Lýðveldið Ísland Republic of Iceland
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Lofsöngur
Location of Iceland (red) in Europe (white)
Capital (and largest city)		Reykjavík 64°08′N, 21°56′W
Official languages		Icelandic
Demonym		Icelander
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
-	Prime Minister	Geir H. Haarde
Independence		from Denmark
-	Home rule	1 February 1904
-	Sovereignty	1 December 1918
-	Republic	17 June 1944
Area
-	Total	103,000 km² (107th) 39,770 sq mi
-	Water (%)	2. List of flags of Iceland The flag of Iceland was officially described in Law No The Coat of arms of Iceland or Skjaldarmerki Íslands is a cross of silver on a sky-blue shield with a fire-red cross inside the silver cross A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's " Lofsöngur " ( English: " Hymn " also known as " Ó Guð vors lands " ( English: "O God of Our Land" is Most Icelanders are descendants of Norwegian settlers and Celts from Ireland and Scotland, brought over as slaves during the age of settlement For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The President of Iceland (forseti Íslands is Iceland 's elected Head of state. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( (born 14 May 1943) is the fifth and current President of Iceland. The Prime Minister of Iceland (Forsætisráðherra Íslands is Iceland 's Head of government. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 7
Population
-	April 2008 estimate	316,2521 (172nd)
-	December 1980 census	229,187
-	Density	3,1/km² (233th) 7. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 5/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$12. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 172 billion (132nd)
-	Per capita	$40,277 (2005) (5th)
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$16. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 579 billion (93rd)
-	Per capita	$62,976 (4th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 968 (high) (1st)
Currency		Icelandic króna (ISK)
Time zone		GMT (UTC+0)
Internet TLD		.is
Calling code		+354
1	Statistics Iceland:Key figures. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The króna (plural krónur) ( sign: kr; code: ISK) is the Currency of Iceland. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E www. statice. is (1 October 2007). Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (names of Iceland); IPA: [ˈliðvɛltɪθ ˈistlant]) is a country in northern Europe, comprising the island of Iceland and its outlying islets in the North Atlantic Ocean between the rest of Europe and Greenland. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the ^[1] It is the least populous of the Nordic countries and the second smallest; it has a population of about 316,000 (April 1, 2008 estimate) and a total area of 103,000 km². The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area.

Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is volcanically and geologically active on a large scale; this defines the landscape in various ways. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR is a Mid-ocean ridge, a Divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the In Geology, geothermal refers to heat sources within the planet The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterized by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many big glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Warmed by the Gulf Stream, Iceland has a temperate climate relative to its latitude and provides a habitable environment and nature. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the

The settlement of Iceland began in 874 when, according to Landnámabók, the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. Events By Place Europe Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling Landnámabók (meaning "The Book of Settlement" often shortened to Landnáma) is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the Norwegians See also History of Norway and Demography of Norway. ^[2] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the next centuries, people of Nordic and Gaelic origin settled in Iceland. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Until the twentieth century, the Icelandic population relied on fisheries and agriculture, and was from 1262 to 1918 a part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Icelanders are the Nation or Ethnic group of Iceland descended primarily from Norsemen of Scandinavia. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe In the twentieth century, Iceland's economy and welfare system developed quickly. "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide In recent decades, Iceland has seen economic reforms, free trade in the European Economic Area, and diversification from fishing to new economic fields in services, finance, and various industries. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious"

Today, Iceland has some of the world's highest levels of economic freedoms^[3] as well as civil freedoms. As of 2007, Iceland is the most developed country in the world with fellow Nordic country Norway according to the Human Development Index^[4] and one of the most egalitarian, according to the calculation provided by the Gini coefficient^[5]. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have This is a list of countries or dependencies by Income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients according to the United Nations (UN and the It is also the fourth most productive country per capita. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE ^[6] Icelanders have a rich culture and heritage, like cuisine and poetry thus the country it self has many names coined by poets. The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which stems from Authors from the 12th to 14th centuries Iceland is a member of the UN, NATO, EFTA, EEA and OECD, but not of the European Union. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The North Atlantic Treaty The European Free Trade Association ( EFTA) is a European Trade bloc which was established on 3 May 1960 as an alternative for European states who were either The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The country is a candidate for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Topography 1.2 Geological activity 1.3 Climate 1.4 Flora and fauna 2 History 2.1 Age of settlement 2.2 Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era 2.3 Independence and recent history 3 Government 3.1 Subdivisions 3.2 Politics 3.3 Foreign relations 4 Demographics 4.1 10 most populous towns in Iceland 4.2 Language 4.3 Religion 5 Economy and infrastructure 5.1 Transportation 5.2 Energy 5.3 Education, science, and technology 6 Culture 6.1 Literature and the arts 6.2 Music 6.3 Media 6.4 Cuisine 6.5 Sports 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Geography

Main article: Geography of Iceland

Topography

Iceland is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle, which passes through the small island of Grímsey off Iceland's northern coast, but not through mainland Iceland. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. Grímsey is a small Island north of Iceland, situated directly on the Arctic Circle, with the highest Elevation of. Unlike neighbouring Greenland, Iceland is considered to be a part of Europe, not of North America, though geologically, the island belongs to both continents. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Because of cultural, economic and linguistic similarities, Iceland in many contexts is also included in Scandinavia. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The closest bodies of land are Greenland (287 km) and the Faroe Islands (420 km). The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The closest distance to the mainland of Europe is 970 km (to Norway).

Iceland is the world's 18th-largest island, and Europe's second largest island following Great Britain. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program This is a list of Islands in the world ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km² (970 square miles See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The country is 103,000 km² (39,768. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi) in size, of which 62. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 7% is wasteland. Lakes and glaciers cover 14. 3%; only 23% is vegetated. ^[7] The largest lakes are Þórisvatn (Reservoir): 83–88 km² (32–34 sq mi) and Þingvallavatn: 82 km² (32 sq mi); other important lakes include Lögurinn and Mývatn. Þórisvatn, is the largest lake of Iceland, situated at the south end of Sprengisandur highland road within the Highlands of Iceland. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Þingvallavatn is a Lake in the south-west of Iceland. With a surface of 84 km² it is the largest (natural lake of the island The Lake Lagarfljót (also called Lögurinn) is situated in the east of Iceland near Egilsstaðir. Mývatn is a shallow Eutrophic Lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla Volcano. Öskjuvatn is the deepest lake at 220 m (722 ft). The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit

Many fjords punctuate its extensive coastline, which is also where most towns are situated because the island's interior, the Highlands of Iceland, is a cold and uninhabitable combination of sands and mountains. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. The Highlands of Iceland cover most of the interior of Iceland. The major towns are the capital Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Reykjanesbær, where the international airport is located, and Akureyri. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Kópavogur is Iceland 's second largest town with a population of 30000 For water inlet see Fjord. Hafnarfjörður or Hafnarfjordur is a port town located on the south-west Reykjanesbær is a municipality on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, it is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land Akureyri ( is a town in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth The island of Grímsey on the Arctic Circle contains the northernmost habitation of Iceland. Grímsey is a small Island north of Iceland, situated directly on the Arctic Circle, with the highest Elevation of. The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. ^[8]

Iceland has four national parks: Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, Skaftafell National Park, Snæfellsjökull National Park, and Þingvellir National Park. Jökulsárgljúfur National Park is situated in the north of Iceland around the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Skaftafell National Park is situated between Kirkjubæjarklaustur, typically referred to as Klaustur and Höfn in the south of Iceland. Snæfellsjökull is a Stratovolcano with a Glacier ( Icelandic: jökull) covering its summit in western Iceland. is '''''Þingvellir''''' ( Þing: 'parliament' is ''vellir'' 'meadows'(sometimes transliterated Thingvellir) is a place in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern

Geological activity

A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the Iceland hotspot and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot which is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity which has formed the island of Iceland. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR is a Mid-ocean ridge, a Divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. This combined location means that geologically the island is extremely active, having many volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgjá, and Eldfell. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Hekla is a Stratovolcano located in the south of Iceland with a height of. Eldgjá is a volcanic canyon in Iceland. Eldgjá and the nearby Laki craters are part of the same volcanic system as Katla in the south of the country Eldfell is a Cinder cone Volcano just over 200 metres (650 ft high on the Icelandic island of Heimaey. The volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783–1784 caused a famine that killed nearly a quarter of the island's population;^[9] the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for several months after the eruption. Laki or Lakagígar ( Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure situated in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any Faunal species which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional Malnutrition, Starvation

There are also many geysers in Iceland, including Geysir, from which the English word is derived. A geyser is a Hot spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accomplished by a vapour phase Geysir (sometimes known as The Great Geysir) in the Haukadalur valley Iceland, is the oldest known Geyser and one of the world's most With this widespread availability of geothermal power, and because many rivers and waterfalls are harnessed for hydroelectricity, most residents have hot water and home heat cheaply. Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth and therme, meaning heat is energy generated by heat stored in the earth or the collection A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water The island itself is composed primarily of basalt, a low-silica lava associated with effusive volcanism like Hawaii. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures Effusive eruptions are a Volcanic phenomenon in some ways the opposite of Explosive eruptions An effusive eruption is characterized by an outpouring of low Viscosity The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the But Iceland has various kinds of volcanoes, many of which produce more evolved lavas such as rhyolite and andesite. This page is about a volcanic rock For the ghost town see Rhyolite Nevada, and for the satellite system see Rhyolite/Aquacade. For the extinct cephalopod genus see Andesites. Andesite (ˈændəsaɪt is an igneous, Volcanic rock, of intermediate

Iceland controls Surtsey, one of the youngest islands in the world. Surtsey ( Icelandic: " Surtur's island" is a volcanic Island off the southern It rose above the ocean in a series of volcanic eruptions between November 8, 1963 and June 5, 1968. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[8]

Climate

Main article: Climate of Iceland

The climate of Iceland's coast is cold oceanic. The climate of Iceland is cold oceanic ( Köppen climate classification: Cfc) near the coast and Tundra in the interior highlands An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes The warm North Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similar latitude in the world. The North Atlantic Current ( North Atlantic Drift and the North Atlantic Sea Movement) is a powerful warm Ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the The winters are mild and windy while the summers are damp and cool. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) Regions in the world with similar climate include the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego although these regions are closer to the equator. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic The Alaska Peninsula is a Peninsula extending about 800 km (500 miles to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. Tierra del Fuego ( Spanish for " Land of Fire " in English tiˈɛərə dɛl ˈfweɪgoʊ] Spanish ˈtjerað̞elˈfweɰo is an Archipelago Despite its proximity to the Arctic, the island's coasts remain ice-free through the winter. Ice incursions are rare, last having occurred on the north coast in 1969. ^[10]

There are some variations in the climate between different parts of the island. Very generally speaking, the south coast is warmer, wetter and windier than the north. Low-lying inland areas in the north are the most arid. Snowfall in winter is more common in the north than the south. The Central Highlands are the coldest part of the country. The Highlands of Iceland cover most of the interior of Iceland.

The highest air temperature recorded was 30. 5 °C (86. 9 °F) on 22 June 1939 at Teigarhorn on the south-eastern coast. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The lowest was -38 °C (-36. 4 °F) on 22 January 1918 at Grímsstaðir and Möðrudalur in the northeast hinterland. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The temperature records for Reykjavík are 24. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. 8 °C (76. 6 °F) on 11 August 2004, and -24. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 5 °C (-12. 1 °F) on 21 January 1918. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures (°C) (1961–1990)^[11]

Location	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec		All
Reykjavík[12]	1. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. 9	2. 8	3. 2	5. 7	9. 4	11. 7	13. 3	13. 0	10. 1	6. 8	3. 4	2. 2	High	7. 0
	-3. 0	-2. 1	-2. 0	0. 4	3. 6	6. 7	8. 3	7. 9	5. 0	2. 2	-1. 3	-2. 8	Low	1. 9
Akureyri[13]	0. Akureyri ( is a town in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth 9	1. 7	2. 1	5. 4	9. 5	13. 2	14. 5	13. 9	9. 9	5. 9	2. 6	1. 3	High	6. 7
	-5. 5	-4. 7	-4. 2	-1. 5	2. 3	6. 0	7. 5	7. 1	3. 5	0. 4	-3. 5	-5. 1	Low	0. 2

Flora and fauna

The short time since the last ice age, 10,000 years ago, has mostly prevented plants and animals from migrating to the island or evolving locally. The Icelandic sheep or Kind in Icelandic, is a breed of Domestic sheep. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 There are around 1,300 known species of insects in Iceland, which is rather low compared with other countries (about 925,000 are known in the world). Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described The only native land mammal when humans arrived was the arctic fox, which came to the island at the end of the ice age, walking over the frozen sea. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) also known as the White Fox or Snow Fox, is a small Fox native to cold Arctic regions of the There are no native reptiles or amphibians on the island. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and

Phytogeographically, Iceland belongs to the Arctic province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Phytogeography, also called geobotany is the branch of Biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of Plant Species, or more generally Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003jpg|thumb|right| Vaccinium vitis-idaea ]]Alnus-viridis Rhododendron-palustreJPG|thumb|right| Rhododendron tomentosum ]]The Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom ( Holarctis) is a Floristic kingdom According to the WWF, the territory of Iceland belongs to the ecoregion of Iceland boreal birch forests and alpine tundra. Approximately three-quarters of the island are barren of vegetation; plant life consists mainly of grassland which is regularly grazed by livestock. Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food The only tree native to Iceland is the northern birch Betula pubescens, which formerly formed forest over much of southern Iceland. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or Betula pubescens ( Downy Birch; also known as White Birch, European White Birch or Hairy Birch) is a species of Birch Permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem of thin, volcanic soils and limited species diversity. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber. Deforestation caused a loss of critical topsoil due to erosion, greatly reducing the ability of birches to grow back. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Today, only a few small birch stands exist in isolated reserves. The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but does not compare to the original forests. Some of the planted forests include new foreign species. An introduced species (also known as naturalized species or exotic species) is an Organism that is not indigenous to a given location but

The animals of Iceland include the Icelandic sheep, cattle, and the sturdy Icelandic horse. The Icelandic sheep or Kind in Icelandic, is a breed of Domestic sheep. Icelandic cattle are a breed of Cattle native to Iceland. Cattle originally came to Iceland with settlers around 1000 AD Many varieties of fish live in the ocean waters surrounding Iceland, and the fishing industry is a main contributor to Iceland’s economy, accounting for more than half of its total exports. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Wild mammals include the arctic fox, mink, mice, rats, rabbits and reindeer. The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) also known as the White Fox or Snow Fox, is a small Fox native to cold Arctic regions of the There are two living species of " mink," the American Mink and the European Mink. A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one Rats are various medium sized long-tailed Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Before and around the 1900s polar bears occasionally visited the island, traveling on icebergs from Greenland. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas Birds, especially sea birds, are a very important part of Iceland's animal life. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Puffins, skuas, and kittiwakes nest on its sea cliffs. Puffin describes any of four Auk species (or alcids) in the Bird genus Fratercula (Latin little brother — probably a reference Skuas are Seabirds in the family Stercorariidae. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America The kittiwakes ( Genus Rissa) are two closely related Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae the Black-legged Kittiwake Though Iceland no longer has a commercial whaling fleet (as of August, 2007) it still allows scientific whale hunts, which are not supported by the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The International Whaling Commission ( IWC) is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW, which

See also: Whaling in Iceland

See also: The Botany of Iceland

History

Main article: History of Iceland

Age of settlement

See also Settlement of Iceland and Icelandic Commonwealth. The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in

The first people thought to have inhabited Iceland were Irish monks or hermits who came in the eighth century, but left with the arrival of Norsemen, who systematically settled Iceland in the period circa AD 870-930. Irish and Scottish missionaries (Iro-Scottish Hiberno-Scottish were instrumental in the spread of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England and the A hermit (from the Greek ἔρημος erēmos, signifying " Desert " "uninhabited" hence "desert-dweller" adjective "eremitic" Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language The first known permanent Norse settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, who built his homestead in Reykjavík in 874. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Ingólfur was followed by many other emigrant settlers, largely Norsemen and their Irish slaves. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another By 930, most arable land had been claimed and the Althing, a legislative and judiciary parliament, was founded as the political hub of the Icelandic Commonwealth. The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in Christianity was adopted in 1000. Iceland converted to the Christian religion in 1000 AD In Icelandic, this event is known as the kristnitaka (literally "the taking of The Commonwealth lasted until 1262, when the political system devised by the original settlers proved unable to cope with the increasing power of Icelandic chieftains.

Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era

The internal struggles and civil strife of the Sturlung Era led to the signing of the Old Covenant, which brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown. The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (Icelandic Sturlungaöld) was a 42-44 year period of internal strife in mid 13th century Iceland For the theological use of Old Covenant see Mosaic Covenant, Covenant (biblical and Old Testament. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Possession of Iceland passed to Denmark-Norway in the late 14th century when the kingdoms of Norway and Denmark were united in the Kalmar Union. Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal In the ensuing centuries, Iceland became one of the poorest countries in Europe. Infertile soil, volcanic eruptions, and an unforgiving climate made for harsh life in a society whose subsistence depended almost entirely on agriculture. The Black Death swept Iceland in 1402–1404 and 1494–1495, each time killing approximately half the population. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia ^[14]

Around the middle of the 16th century, King Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on all his subjects. Jón Sigurðsson ( June 17, 1811 &ndash December 7, 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. Christian III ( August 12, 1503 &ndash January 1, 1559) king of Denmark and Norway, was the son of Frederick Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The last Catholic bishop in Iceland was beheaded in 1550, and the country subsequently became fully Lutheran. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Lutheranism has since remained the dominant religion. In the 1600s and 1700s, Denmark imposed harsh trade restrictions on Iceland, while pirates from England, Spain and Algeria raided its coasts. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's A great smallpox epidemic in the 18th century killed around one-third of the population. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. In Epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a ^[15][16] In 1783 the Laki volcano erupted, with devastating effects. Laki or Lakagígar ( Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure situated in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and The years following the eruption, known as the Mist Hardships (Icelandic: Móðuharðindin), saw the death of over half of all livestock in the country, with ensuing famine in which around a quarter of the population died. Móðuharðindin (literally The Mist Hardships) was a natural disaster in Iceland in the years 1783 - 1785 following the Volcanic eruption

Independence and recent history

In 1814, following the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via the Treaty of Kiel. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union The Treaty of Kiel was a settlement between Sweden and Denmark-Norway on January 14, 1814, whereby the Danish king a loser in the Iceland remained a Danish dependency. A new independence movement arose under the leadership of Jón Sigurðsson, inspired by the romantic and nationalist ideologies of mainland Europe. Jón Sigurðsson ( June 17, 1811 &ndash December 7, 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland home rule, which was expanded in 1904. The Act of Union, an agreement with Denmark signed on December 1, 1918, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state under the Danish king. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common During the last quarter of the 19th century many Icelanders emigrated to North America, largely Canada, in search of better living conditions. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Iceland during World War II joined Denmark in asserting neutrality. The state of Iceland during World War II was that of a sovereign Kingdom in Personal union with Denmark, with King Christian X as After the German occupation of Denmark on April 9, 1940, Iceland's parliament declared that the Icelandic government should assume the Danish king's authority and take control over foreign affairs and other matters previously handled by Denmark on behalf of Iceland. Nazi Germany’s occupation of Denmark began with Operation Weserübung 9 April 1940, and lasted until German forces withdrew Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A month later, British military forces occupied Iceland, violating Icelandic neutrality. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British Military operation conducted by the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines In 1941, responsibility for the occupation was taken over by the United States Army. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Allied occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War.

On December 31, 1943 the Act of Union agreement expired after 25 years. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Beginning on May 20, 1944, Icelanders voted in a four-day plebiscite on whether to terminate the union with Denmark and establish a republic. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A referendum was held in Iceland on 24 May 1944 There were two separate issues Whether to abolish the Union with Denmark. ^[17] The vote was 97% in favor of ending the union and 95% in favor of the new republican constitution. Iceland formally became an independent republic on June 17, 1944, with Sveinn Björnsson as the first President. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sveinn Björnsson (ˈsveitn̪ ˈpjœsːɔn ( 27 February 1881 &ndash 25 January 1952) son of Björn Jónsson (editor and later minister and The Allied occupation force left in 1946. Iceland became a member of NATO on March 30, 1949, amid domestic controversy and riots and on May 5, 1951, a defense agreement was signed with the United States. The North Atlantic Treaty Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Icelandic NATO riot of March 30 1949 is one of the most famous riots in Icelandic history Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January The United States of America —commonly referred to as the American troops returned to Iceland and remained throughout the Cold War until autumn 2006. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

The immediate post-war period was followed by substantial economic growth, driven by industrialization of the fishing industry, Marshall aid and Keynesian government management of the economies of Europe, all of which promoted trade. The Marshall Plan (from its enactment officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger In Economics Keynesian economics (ˈkeɪnziən also Keynesianism and Keynesian Theory) is based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist The 1970s were marked by the Cod Wars – several disputes with the United Kingdom over Iceland's extension of its fishing limits. The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The economy was greatly diversified and liberalized following Iceland's joining of the European Economic Area in 1992. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe

Government

Main article: Politics of Iceland

Iceland is a representative democracy and a parliamentary republic. Politics of Iceland takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Iceland Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The modern parliament, called "Alþingi" (English: Althing), was founded in 1845 as an advisory body to the Danish king. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe It was widely seen as a reestablishment of the assembly founded in 930 in the Commonwealth period and suspended in 1799. The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in It currently has sixty-three members, each of whom is elected every four years.

The president of Iceland is a largely ceremonial office that serves as a diplomat, figurehead and head of state, but who can also block a law voted by the parliament and put it to a national referendum. The President of Iceland (forseti Íslands is Iceland 's elected Head of state. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The current president is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson ( (born 14 May 1943) is the fifth and current President of Iceland. The head of government is the prime minister, who, together with the cabinet, takes care of the executive part of government. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. The cabinet is appointed by the president after general elections to Althing; however, this process is usually conducted by the leaders of the political parties, who decide among themselves after discussions which parties can form the cabinet and how its seats are to be distributed, under the condition that it has a majority support in Althing. Only when the party leaders are unable to reach a conclusion by themselves in reasonable time does the president exercise this power and appoint the cabinet himself. This has not happened since the republic was founded in 1944, but in 1942 the regent of the country (Sveinn Björnsson, who had been installed in that position by the Althing in 1941) did appoint a non-parliamentary government. Sveinn Björnsson (ˈsveitn̪ ˈpjœsːɔn ( 27 February 1881 &ndash 25 January 1952) son of Björn Jónsson (editor and later minister and The regent had, for all practical purposes, the position of a president, and Sveinn in fact became the country's first president in 1944.

The governments of Iceland have almost always been coalitions with two or more parties involved, due to the fact that no single political party has received a majority of seats in Althing in the republic period. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The extent of the political powers possessed by the office of the president is disputed by legal scholars in Iceland; several provisions of the constitution appear to give the president some important powers but other provisions and traditions suggest differently. In 1980, Icelanders elected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as president, the world's first directly elected female head of state. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir ( (born 15 April 1930) was the fourth president of Iceland, serving from 1980 to 1996 She retired from office in 1996.

Elections for the office of town councils, parliament and presidency are each held every four years. The next elections are scheduled for 2010, 2011 and 2008, respectively.

Subdivisions

Main article: Administrative and electoral divisions of Iceland

Iceland is divided into regions, constituencies, counties, and municipalities. The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or There are eight regions which are primarily used for statistical purposes; the district court jurisdictions also use an older version of this division. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority ^[1] Until 2003, the constituencies for the parliament elections were the same as the regions, but by an amendment to the constitution, they were changed to the current six constituencies:

• Reykjavík North and Reykjavík South (city regions);
• Southwest (four geographically separate suburban areas around Reykjavík);
• Northwest and Northeast (north half of Iceland, split); and,
• South (south half of Iceland, excluding Reykjavík and suburbs). Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament

The redistricting change was made in order to balance the weight of different districts of the country, since a vote cast in the sparsely populated areas around the country would count much more than a vote cast in the Reykjavík city area. The imbalance between districts has been reduced by the new system, but still exists. ^[1]

Iceland's twenty-three counties are, for the most part, historical divisions. Currently, Iceland is split up among twenty-six magistrates that represent government in various capacities. A magistrate is a judicial officer In Common law systems a magistrate usually has limited authority to administer and enforce the Law. Among their duties are running the local police (except in Reykjavík, where there is a special office of police commissioner), tax collection, administering bankruptcy declarations, and performing civil marriages. ^[1]

There are seventy-nine municipalities in Iceland which govern local matters like schools, transportation and zoning. These are the actual second-level subdivisions of Iceland, as the constituencies have no relevance except in elections and for statistical purposes. Examples of administrative divisions English terms In many of the following terms corresponding to British cultural influence areas of relatively low mean population Reykjavík is by far the most populous municipality, about four times more populous than Kópavogur, the second one. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Kópavogur is Iceland 's second largest town with a population of 30000 ^[1]

Regions of Iceland

Constituencies of Iceland

Counties of Iceland

Politics

Iceland has a left-right multi-party system. ||}There are eight regions of Iceland, mainly used for statistical purposes Iceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi (parliament |||} Iceland is traditionally divided into 23 counties, sýslur, and 25 independent towns kaupstaðir. Left-right politics or the Left-right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions political ideologies, or political parties A multi-party system is a system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition The biggest party is the right wing Independence Party (’’Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn’’), while the second largest one is the social democratic Alliance (‘’Samfylkingin’’). In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The Independence Party ( Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is a Right-wing Political party in Iceland. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left The Social Democratic Alliance ( Samfylkingin) is a Political party in Iceland. Following the May 2007 parliamentary elections, these two formed a coalition, enjoying a strong majority in Althing, with 43 out of 63 members supporting it. The 2007 Icelandic general elections were held on 12 May, 2007.

Other political parties that have a seat in Althing are the centrist Progressive Party (‘’Framsóknarflokkurinn’’), which had been in government with the Independence Party for 12 years before the 2007 election, the Left-Green Movement (‘’Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð’’), founded in 1999, and the Centre-right Liberal Party. In Politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting Moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes The Progressive Party ( Framsóknarflokkurinn) is an agrarian, liberal and centrist party in Iceland. The Left-Green Movement ( Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð) is a Left-wing, socialist, environmentalist, feminist and Eco-socialist The centre-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think tanks whose views The Liberal Party is an Icelandic Centre-right political party Many other parties exist on the municipal level, most of which only run locally in a single municipality.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Iceland

Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with practically all nations, but its ties with the Nordic countries, Germany, the US, and with the other NATO nations are particularly close. Iceland maintains diplomatic and commercial relations with practically all nations but its ties with Norway and other Nordic states, Germany, with the The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The North Atlantic Treaty Icelanders remain especially proud of the role Iceland played in hosting the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Reykjavík, which set the stage for the end of the Cold War. The Reykjavik Summit was a summit meeting between US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, held in the famous house of Höfði Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Iceland's principal historical international disputes involved disagreements over fishing rights. Conflict with Britain led to the so-called Cod Wars in 1952-1956 because of extension of Fishing zone from 3 to 4 nautical miles (6 to 7 km), 1958-1961 because of extending the fishing zone to 12 nautical miles (22 km) in 1972-1973 because of extension to 50 nautical miles (93 km) and in 1975 to 1976 because of extension to 200 nautical miles (370 km). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Cod Wars, also called the Iceland Cod Wars ( Icelandic: Þorskastríðin, "the cod wars" or Landhelgisstríðin, "the

Iceland has no standing army. History See also Military history of Iceland In the period from the settlement of Iceland in the 870s until it became part of the realm of the Norwegian The U.S. Air Force maintained four to six interceptors at the Keflavík base, until 30 September 2006 when they were withdrawn. United States Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Iceland supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq despite much controversy and condemnation in Iceland, deploying an Coast Guard EOD team to Iraq which was replaced later by member of the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia The Icelandic Coast Guard is the armed service responsible for Iceland's coastal defense and maritime search and rescue Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe The Icelandic Crisis Response Unit ( ICRU) or Íslenska Friðargæslan, is an 100-person expeditionary Iceland has also participated in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (code-named Operation Allied Force) was NATO 's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Iceland

Citizenship of Iceland residents (1. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norwegian settlers and Celts from Ireland and Scotland, brought over as slaves during the age of settlement 1. 2008) ^[18]

Total	313,376
Iceland	291,942
Poland	8,488
Lithuania	1,332
Germany	984
Denmark	966
Portugal	890
Philippines	743
Ex-Yugoslavia	651
United States	598
Thailand	545
Latvia	431
United Kingdom	420
Sweden	407
China (PRC)	379
Ex-Czechoslovakia	365
Norway	301
others	3,934
total (without Icelanders)	21,434

The original population of Iceland was of Nordic and Celtic origin. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts This is evident by literary evidence from the settlement period as well as from later scientific studies such as blood type and genetic analysis. A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of Blood based on the presence or absence of inherited Antigenic substances on the Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is One such genetics study has indicated that the majority of the male settlers were of Nordic origin while the majority of the women were of Celtic origin. ^[19]

Iceland has extensive genealogical records dating back to the late 1600s and fragmentary records extending back to the Age of Settlement. The Greater Reykjavík area ( Icelandic: Höfuðborgarsvæðið meaning "the capital district" is the Metropolitan area of the Icelandic The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. The biopharmaceutical company deCODE Genetics has funded the creation of a genealogy database which attempts to cover all of Iceland's known inhabitants. deCODE genetics Inc ( Íslensk erfðagreining in Icelandic is a biopharmaceutical company based in Reykjavík, Iceland. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of A Computer Database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system It sees the database, called Íslendingabók, as a valuable tool for conducting research on genetic diseases, given the relative isolation of Iceland's population.

The population of the island is believed to have varied from 40,000 to 60,000 in the period from initial settlement until the mid-19th century. During that time, cold winters, ashfall from volcanic eruptions, and bubonic plagues adversely affected the population several times. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as The first census was carried out in 1703 and revealed that the population was then 50,358. After the destructive volcanic eruptions of the Laki volcano during 1783–1784 the population reached a low of about 40,000. Laki or Lakagígar ( Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure situated in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and Improving living conditions triggered a rapid increase in population since the mid-19th century - from about 60,000 in 1850 to 316,000 in 2008.

In December 2007, 33,678 people (13. 5% of the total population) who were living in Iceland had been born abroad, including children of Icelandic parents living abroad. 19,000 people (6% of the population) held foreign citizenship. Poles make up the far largest minority nationality (see table on the right for more details), and still form the bulk of the foreign workforce. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. About 9,000 Poles now live in Iceland, 1,500 of them in Reyðarfjörður where they make up 75 percent of the workforce who are building the Fjarðarál aluminium plant. [2]. The recent surge in immigration has been credited to a labor shortage because of the booming economy while restrictions on the movement of people from the Eastern European countries that joined the EU/EEA in 2004 have been lifted. In its narrowest definition a labor shortage is an economic condition in which there are insufficient qualified candidates (employees to fill the market-place demands The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe Large-scale construction projects in the east of Iceland (see Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project) have also brought in many people whose stay is expected to be temporary. The Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project, located at, involves Damming two rivers in eastern Iceland —the Jökulsá í Fljótsdal source to the famous "Milky Lake"

The south-west corner of Iceland is the most densely populated region, It is also the location of the capital Reykjavík, the northernmost capital in the world. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. The largest towns outside the greater Reykjavík area are Akureyri and Reykjanesbær. The Greater Reykjavík area ( Icelandic: Höfuðborgarsvæðið meaning "the capital district" is the Metropolitan area of the Icelandic Akureyri ( is a town in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth Reykjanesbær is a municipality on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, it is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and

10 most populous towns in Iceland

List of ten most populous towns in Iceland. The population census is April 1, 2008 (estimate). Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

• Reykjavík - 118,861
• Kópavogur - 30,000
• Hafnarfjörður - 25,107
• Akureyri - 17,304
• Reykjanesbær - 13,686
• Garðabær - 10. For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Kópavogur is Iceland 's second largest town with a population of 30000 For water inlet see Fjord. Hafnarfjörður or Hafnarfjordur is a port town located on the south-west Akureyri ( is a town in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban area after Greater Reykjavík area but is the fourth Reykjanesbær is a municipality on the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, it is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and 139
• Mosfellsbær - 8,317
• Árborg - 7,693
• Akranes - 6,419
• Fjarðabyggð - 5,000

Language

Main article: Icelandic language

Iceland's official written and spoken language is Icelandic, a North Germanic language descended from Old Norse. Mosfellsbær is a town in western Iceland, situated some 106 miles (17 km north of the country’s capital Reykjavík. For the Canadian town of Arborg see Arborg Manitoba Árborg is the biggest municipality in southern Iceland History The town started to form in the 19th century as a fishing village and in 1942 it was formally chartered and in the following years experienced the biggest surge in population Fjarðabyggð is a municipality located in Eastern Iceland, in Austurland. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age It has changed less from Old Norse than the other Nordic languages, has preserved more verb and noun inflection, and has to a considerable extent developed new vocabulary based on native roots rather than borrowings from English. In Grammar, inflection or inflexion is the way language handles grammatical relations and relational categories such as tense, mood, voice It is the only living language to retain the runic letter Þ. Î, î ( I - Circumflex) is a letter of Kurdish and Romanian language. The closest living language to Icelandic is Faroese. Faroese ( føroyskt ˈføːɹɪst or) often also spelled Faeroese (cf In education, the use of Icelandic Sign Language for Iceland's deaf community is regulated by the National Curriculum Guide. The Icelandic sign language (íslenskt táknmál is the Sign language of the Deaf community in Iceland. The legal recognition of sign languages is one of the major concerns of the international Deaf community

English is widely spoken as a secondary language, and many Icelanders speak it at an almost native level. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Danish is also widely understood. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Studying both these languages is a mandatory part of the compulsory school curriculum. ^[20] Other commonly spoken languages are German, Norwegian and Swedish. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Danish is mostly spoken in a way largely comprehensible to Swedes and Norwegians – it is often referred to as "Scandinavian" in Iceland.

In addition to Icelandic, many immigrants speak their respective native languages.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Iceland

Icelanders enjoy freedom of religion under the constitution, though there is no separation of church and state. Religion in Iceland was initially the Norse paganism that was commonly believed by Vikings (from 874 to 1000 Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance The Constitution of Iceland is the supreme law of Iceland. The current constitution was first instituted on June 17 1944; since then it has been amended Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate The National Church of Iceland, a Lutheran body, is the state church. The National Church of Iceland, or Þjóðkirkjan, formally called the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, is the State church in Iceland Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially The national registry keeps account of the religious affiliation of every Icelandic citizen. In 2005, Icelanders divided into religious groups as follows:^[21]

• 82. 1% members of the National Church of Iceland.
• 4. 7% members of the Free Lutheran Churches of Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður.
• 2. 6% not members of any religious group.
• 2. 4% members of the Roman Catholic Church, which has a Diocese of Reykjavík (see also Bishop of Reykjavik (Catholic))
• 5. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík is a Diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church which covers the whole of the country of Iceland The Christianization of Iceland The Norsemen who settled in Iceland from the end of the ninth century were pagans and it was one of the functions of their chieftains called goði 5% members of unregistered religious organisations or with no specified religious affiliation

The remaining 2. 7% is mostly divided between around 20–25 other Christian denominations and sects, and less than 1% are in non-Christian religious organisations. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The largest non-Christian denomination is Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið, a neopagan group. The Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið "Icelandic fellowship of Æsir faith ( Ásatrú)" is an Icelandic neopagan New religious movement Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical ^[22]

Religious attendance is relatively low, like in other Nordic countries as the previous statistics represent administrative membership of religious organizations and not the actual belief demographics of the population of Iceland.

Economy and infrastructure

Main article: Economy of Iceland

Iceland is the fourth most productive country in the world by nominal gross domestic product per capita (54,858 USD), and the fifth most productive by GDP at purchasing power parity (40,112 USD). This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. Except for its abundant hydro-electric and geothermal power, Iceland lacks natural resources; historically its economy depended heavily on the fishing industry, which still provides almost 40% of export earnings and employs 8% of the work force. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth and therme, meaning heat is energy generated by heat stored in the earth or the collection For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. The economy is vulnerable to declining fish stocks and drops in world prices for its main material exports: fish and fish products, aluminium, and ferrosilicon. WikipediaNaming Ferrosilicon, or ferrosilicium, is a Ferroalloy an alloy of Iron and Silicon with between 15 and 90% silicon Although the Icelandic economy still relies heavily on fishing, its importance is diminishing as the travel industry and other service, technology and various other industries grow. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Economic growth slowed from 2000 to 2002, but the economy expanded by 4. 3% in 2003 and 6. 2% in 2004. The unemployment rate of ~1. 0% (2007 est. ) is among the lowest in the European Economic Area. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe

Although Iceland is a very developed country, it is still one of the most newly-industrialized ones in Europe. Until the 20th century, it was probably the poorest country in Western Europe. The fast economic growth that it has experienced in the last decades is only recently allowing for upgrading of infrastructure such as transportation. The government coalition plans to continue its generally neo-liberal policies of reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatising state-owned industries. Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, including software production, biotechnology, and financial services. Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale Biotechnology is Technology based on Biology, especially when used in Agriculture, Food science, and Medicine. The tourism sector is expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale-watching. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas Iceland's agriculture industry consists mainly of potatoes, turnips, green vegetables (in greenhouses), mutton and dairy products. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae For similar vegetables also called "turnip" see Turnip (disambiguation. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep ^[23] The financial center is Borgartún in Reykjavik, hosting a large number of companies and three investment banks. Borgartún is a street in Reykjavík, Iceland that has in the recent years become the city's financial district Investment banks profit from companies and governments by raising money through issuing and selling Securities in the Capital markets (both equity and Iceland's stock market, the Iceland Stock Exchange (ISE), was established in 1985. A stock market, or (equity market is a private or public market for the trading of company Stock and derivatives of company Iceland Stock Exchange (Kauphöll Íslands or ICEX was established in 1985 as a joint venture of several banks and brokerage firms on the initiative of the central

The primary currency of Iceland is the Icelandic Króna (ISK). The króna (plural krónur) ( sign: kr; code: ISK) is the Currency of Iceland. Iceland's then foreign minister Valgerður Sverrisdóttir said in an interview on 15 January 2007 that she seriously wished to look into whether Iceland can join the Euro without being a member of the EU. Valgerður Sverrisdóttir (born March 23, 1950) is an Icelandic politician Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in She believes it is difficult to maintain an independent currency in a small economy on the open European market. The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe ^[24] An extensive poll, released on 11 September 2007, by Capacent Gallup showed that 53% of respondents were in favour of adopting the euro, 37% opposed and 10% undecided. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ^[25]

Iceland ranked 5th in the Index of Economic Freedom 2006 and 14th in 2008. The Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation to measure the degree of Economic freedom Iceland has a flat tax system. A flat tax (short for flat rate tax is a Tax system with a constant tax rate The main personal income tax rate is a flat 22. 75 percent and combined with municipal taxes the total tax rate is not more than 35. 72%, and there are many deductions. ^[26] The corporate tax rate is a flat 18 percent, one of the lowest in the world. Corporate tax refers to a Tax levied by various jurisdictions on the Profits made by companies or associations. ^[26] Other taxes include a value-added tax and a net wealth tax. Value added tax ( VAT) or goods and services tax ( GST) is a consumption Tax levied on value added. Because of the broad term "wealth" Property tax, capital transfer taxes ( Inheritance tax, Estate tax, Gift tax) Endowment tax Employment regulations are relatively flexible. Property rights are strong and Iceland is one of the few countries where they are applied to fishery management. ^[26] Taxpayers pay various subsidies to each other, similar to European countries with welfare state, but the spending is less than in most European countries. This article refers specifically to the Welfare state of the United Kingdom. Despite low tax rates, overall taxation and consumption is still much higher than countries such as Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world According to OECD, agricultural support is the highest among OECD countries and an impediment to structural change. Also, health care and education spending have relatively poor return by OECD measures. OECD Economic survey of Iceland 2008 highlights Iceland's challenges in currency and macroeconomic policy. ^[27]

Iceland is the most developed society in the world, ranked first on the United Nations’ Human Development Index. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Icelanders are the second longest-living nation with a life expectancy at birth of 81. 8 years. Iceland is one of the most egalitarian countries in the world, according to the calculation provided by the Gini coefficient. Egalitarianism (derived from the French word égal, meaning equal) is a political doctrine that holds that all people should be treated as equals and have This is a list of countries or dependencies by Income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients according to the United Nations (UN and the

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Iceland

The social structure of Iceland is very dependent upon the personal automobile. The modes of transport in Iceland are governed by the country’s rugged Terrain and unfavourable Weather conditions Icelanders have one of the highest levels of cars per capita: on average one car per inhabitant older than 17 years,^[28]. Most Icelanders travel by car to work, school or other activities.

The main mode of transport in Iceland is road. Iceland has 13,034 km of administered roads, of which 4,617 km are paved and 8,338 km are not. Until the second half of the 20th century, Iceland could only afford to pave roads near the biggest towns. Today, roads are being improved throughout the country and freeways are being built in and around Reykjavík. Iceland currently has no railways.

Route 1 or the Ring Road (Icelandic: Þjóðvegur 1 or Hringvegur) is a main road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all inhabited parts (the interior of the island is uninhabited). Route 1 or the Ring Road ( Icelandic: Þjóðvegur 1 or Hringvegur is a main Road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all The road is 1339 km long (840 miles). It has one lane in each direction, except near larger towns and cities and in the Hvalfjörður Tunnel where it has more lanes. Hvalfjörður Tunnel ( Hvalfjarðargöng in Icelandic) is a road Tunnel under the Hvalfjörður fjord in Iceland and a part of the Hringvegur Most smaller bridges on it are single lane and made of wood and/or steel. Most of the road's length is paved with asphalt, but some stretches in the east still have a gravel surface. Asphalt ( is a sticky black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude Petroleums and in some natural deposits sometimes termed asphaltum Gravel is rock that is of a specific Particle size range In Geology, gravel is any loose rock that is larger than two millimeters (2mm

The main hub for international transportation is Keflavík International Airport, which serves Reykjavík and the country in general. Keflavík International Airport (Keflavíkurflugvöllur is the largest Airport in Iceland and the country’s main hub for international transportation It is 48km (30mi) to the west of Reykjavík. Domestic and regional flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands operate out of Reykjavík Airport, which lies in the city centre. Reykjavík Airport ( Icelandic: Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, is the chiefly domestic airport serving Reykjavík, Iceland. There are 86 airport runways in Iceland; most of them are unpaved and located in rural areas.

Energy

See also: Renewable energy in Iceland

Renewable energy provides over 70% of the nation's primary energy. Renewable energy in Iceland has supplied over 70% of Iceland 's Primary energy needs since 1999 — proportionally more than any other country Renewable energy is Energy generated from Natural resources mdashsuch as Sunlight, Wind, Rain, tides and geothermal ^[29] Over 99% of the country's electricity is produced from hydropower and geothermal energy, and the country expects to be energy-independent by 2050. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth and therme, meaning heat is energy generated by heat stored in the earth or the collection ^[30] Iceland's largest geothermal power plant is located in Nesjavellir, while the Kárahnjúkar dam will be the country's largest hydroelectric power plant. Nesjavellir is the largest Geothermal power plant in Iceland. The Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project, located at, involves Damming two rivers in eastern Iceland —the Jökulsá í Fljótsdal source to the famous "Milky Lake"

Yet, Icelanders still emit 10. 0 tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gasses per capita, higher than France or Spain. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared This is due to the wide use of personal transport. Iceland is the only country that has filling stations dispensing hydrogen fuel for cars powered by fuel cells. Hydrogen (ˈhaɪdrədʒən is the Chemical element with Atomic number 1 A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device It produces electricity from Fuel (on the Anode side and an oxidant (on the It is also one of only a few countries currently capable of producing hydrogen in adequate quantities at reasonable cost, because of Iceland's plentiful geothermal energy. Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth and therme, meaning heat is energy generated by heat stored in the earth or the collection

Education, science, and technology

See also: Education in Iceland

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is responsible for the policies and methods that schools must use, and they issue the National Curriculum Guidelines. The system of education in Iceland is divided in four levels playschool compulsory upper secondary and higher and is similar to that of other Scandinavian countries. The Ministry of Education Science and Culture (Menntamálaráðuneyti is an Icelandic government office divided into three departments the Department of Education the Department of However, the playschools and the primary and lower secondary schools are funded and administered by the municipalities.

Nursery school or leikskóli, is non-compulsory education for children younger than six years, and is the first step in the education system. A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than The current legislation concerning playschools was passed in 1994. Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing They are also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum is suitable so as to make the transition into compulsory education as easy as possible. Compulsory education is Education which children are required by law to receive and governments to provide

Compulsory education, or grunnskóli, comprises primary and lower secondary education, which often is conducted at the same institution. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. Australia See also Education Education is mandatory by law for children aged from 6 to 16 years. The school year lasts nine months, and begins between 21 August and 1 September, ending between 31 May and 10 June. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem The minimum number of school days is 170, but after a new teachers’ wage contract, this will increase to 180. Lessons take place five days a week. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks the Icelandic secondary education as the 27th in the world, significantly below the OECD average. [3]

Upper secondary education or framhaldsskóli follows lower secondary education. Australia See also Education These schools are also known as gymnasia in English. A gymnasium (pronounced with ɡ- in several languages is a type of school providing Secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar It is not compulsory, but everyone who has had a compulsory education has the right to upper secondary education. This stage of education is governed by the Upper Secondary School Act of 1996. All schools in Iceland are mixed sex schools.

Iceland is a very technologically advanced society. By 1999, 82. 3% of Icelanders had access to a computer. ^[31] Iceland also had 1,007 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people in 2006, the 16th highest in the world. ^[32]

Iceland is home to European Mars Analog Research Station. The European Mars Analogue Research Station (Euro-MARS is the third in the Mars Society 's Analogue Research Stations

Culture

Main article: Culture of Iceland

Icelandic culture has its roots in Norse traditions. The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which stems from Authors from the 12th to 14th centuries Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas which were written around the time of the island’s settlement. Icelandic literature refers to literature written in Iceland or by Icelandic people The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing This page refers to the Eddur poems and tales of Norse Mythology The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. Icelanders place relatively great importance on independence and self-sufficiency; in a European Commission public opinion analysis over 85% of Icelanders found independence to be "very important" contrasted with the EU25 average of 53%, and 47% for the Norwegians, and 49% for the Danes. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid support or interaction for survival it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy. Norwegians See also History of Norway and Demography of Norway. The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants ^[33]

Some traditional beliefs remain today; for example, some Icelanders either believe in elves or are unwilling to rule out their existence. An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming ^[34] Iceland ranks first on the Human Development Index, and was recently ranked the fourth happiest country in the world. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP ^[35]

Iceland is liberal in terms of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) matters. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual In 1996, Parliament passed legislation to create registered partnerships for same-sex couples, covering nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. Registered partnership is one of several terms synonymous with a Civil union or Civil partnership similar to Marriage, typically created in order to provide NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** In 2006, by unanimous vote of Parliament, further legislation was passed, granting same-sex couples the same rights as different-sex couples in adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment.

Literature and the arts

Main articles: Icelandic literature and Art of Iceland

Iceland's best-known classical works of literature are the Icelanders' sagas, prose epics set in Iceland's age of settlement. The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing The most famous of these include Njáls saga, about an epic blood feud, and Grœnlendinga saga and Eiríks saga, describing the discovery and settlement of Greenland and Vinland (modern Newfoundland). Njáls saga (also known as "Brennu-Njáls saga" or "The Story of the burning of Njáll") is arguably the most famous of the Sagas of Grœnlendinga saga or the Saga of the Greenlanders is an Icelandic saga. Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Vinland was the name given to an area of North America by the Norseman Leifr Eiríksson, about the year A Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Egils saga, Laxdæla saga, Grettis saga, Gísla saga and Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu are also notable and popular Icelanders' sagas. Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga possibly by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241 AD who may have written the account between the years 1220 and Laxdœla saga is the saga of the clan /family of Laxárdalur. Grettis saga (also known as Grettla, Grettir's Saga or The Saga of Grettir the Strong) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. Gísla saga Súrssonar (Gisli Sursson's Saga is one of the Sagas of Icelanders, written between 1270-1320 A Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu or the Saga of Gunnlaugr Serpent-Tongue is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing

A great translation of the Bible was published in the 16th century. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Important compositions since the 15th to the 19th century include sacred verse, most famously the Passíusálmar of Hallgrímur Pétursson, and rímur, rhymed epic poems with alliterative verse that consist in two to four verses per stanza, popular until the end of the 19th century. This article is about the poetic technique For the form of ice see Rime ice. In recent times, Iceland has produced many great writers, the best-known of which is arguably Halldór Laxness who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955. Halldór Kiljan Laxness ( (born Halldór Guðjónsson) ( April 23, 1902 — February 8, 1998) was a 20th century Icelandic The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred Steinn Steinarr was an influential modernist poet. Steinn Steinarr (born Aðalsteinn Kristmundsson, October 13, 1908 – May 25, 1958) was an Icelandic poet

The distinctive rendition of the Icelandic landscape by its painters can be linked to nationalism and the movement to home rule and independence, which was very active in this period. This article is about the history of Iceland and the areas comprising modern day Iceland.

Contemporary Icelandic painting is typically traced to the work of Þórarinn Þorláksson, who, following formal training in art in the 1890s in Copenhagen, returned to Iceland to paint and exhibit works from 1900 to his death in 1924, almost exclusively portraying the Icelandic landscape. Þórarinn B Þorláksson ( February 14, 1867 &ndash July 10, 1924) was one of Iceland 's first contemporary painters the first Icelander Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Several other Icelandic men and women artists learned in Denmark Academy at that time, including Ásgrímur Jónsson, who together with Þórarinn created a distinctive portrayal of Iceland's landscape in a romantic naturalistic style. Ásgrímur Jónsson (1876 &ndash 1958 was an Icelandic painter Other landscape artists quickly followed in the footsteps of Þórarinn and Ásgrímur. These included Jóhannes Kjarval and Júlíana Sveinsdóttir. Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval ( 15 October 1885 - 13 April 1972) was an Icelandic painter. Júlíana Sveinsdóttir (1889-1966 was one of Iceland's first woman painters and Textile artists Sveinsdóttir spent much of her working life in Denmark Kjarval in particular is noted for the distinct techniques in the application of paint that he developed in a concerted effort to render the characteristic volcanic rock that dominates the Icelandic environment. Volcanic rock is an Igneous rock of volcanic origin Texture Volcanic rocks are usually fine-grained or Aphanitic to glassy in Einar Hákonarson is an expressionistic and figurative painter who brought the figure back into Icelandic painting. Einar Hákonarson (b 14th of January 1945 Reykjavík, Iceland) is one of Iceland's best known artists

Icelandic architecture draws from Scandinavian influences. The architecture of Iceland draws from Scandinavian influences and traditionally was influenced by the lack of native Trees on the Island Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The scarcity of native trees resulted in traditional houses being covered by grass and turf. Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include

Music

Main article: Music of Iceland

Icelandic music is related to Nordic music, and includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, including medieval music group Voces Thules, alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, singers Björk and Emiliana Torrini; and Sigur Rós. The music of Iceland is related to Nordic music forms and includes vibrant folk and pop traditions including medieval music group Voces Thules Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Voces Thules was formed in the year 1992 The ensemble consists of six male singers (Sverrir Guðjónsson Sigurður Halldórsson Guðlaugur Viktorsson Einar Jóhannesson Eiríkur Hreinn The Sugarcubes ( Sykurmolarnir in Icelandic) were an Icelandic Alternative rock band formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992 Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965 is an Icelandic Singer-songwriter, Composer, actress and music producer. Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir (born May 16, 1977) is an Icelandic Singer, best known for her 1999 album Love in the Time of Sigur Rós ( are an Icelandic Post-rock band with melodic classical and minimalist elements The national anthem of Iceland is "Lofsöngur", written by Matthías Jochumsson, with music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson . A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's " Lofsöngur " ( English: " Hymn " also known as " Ó Guð vors lands " ( English: "O God of Our Land" is Matthías Jochumsson (1835&ndash1920 was an Icelandic Poet, Playwright, and Translator. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson (1847 - 1927 was an Icelandic composer best known for composing Lofsöngur, the National Anthem of Iceland ^[36]

Traditional Icelandic music is strongly religious. Hallgrímur Pétursson wrote many Protestant hymns in the 17th century. Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 &ndash October 27 1674) was one of Iceland 's most famous poets and a minister at Hvalneskirkja and Saurbær Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Icelandic music was modernized in the 19th century, when Magnús Stephensen brought pipe organs, which were followed by harmoniums. The pipe organ is a Musical instrument that produces sound when pressurized air (wind is driven through a series of pipes, controlled by a keyboard A harmonium is a free-standing musical keyboard instrument similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe Organ

Other vital traditions of Icelandic music are epic alliterative and rhyming ballads called rímur. In Icelandic literature, a ríma (literally "a rhyme" pl Rímur are epic tales, usually a cappella, which can be traced back to skaldic poetry, using complex metaphors and elaborate rhyme schemes. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic The best known rímur poet of the 19th century was Sigurður Breiðfjörð (1798-1846). Sigurður Breiðfjörð (1798 &ndash 1846 was an Icelandic poet A modern revitalization of the tradition began in 1929 with the formation of the organization Iðunn . ^[37]

Icelandic contemporary music consists of a big group of bands, ranging from pop-rock groups such as Bang Gang, Quarashi and Amiina to solo ballad singers like Bubbi Morthens, Megas and Björgvin Halldórsson. Pop rock is a hybrid of Pop music and Rock music that uses catchy pop style with light lyrics over top of guitar-based songs Bang Gang is a band from Iceland. Bang Gang is often the musical alias of songwriter/producer Barði Jóhannsson who formed the band and lives in Reykjavík Quarashi was a rap /hip-hop group from Reykjavík, Iceland. It was composed of Hössi Ólafsson (replaced by Tiny (real name Egill Olafur amiina (formerly Amína and Aníma) is an Icelandic musical quartet comprised of Hildur Ársælsdóttir Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir Maria Huld Markan Bubbi Morthens (born June 6, 1956 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is one of the most beloved Singers and Songwriters in This article contains Icelandic characters For more information see Icelandic language - Megas (born Björgvin Helgi Halldórsson (Alternate names Bó Halldorsson, Björgvin Halldórsson or Bó) (born April 16, 1951) is an Icelandic The indie-scene is also very strong in Iceland, bands such as Múm, Sigur Rós and the solo artist Mugison are fairly well-known outside Iceland. In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous múm (pronounced [muːm], "moom" are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is Sigur Rós ( are an Icelandic Post-rock band with melodic classical and minimalist elements Mugison (or Örn Elías Guðmundsson) is an Icelandic musician and singer who originally performed as a One-man band using a guitar and computer but now

Many Icelandic artists and bands have had great success internationally, most notably Björk and Sigur Rós but also Quarashi, Ampop, Mínus and múm. Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965 is an Icelandic Singer-songwriter, Composer, actress and music producer. Sigur Rós ( are an Icelandic Post-rock band with melodic classical and minimalist elements Quarashi was a rap /hip-hop group from Reykjavík, Iceland. It was composed of Hössi Ólafsson (replaced by Tiny (real name Egill Olafur Ampop is an Icelandic melodic-pop/rock band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Mínus is an Icelandic Alternative rock / hardcore band from Reykjavík. múm (pronounced [muːm], "moom" are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is The main music festival is arguably Iceland Airwaves, a yearly event on the Icelandic music scene, where Icelandic bands along with foreign ones occupy the clubs of Reykjavík for a week. Iceland Airwaves is an annual Music festival held in Reykjavík, Iceland on the third weekend of October For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area.

Media

See also: Media in Iceland and cinema of Iceland

Iceland’s largest television stations are the state-run Sjónvarpið and the privately owned Stöð 2 and Skjár einn. The media in Iceland is well-developed for a country of its size Iceland has had a notable cinema industry for some time Major actors include Ingvar E A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and Video to Television receivers in a particular area Sjónvarpið ( English: The Television) is the television channel of the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service ( RÚV) launched in 1966 Stöð 2 ( English: Channel 2) is an Icelandic Television channel of 365 corporation founded in 1986. SkjárEinn ( Icelandic meaning "Screen One" is an Icelandic television channel owned by Iceland Telecom. Smaller stations exist, many of them local. Radio is broadcast throughout the country, including some parts of the interior. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. The main radio stations are Rás 1, Rás 2 and Bylgjan. Rás 1 ( English: Channel 1) is an Icelandic radio station of RÚV, the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service Rás 2 ( English: Channel 2) is an Icelandic radio station of RÚV, the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service The daily newspapers are Morgunblaðið, Fréttablaðið and 24 stundir. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Morgunblaðið ( The Morning Paper) is a Newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen. Fréttablaðið (English The Newspaper) is the Icelandic Newspaper with the largest circulation 24 stundir ( 24 hours) was the third largest daily newspaper in Iceland, first published in May 2005 Icelanders are a very technologically advanced nation and a large proportion of them keep a blog. A blog (a contraction of the term " Web log " is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary descriptions of The most popular websites are the news sites Vísir and Mbl.is. Morgunblaðið ( The Morning Paper) is a Newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen. ^[38]

Iceland is home to the television station Nick Jr.'s animated program LazyTown (Icelandic: Latibær), a children's television program created by Magnús Scheving. This article is about the US television block of programming on Nickelodeon. LazyTown is an Icelandic children's television program (where it is known as Latibær) that features a cast and crew from Iceland the United Magnús Örn Scheving (pronounced /skivɪŋ/) (born 10 November 1964) is a Writer, producer, Entrepreneur, Comedian It has become a very popular program for children and adults, and is shown in over 98 countries, including the UK, Canada, Sweden, the US and Latin America. ^[39] The LazyTown Studios are located in Garðabær.

Cuisine

Main articles: Cuisine of Iceland and Þorramatur

Most national Icelandic foods are based around fish, lamb and dairy products. Important parts of Icelandic cuisine are fish being in an area where fish is plentiful lamb and Dairy. Þorramatur (Thorramatur food of the þorri) is a selection of traditional Icelandic food, consisting mainly Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal Milk &mdashmostly from goats or cows, but also from buffalo, Sheep Þorramatur is a national food consisting of many dishes and is usually consumed around the month of Þorri. Þorramatur (Thorramatur food of the þorri) is a selection of traditional Icelandic food, consisting mainly The month is a unit of Time, used with Calendars which is approximately as long as some natural period related to the motion of the Moon; Traditional dishes include skyr, cured ram scrota, cured shark, singed sheep heads and black pudding. Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product, a type of fresh cheese that has been strained like Bulgarian yoghurt In some Male Mammals the scrotum - also 'scrutum' or 'scrootum' - is a protuberance of Skin and Muscle containing the Testicles Sharks ( Superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of Fish with a full cartilaginous Skeleton and a highly streamlined body Black pudding or (less often blood pudding is a British English term for Sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal

The modern Icelandic diet is very diverse, and includes cuisines from all over the world. Like in other Western societies, fast food restaurants are widespread. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly

Sports

Main article: Sport in Iceland

Sport is an important part of the Icelandic culture. Sports in Iceland are very popular Though changing in the past years Icelanders remain a very healthy nation The main traditional sport in Iceland is Glíma, a form of wrestling, thought to have originated in medieval times. Glíma is the Icelandic national style of amateur Folk wrestling.

Children and teenagers participate in various leisure activities. Popular sports are football, track and field, handball and basketball. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Others are golf, tennis, swimming, chess and horseback riding on Icelandic horses. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Team handball is often referred to as a national sport, Iceland's team is one of the top-ranked teams in the world, and Icelandic women are surprisingly good at football compared to the size of the country, the national team ranked the 18th best by FIFA. Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six The Iceland national handball team is the national handball team of Iceland and is controlled by the Icelandic Handball Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) Iceland has excellent conditions for ice and rock climbing, although mountain climbing and hiking is preferred by the general public. “Alpinist” redirects here See also Alpinist (magazine Mountaineering is the Sport, Hobby or Profession of The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries but there are differences in usage Iceland also has the most Strongman competition wins.

The oldest sport association in Iceland is the Reykjavik Shooting Association, founded 1867. Rifle shooting became very popular in the 19th century and was heavily encouraged by politicians and others pushing for Icelandic independence. The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of proficiency (accuracy and speed using various types of Guns such as Firearms and Airguns Shooting remains popular and all types of shooting with small arms is practised in the country. Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of ^[40]

See also

Main lists: List of basic Iceland topics and List of Iceland-related articles

References

External links

• Gateway to Iceland
• Government Offices of Iceland
• Wikimedia Atlas of Iceland
• Iceland travel guide from Wikitravel
• Wikia has a wiki on this subject at World Wikia: Iceland
• Iceland at the Open Directory Project
• New Iceland in Manitoba, Canada

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. Wikia (originally Wikicities) is a selective Free web hosting service for Wikis (or Wiki farm) operated by Wikia Inc A wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content using a simplified Markup language. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory New Iceland ( Icelandic: Nýja Ísland) is an area where Icelanders settled in the 19th century

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