For book lovers, when it is cold and snowy outside, nothing can compare to staying inside and diving into a good book. Perhaps it is because of the perpetual wintery weather that Iceland has emerged as the top place for bibliophiles– readers and writers, alike.

The island nation may only have slightly more than 340,000 inhabitants, giving it the 180th spot in the list of countries by population.  Despite the puny rankings in population, Iceland boasts #1 in the ranking of authors and readers. One out of every ten Icelanders has published a book.

The Icelandic language has a saying, “Ad ganga med bok I maganum.” It can be translated as, “Everyone gives birth to a book.”

Any nation that has that many published authors most certainly would have no shortage of readers. A 2013 study by Bifröst University revealed that 50% of Icelanders read at least 8 books per year, while 93% will read at least one.

Read more fun facts about books.

Read more fun facts about Iceland.