There are 13 so-called country parks that are primarily intended for recreational purposes and managed by the local government. There are three national parks which add up to over half the total protected area.34 Vatnajokull National Park is the largest national park and it covers about 12% of the area of Iceland.35The park is mostly covered by the Vatnajokull glacier.36 In Iceland there are two World Heritage Sites: Pingvellir and a volcanic island, Surtsey.37 Pingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in year 930 and where they continued to meet until 1798. The degree ofthe restriction may vary between different sites. Country parks on the other hand are established solely for recreational purposes.