Officially known as the Republic of Iceland, is located in northwestern Europe. Iceland is the world’s 18th largest island, and Europe’s second largest island after Great Britain, with a unique landscape which is rugged and colorful with black lava, red sulfur, hot blue geysers, rivers, waterfalls, bays, fjords and green valley.

Until the 20th century, the Icelanders relied largely on fishing and agriculture, and the country was one of the least developed in the region. And by the 1990s, Iceland had developed as one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which supported diversification of the economy into economic and financial services. Below are 10 fantastic photos of Iceland – The Iceland’s rugged landscapes that will blow your pants off.

1. Iceland’s People Enjoying Spring

2. Hvalnes – Iceland,s Mountain Pond

3. Iceland Volcano Lake

4. Iceland Ski – Mountaineering, skiing and climbing

5. Eyjafjallajökull glacier, one of the smallest glaciers of Iceland

6. Grassodenhäuser

Traditional Icelandic turf houses. Until the 20th century, the vast majority of Icelanders lived in rural areas.

7. Iceland Sunset Lodge

8. Iceland Crystal Lake

9. Iceland Hunafloi Bay

10. Iceland Waterfall

Iceland is located in northwestern Europe. It comprises of the island of Iceland and its outlying small islands in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. It is strategically located between Greenland and Europe. The country has a population of 321,857 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), which makes it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The island nation makes up for it in its density of absolutely stunning landscapes. Lakes and glaciers comprise around 14% of the island’s surface, and geysers–including Geysir, the geyser for which all others are named–dot the rugged terrain and add an almost mystical volatility to the otherworldly atmosphere.

Iceland Volcano

Despite the pristine pictures above, Iceland is not immune from environmental degradation: years of deforestation and overgrazing courtesy of imported fauna have taken their toll, and many farms are now being abandoned. Not all is lost, though. A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the Iceland hotspot and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. This location means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgjá, Herðubreið and Eldfell. The volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783–1784 caused a famine that killed nearly a quarter of the island’s population. In addition, the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for several months afterward, and affected climates in other areas. In efforts to reunite man with his maker, Icelanders have made good use of geothermal power, which allows them to acquire heat, electricity and water at little to no cost to them…or the environment.