A rural district in Iceland was forced to convene for the naming of a volcano, which began erupting last year. Claiming a population of only 371, the tiny town of Skútustaðahreppur decided to officially stick with the name "Holuhraun," which was what the lava field had been called during the time that it technically did not have a name:
The council had four proposed names for the site, which were: Flæðahraun, Holuhraun, Nornahraun, and Urðarbruni.In the final decision, two councilors voted for the name Holuhraun, one councilor voted for Nornahraun and one voted for Urðarbruni. The fifth council member left the meeting and did not vote. […] It might sound vaguely silly for a committee to officially name geographic features which clearly already have a name — but in Iceland the land is in constant flux and it is important for brand new features to have officially recognized names. In this case, it is fortunate that the new official name is the same as the old unofficial one. [Iceland Review]
The next task of the people of Skútustaðahreppur: Naming all the new natural features formed by Holuhraun's eruption.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Tips for surviving loneliness during the holiday season — with or without peoplethe week recommends Solitude is different from loneliness
-
‘This is where adaptation enters’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
4 signs you have too much credit card debtthe explainer Learn to recognize the red flags
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
