A nature paradise complete with icecap, glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, and waterfalls, the climate is surprisingly mild (considering its northerly latitude) thanks to the Gulf Stream. Iceland boasts a modern infrastructure – in fact, it’s just over 300,000 residents enjoy what is one of the most developed and egalitarian societies on the planet, where most of the energy is provided by renewable sources and virtually all of the electricity is generated from hydropower and geothermal energy.