"Forget those partying Swedes and the country down south that has no mountains [Denmark]. The Icelanders, the proud, tough and weathered people are forever in our hearts," wrote the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet in a humoristic piece praising their Nordic brethren.
#Iceland's top league has a team who play on an active volcanic island. Winter can destroy the pitches. https://t.co/iwfKKQjWwO #Euro16
— Reykjavík Grapevine (@rvkgrapevine) June 13, 2016
The newspaper went on to remind its readership that Iceland had the world's first democratically elected female president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and granted inheritance rights to women as early as 1850. Iceland possesses the world's most well-known volcano Eyjafjallajökull and the most renowned spa Blue Lagoon. Iceland's further merits include producing pop singer Björk and scald Snorri Sturluson, as well as three Miss World Winners and boasting flashy letters such as ð and Þ. And finally bringing forth the eleven heroes who made a grand stand against Portugal.
#Iceland was once again named the Most #Peaceful Country in the world: https://t.co/zQvZrDE9XG pic.twitter.com/b41pKPtelW
— Iceland Naturally (@IcelandNatural) June 14, 2016
Iceland was discovered by Viking chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson, who embarked on a sea journey after becoming an outlaw in Norway for a double murder and ended up founding Reykjavik in 874. From 1262 to 1814, Iceland was ruled by Norway and afterwards by Denmark. The island nation attained full independence in 1944 and today has a population of 320,000.
So far, the petition to reunite with the magic long-lost island was signed by over 2,000 Norwegian users.
