Iceland, along with the island of Java in Indonesia and the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia, are among the most volcanically active regions in the world. We’re talking about two very different islands and a peninsula that is the size of Great Britain and located on the same latitude, but 11 time zones farther east. Kamchatka is much colder than Iceland, even though Iceland lies further north, thanks to the Gulf Stream. Kamchatka is 2.7 times larger than Iceland and has a population of 320,000, with over half living in its southern capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If Iceland had the same population density as Kamchatka, it would have just 148,000 people. On the other hand, if Iceland had the population density of Java, there would be 121 million people living here, making Iceland the second most populous country in Europe after Russia.
Java, a fertile volcanic island just south of the equator, is home to over 160 million people—60% of the population of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country—on just 8% of Indonesia’s land area. Volcanoes create both destruction and danger, but also fertile soil that feeds tens of millions of Javanese.
Currently, major volcanic eruptions are taking place at Mount Meru on Java and Shiveluch in Kamchatka. Here at home, there is a series of eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, and significant activity is occurring beneath Iceland’s most powerful volcano, Bárdarbunga. Magma is on the move, and the National Commissioner of Police has declared a state of emergency in the area.
Iceland – January 14, 2025 – A7C R, A7CR III, M6 – FE 1.8/135mm GM, FE 2.8/100mm GM, 1.4/50mm – Images & Text: Páll Stefánsson
