With a population of 330,000, Iceland is a country with its own peculiarities. Genes are no exception: isolation and inbreeding throughout its history make this northern Atlantic island a paradise for genetic studies. Present-day Icelanders have been affected by 1,100 years of profound genetic drift.

Is Iceland corrupt?

Extent. According to several sources, corruption is not common on a daily basis in Iceland. Transparency Internationals 2016 Corruption Perception Index ranks the country 13th place out of 180 countries.

Is Iceland inbred?

With a population of 330,000, Iceland is a country with its own peculiarities. Genes are no exception: isolation and inbreeding throughout its history make this northern Atlantic island a paradise for genetic studies. Present-day Icelanders have been affected by 1,100 years of profound genetic drift.

How inbred are Icelandic people?

Icelanders DNA shows their roots to be a healthy mix between Nordic Y chromosomes and X chromosomes from the British Isles. Actually there is some evidence that Icelanders are a touch inbred, though that just means that they have a low longer term effective population and little gene flow with other groups.

Are midges a problem in Iceland?

Insect repellent is in high demand in South Iceland these days and almost sold out in some stores, Morgunblaðið reports. The reason is biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) - tiny flies, only 1.5 mm in size, which in recent years have become a common nuisance in South and West Iceland.