Sheep. They seem to be everywhere, wandering freely all over the mountains and highlands as if they own the country. They are the most common animal in Iceland--and featured prominently and deliciously on every menu. Icelandic sheep are so called short–tailed animals, an ancient Nordic Breed which was formerly common in the north part of Western Europe, but now only found in a few areas of the world. It is a strong, hardy breed that has adapted well to Icelandic conditions. Around 1980, there were about 10 times more sheep than people in the country or around 2,000,000 sheep (including the summer lambs). The number has now been reduced by almost half, because of overgrazing and changes in the climate and volcanic activity that has impacted grazing lands.