke March 10, 2023