Southern Region

The Southern Region exists because glaciers exist—and because Vatnajökull's ice created both Iceland's most spectacular landscapes and its most dangerous volcanic zone. At 24,256 km², Suðurland is Iceland's largest region by area yet hosts only 28,399 residents at 1.17 people/km². The territory encompasses contradictions: Vatnajökull (Europe's largest glacier) buries active volcanoes including Eyjafjallajökull, whose 2010 eruption halted global air travel for six days, stranding 10 million passengers and costing airlines €1.7 billion. The Golden Circle (Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss) draws over 2 million tourists annually to witness plate tectonics, erupting geysers, and cascading waterfalls. Hellisheiði Power Station—world's third-largest geothermal plant—provides nearly one-third of Iceland's electricity and hot water, while Friðheimar greenhouses use that heat to grow tomatoes year-round under 24-hour artificial lights. Reynisfjara's black sand beach became Iceland's most photographed coastline, but its dangerous waves kill tourists annually. Selfoss (6,000 residents) serves as service hub for agricultural lowlands where geothermal heat enables banana cultivation at 64°N latitude. By 2026, the region faces carrying capacity questions: can infrastructure handle ever-increasing tourist volumes without degrading the landscapes that attract them?