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Iceland is famous for the large number of glaciers that are found here. Iceland glaciers range from small to very big glaciers that are called the ice caps. Iceland is the home to the biggest glacier in the whole of Europe. The total area of Iceland that is covered by glaciers is 4328 square miles.
Iceland glaciers remind that the country was fully covered with almost perpetual snow and glaciers during the last ice age. A glacier is formed in a land where winter ice can not melt totally because of the short duration of the summer and very little temperature rise of the summer climate. As a result the winter snow can not melt and a new layer of snow is accumulated on the former giving birth to glaciers. Iceland glaciers are formed in the same way.
Iceland glaciers that are relatively small are found near the mountain where as the big glaciers or ice caps cover almost an entire mountain range or volcano. Most of the Iceland glaciers are found in the southern part of the country. It has a specific reason. The southern part of Iceland receives much more precipitation in forms of snow. That is why it helps in creating as well as retaining the glaciers. Iceland has five main glaciers. Among these, Vatnajokull is the biggest one and also the biggest glacier in the whole Europe.
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