You’ve probably heard some interesting things about Iceland, such as the breathtaking Blue Lagoon, fantastic waterfalls, imposing glaciers, and the vast number of wooly sheep that far outnumber humans. But there are so many more fascinating facts about the land of “Fire and Ice” you probably don’t yet know!

In a country brimming with contrasting landscapes, it’s easy to speculate about the alternative names that history could have assigned to Iceland. Here we unravel some of the country’s earliest history to explore why Iceland is called Iceland.