Why do people live on Iceland even thought there is such a big risk of earthquakes and volcanoes?

Question

Why do people live on Iceland even thought there is such a big risk of earthquakes and volcanoes? Please answer throughly and I would prefer it if someone living in Iceland, someone who used to live in Iceland or have a relative or friend living in Iceland could answer this question. Best answer will be chosen. =]

Thanks

Answer 1

There's risks of living anywhere. Volcanoes happen in lots of places - New Zealand, South America, Italy, Japan...earthquakes occur in USA, China...

I don't remember reading about any people dying in Iceland of eartquakes/volcanoes. Probably more likely to die from a stabbing in south London or a spider bite in Australia.

Answer 2

Although earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common in Iceland, they don't pose a major threat to people. It is really rare that someone dies in such disasters in Iceland and it's rare that areas have to be evacuated due to these things. Most of the population lives in relatively safe areas (not too near active volcanoes) and we have strong houses that are designed to withstand earthquakes.

Iceland is really a safer place to live than most countries. Other countries may not have volcanoes and earthquakes, but they have floods, droughts, major heat waves, higher crime rates, major disease epidemics etc. that we don't have in Iceland.

Answer 3

its pretty hard to find a place that is not subject to some sort of natural disaster or alien abductions

Answer 4

Weird question.

Answer 5

When was the last time you heard of somebody in Iceland being killed in an earthquake?  When was the last time somebody in Iceland died due to volcanic activity?

<<Please answer throughly...>>

When you've found answers to the two questions above, then you'll probably come to the conclusion that you've massively overstated the risk factor.

Answer 6

you could ask exactly the same question about Japan...

i live in NYC, and there's a risk of a major earthquake, however unlikely, even here.

having travelled to Iceland, i can tell you that the landscape is incomparable, and that Icelanders are lucky to be from there.

Answer 7

This is a really, really stupid question.  They live there because that's where they're from.

Answer 8

Jim the Fee, here.

I found this to be an interesting question!  I do not fit your criteria for

giving a valid answer, but, I did just come back from a cruise trip which

included 3 stops in Iceland.  So, I had a chance to see what was there and to "soak up" some information about the place and talked to some very interesting "locals" about a lot of things, including "why

do you live here?"  So, if you will bear with me, I will tell you a "folk tale" about the people who came to Iceland and stayed on to found

the population mix that is presently in Iceland.  The story goes like this.  Back in history when the Vikings were still "sea rovers" and

busy building a culture in what is now modern Norway and Sweden;

there were groups of Second sons of village leaders who had no hope

of ever getting the holdings at their father's deaths.  This group was

augmented by the ne'r-do-wells, drunkarders, shiftless drones, and

hangers-on that any poplulation will have. They took to the Long Boats

and sailed toward what is now called Ireland where they landed and

abducted some really spiffy Irish lasses - (definitely Celtic classics)

Then they turned their Long Boats North by West and headed out.

These folks were SEAMEN!!  I mean they knew the sea and they

thrived on the dangers of the North Atlantic ocean (as it would later be named).  They made landfall in the Faroe Islands group. And for several generations they settled on the land and explored those great fjord's of that place.  Finally, the wander lust set in and a large number of the Vikings took all their belongings and some livestock

and headed North-by-West again - since they had heard talk about

some lands in that direction.  Well, they found Iceland, and again

they settled down.  They encountered traveling bands of native peoples who inhabited the coastal areas primarily.  They intermarried with those folks.  Thus we have the founding of the Icelanders!

Now, why do they stay in Iceland.  Well, some of those original

settlers, after a few generations had lived in Iceland, again felt the wanderlust and packed up their families and headed for a much greater land mass to the West  --  It would be named Greenland later

on. This land was virtually all ice covered and the settlers could only

find landfalls on certain selected coastal lands in the south and east

of the great land mass.  Some of them stayed on and others

continued to the west again to land in what would later be called

Newfoundland in what would later be called Canada.  And so, to answer your question.  The people who came and stayed in Iceland

were adventurers and a people of hardy stock.  They stayed then

and they stay now because it is their homeland and has been for

many generations.  There are the young ones who flee from Iceland as soon as they can.  There are some who stay on and growup and have families and carry on their traditions.  

And that is all I have to say about that.

Cheers,

Jim the Fee

Answer 9

No point in worrying ! Where would they go ? You could ask the same of those who live in Los Angeles ! They'd B more likely 2 die in a car accident - so, why don't they give up cars ?

Answer 10

They love their motherland