Iceland is a sparsely populated Nordic island country. The island has many active volcanoes and is on a geological hotspot, meaning there are plenty of natural springs as well. The island is warmed by waters flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico, so it is not as cold as you would expect. Oftentimes during the winter, Reykjavík is warmer than Chicago or Berlin. However, the country is still pretty cold and has 13 different glaciers. Since it is at such a high latitude, the country experiences prolonged periods of darkness during the winter, known as polar winter. The opposite is true during the summer, when it is almost constantly light. Though it is highly integrated with the EU, Euros are not commonly accepted here.