Which country contains the volcanic island of Surtsey?

Surtsey is a volcanic island belonging to Iceland.

It lies in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off Iceland's southern coast and is the southernmost point of the country. The island was created by a submarine eruption that began below sea level in 1963, making it a rare opportunity to observe an island forming and being colonized by life from the beginning.

The eruption broke the ocean surface on 14 November 1963 and continued until 5 June 1967. At its maximum, Surtsey covered about 2.7 square kilometres; waves have steadily reduced its area since then. The island's name comes from Surtr, a fire giant in Norse mythology, combined with the Icelandic word ey, meaning island.

Surtsey is protected from ordinary visitors so scientists can study natural ecological succession without seeds, animals, or other organisms being deliberately introduced. Insects, birds, plants, and marine life gradually established themselves there. UNESCO added Surtsey to its World Heritage List in 2008. It is sometimes confused with Iceland's better-known volcanic island Heimaey, but Surtsey is a separate, protected island farther offshore.