THE WATER IS A WAY OF LIFE Icelanders have lived alongside the overbearing power of water since the land was first settled. Throughout the centuries, the country survived on the courage of its fishermen, who braved storms and fierce Atlantic waves daily to ensure they and their loved ones were fed. The early followers of Norse mythology believed their plane of existence to be Midgard (“Middle Earth”), one of the “nine homeworlds” and the only one visible to man. Midgard was said to be surrounded by an impassable ocean, thus immediately aligning it with divinity and ambiguity in Old Norse culture. WATER LIKE A SOURCE: In Iceland the water is considered the holy source that gives and sustains all life and respected as a force of nature that can take your life away at any given moment if you are not careful. It is so important that Icelandic people cherished and protected as a sacred medicine. Nowadays the role of water remains very important, more precisely in port cities like Hafnarfjörður where one of the biggest richness is the fishing. This activity is very productive, in fact it is the second business after the tourism.
HOT SPRINGS: Iceland is famous also for hot springs, that are another source used for heating. This country is a pioneer in the use of this energy for space heating. Generating electricity with geothermal energy has increased significantly in recent years. Geothermal power facilities currently generate 25% of the country's total electricity production. they come from near a high concentration of volcanoes. When the hot water travels upwards, it dissolves from the surrounding rock and leftover material surfaces. This results in a rich mineral content in the hot spring’s water. Bodies of water near the volcanoes can reach alarmingly high temperatures, and this heat can be turned into energy.
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