One of them erupted in 1963 south of Iceland and formed a new island called Surtsey. In 1973, a volcano that had been dormant for more than 5,000 years erupted on the island of Heimaey, south of Iceland. It poured volcanic ash over the island's only town, Vestmannaeyjar, forcing evacuation of all the residents. Iceland has more hot springs and sulfur steam areas than any other country. Some of the hot springs are geysers that spout streams of water into the air.
Glaciers cover one-eighth of the land.
Ancient glaciers also dug holes in the land, and the countryside is dotted with small lakes. The largest lake is Thingvallavatn in the southwest. Water from the rain and melting glaciers forms rushing rivers and beautiful waterfalls. Hydroelectric plants have been built on the swift-flowing Laxa and Sog rivers. The most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland are Gullfoss in the south and Dettifoss in the north.