Spila - playing [eg. soccer]

Stangveiði - fishing

Fótbolti - football

Handbolti - handball

Ruðningur - American football

Golf - golf

Frjálsar íþróttir - athletics

Skíða - skiing

Skauta - skating

Tónlist - music

Tónlistarhús - concert hall

Leikhús - theatre

Bíó - cinema

Áhugamál - hobby

Hjólabretti - skateboard

Tennis - tennis

Hjólreiðabr - cycling

Lið - team

Leikir - games

Sund - swimming

A leisure card (Frístundakort) is a sponsorship scheme designed for all 6 - 18 year old children and adolescents in Reykjavik to participate in leisure activities.

There are 7 swimming pools in Reykjavik, and they are important social places, but their role revolves around everything: public health, quality of life, sports, games, relaxation, entertainment, hygiene, conversation and companionship.

There are many cycling paths and outdoor areas in the city.

Joining a choir is common for both children and adults.

There are many libraries in the city, museums and theatres where various events attract people.

Samkvæmisdans - ballroom dancing

Íshokkí - hockey

Félagsstarf aldraða - elderly social activities

Lestur - reading

List - art

Leirlist - ceramics

Málverk - painting

Hátíð - festival

Markaður - fair or flea market

Hátíðarhöld - celebrations

Veggjakrot - graffiti

Götulistaverk - street art

Reykjavik has a rich tradition for music education. A large number of versatile musicians work in the city and people are very interested in music. Well-known musicians such as Sigurrós, Of Monsters and Men, Björk, Kaleo, etc. have attracted foreign visitors to the Icelandic music scene. There are great facilities for performing music in Harpa.

Well-known music festivals such as Iceland Airwaves and Secret Solstice take place in the city, but there is also a Culture Night art event that is also popular.

There are many art museums in the city and the Reykjavik Art Museum manages about 180 outdoor art works throughout the city. These include the Peace Column in Viðey, Sólfarið and the Höggmyndagarðinn Perlufesti.

There is also some street art and graffiti in the city.

Erró is by far the most well-known contemporary artist in Iceland, and he gave the City of Reykjavik about 2000 works of art that the Reykjavík Art Museum manages.

The Reykjavik Arts Festival is held in the summer and takes place in traditional and non-traditional spaces throughout the city and extends beyond the city limits. The Reykjavik Arts Festival has been a leading figure in Icelandic cultural life since its founding in 1970.

The Icelandic Yule Lads (the Icelandic versions of Santa Claus) are thirteen and are a troll breed. They are the sons of Grýla and Leppalúði. The first Yule Lad arrives on the eve of December 12th. Then his brothers follow, one at a time until the last arrives on the eve of December 24th. They bring good children a gift in their shoe, but the misbehaved children get a potato.

Iceland is a barren country. Only a small part of it is inhabitable and only a quarter of the country is covered with vegetation. The main reasons for this are the climate, active volcanos, moving glaciers, the effects of human habitation and the livelihood of sheep.

About 60% of the land is at a height of 400 meters above sea level, but at a height of 200-400 meters, vegetation is greatly reduced and when reached 700 meters above sea level, the country is mostly covered with rocks.

The flora is characterised by low-growing plants. There are no large forests in the country but there is great interest among the people of forestry and land reclamation. In Laugardalur Reykjavik there is a beautiful botanical garden.

Veður - weather

Landslag - natural landscape

Veðurspá - weather forecast

Vindur - wind

Rok - heavy wind

Rigning - rain

Úrkoma - rain or snow

Stormur - storm

Slydda - wet snow

Snjókoma - snow

Ský - cloud

Snjóbylur - snowstorm

Þoka - fog

Sól - sun

Tungl - moon

Frost - frost

Frostmark - freezing point

Hiti - heat

Ís - ice

Él - hail

Hafís - drift ice

Ísjaki - iceberg

Hóll - hill

Hæð - hill

Fjall - mountain

Á - river

Stöðuvatn - lake

Icelandic nature is fragile, rough, special and diverse. Iceland is one of the most volcanic and youngest areas in the world. The landscape is shaped by fire, ice, water and wind. In the fragile ecosystems of the country there is a high risk of vegetation and soil degradation and therefore nature must be treated with caution.

The nature of Iceland is sought after because of its diversity and uniqueness.

In Þingvellir National Park you can see the North American tectonic plate and the Hreppar Microplate, but the Eurasian plate is considerably further to the east and therefore not a part of the area of Þingvellir.

Almannagjá is a gorge within Þingvellir, which marks the edge of the North American tectonic plate. Almannagjá is one of the most famous landmarks of Þingvellir, and the river Öxará runs through it as the waterfall Öxarárfoss.

The characteristics of Iceland are lava and moss. Cultivated land is about 23% of the country's surface. Forestland is about 1.5% of the country's land, while lowland forestland is less than 4%.

Weather is unpredictable in Iceland. Icelanders often say that here you can see weather samples. The reason is that the weather changes very fast and therefore you have to be careful when traveling, especially in winter.

All schoolchildren in Iceland are taught that it is the Gulf Stream that makes this country more viable than its latitude gives reason to expect.

The Gulf Stream carries warm seawater from the South Sea, including from the Gulf of Mexico, which warms the sea and the atmosphere.

The average temperature is 0 - 10 degrees Celsius, the temperature peaks in July and August but December and January are the coldest months.