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Katla UNESCO Global Geopark is in central South Iceland, reaching from the south coast with its black beaches into the highlands in the north with the majestic glaciers. The area stretches from the town Hvolsvöllur in the western most part of the UNESCO Global Geopark to the glacier Skeiðarárjökull (part of Europes largest glcier Vatnajökull) in the eastern part. Katla UNESCO Global Geopark is situated on the Eastern Volcanic Zone (EVZ), one of the most volcanic active areas in Iceland representing high geological diversity of great geological heritage value. The Katla UNESCO Global Geopark is named after the volcano Katla that has for centuries had great impact on Icelandic nature and people living in the area. Katla is one of the largest central volcanoes in Iceland, covered by the glacier Mýrdalsjökull. The volcanic activity of Eyjafjallajökull, Katla, Grímsvötn, Lakagígar and Eldgjá and its widespread effect on the landscape in the area provide the geological basis for the Geopark. The region is characterized by central volcanoes fuelled by the Iceland mantle plume and evidence of the active rift zone of the North Atlantic Rift with SW-NE trending eruption craters, fissures and hyaloclastite ridges. In addition ice-capped volcanoes and tuff mountains, vast lava flows, sandur plains with their black beaches and pseudo craters (rootles vents formed by lava flowing into wetland) are prominent features in the landscape along with majestic waterfalls and islands protruding from the sandplains of the lowland. Glaciers are prominent in the landscape covering the highest mountains, and volcanoes in the area, with subsequent glacial formations: outlets, moraines and ice-dammed lakes, glacial rivers and outburst floods generally associated with subglacial geothermal areas or subglacial eruptions forming outwash plains. Part of Vatnajökull National Park is within the boundaries of Katla UNESCO Global Geopark including Laki, Eldgjá and the spectacular Langisjór lake. Sites of international importance: Eyjafjallajökull central volcano, Katla, central volcano covered by Mýrdalsjökull ice sheet, it´s complex volcanic system including the eruptive fissure swarm Eldgjá which formed Álftaver pseudocraters (rootless vents). Mýrdalssandur outwash plain which is a result of subglacial Katla eruptions. Lakagígar cone-row which formed the lava fields Skaftáreldahraun. Langisjór lake, Fögrufjöll and Grænifjallgarður, hyaloclastite ridges.