iceland history facts

The first permanent settler in Iceland is usually considered to have been a Norwegian chieftain named Ingólfr Arnarson and his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir. Learn about Iceland's history and its people. 8. 14. The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson, was consecrated by bishop Adalbert of Hamburg in 1056. But the city decided to keep the street painted year-round to celebrate joy and diversity. He mentions a land, Ultima Thule, or Thule, in the farthest north, six … Dating all the way back to the year 930, the first national parliament was founded in Thingvellir, which is now a national park . Fall in Atlanta: Fun & Fabulous Places to Visit. These actions were aimed at keeping Icelanders' standard of living as high as it had become during the prosperous war years.[44]. In March 2006, the United States announced that it intended to withdraw the greater part of the Icelandic Defence Force. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. This translates to Emma, daughter of John. Christmas Eve vs Christmas Day is the big day in Iceland. Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland; ()) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, with a population of 356,991 and an area of 103,000 km 2 (40,000 sq mi), making it the most sparsely populated country in … Here is a list of twenty top strange and awesome facts about Iceland. [3] the Azores (on the same ridge) about 8 million years,[4] and Hawaii less than a million years. Iceland is a country of extreme geological contrasts. People from Norway, Denmark and Sweden were the first to settle in Iceland from as early as 870. In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alþingi (Althing). You cannot advertise alcohol in Iceland, and it must be bought in liquor stores. You can literally go to Iceland as a photographer and travel around the country taking pictures of the churches and surrounding landscapes. No Comments. Silfra is a fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Althing, which had been suspended in 1799, was restored in 1844, and Iceland gained sovereignty after World War I, becoming the Kingdom of Iceland on 1 December 1918. They drift there on icebergs from Greenland and the Arctic Circle. And of course the landscape is stunning. Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years. With the introduction of absolute monarchy in Denmark–Norway in 1660 under Frederick III of Denmark, the Icelanders relinquished their autonomy to the crown, including the right to initiate and consent to legislation. Iceland literally feels like a breath of fresh (albeit cold) air. The Act of Union, a December 1, 1918, agreement with Denmark, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign state—the Kingdom of Iceland—joined with Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king. She is an award-winning travel blogger, Amazon bestselling author and speaker. The German takeover of Norway left Iceland highly exposed; Britain decided it could not risk a German takeover of Iceland. While touring the country for 5 days, I spent a lot of time speaking with locals. This archaeological find may also indicate that the monks left Iceland before the Norse arrived.[11]. Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although archaeological evidence indicates Gaelic monks from Ireland, known as papar according to sagas, had settled Iceland before that date. It is recognized, however, that Ingólfr Arnarson may not have been the first one to settle permanently in Iceland—that may have been Náttfari, one of Garðar Svavarsson's men who stayed behind when Garðar returned to Scandinavia. [33] As a result, on 10 April, the Parliament of Iceland took temporary control of foreign affairs (setting up what would be the forerunner of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and the Coast Guard. But Iceland has a low crime rate. While it is convenient to divide history into named periods, it is also misleading because the course of human events neither starts nor ends abruptly in most cases, and movements and influences often overlap. There is a strong belief in and attempt at rehabilitation. The last ice age started around 70 thousand years ago and lasted for 60 thousand years. In 1874, a thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and home rule, which again was expanded in 1904. 5. In 1944, Iceland severed its remaining ties with Denmark (then still under Nazi occupation) and declared itself a republic. Facts About the History of Iceland: 1. Jón J. Aðils' 1915 text, Íslandssaga (A History of Iceland) uses ten periods: In another of Gunnar's books, Iceland's 1100 Years (2000), Icelandic history is divided into four periods: These are based mainly on forms of government, except for the last which reflects mechanisation of the fishing industry. The act would be up for revision in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement was not reached. It led to major government interference in the marketplace that lasted until the post-World War II period. This is our complete guide for Iceland. The parliament convened each summer at Þingvellir, where representative chieftains (Goðorðsmenn or Goðar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. 19. Rosé Wine 101: An Introductory Guide to Rosé Wines. Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olaf II of Denmark extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. In 1843, a new Althing was founded as a consultative assembly. [13] In particular, it took stronger actions to stop the involvement of English traders with Iceland. 330 BC: An island, Thule, or Ultima Thule, in the farthest north is mentioned in a geography by the Greek navigator Pytheas; located six days' sailing north of Britannia and one day and night from “the end of the world”. [15], An illicit trade continued with foreigners after the Danes implemented a trade monopoly. [37][38] An additional 70 Icelanders died at sea, but it has not been confirmed whether they lost their lives as a result of hostilities. But the Blue Mountains are known for ski slopes and resorts. There are shelters and guest houses available for those in need. In fact, Iceland prohibits the import of any other horses. The island country of Iceland is one of the stepping-stones of land between the North American and European continents. Gunnar's own book A Brief History of Iceland (2010) has 33 chapters with considerable overlap in dates. [28] Iceland's competent governance of internal affairs and relations with other states—while relations with Denmark were interrupted during the war—showed that Iceland was capable of acquiring further powers, which resulted in Denmark recognizing Iceland as a fully sovereign state in 1918. Her full name is Emma Johndottir. 25. The British were replaced by up to 40,000 Americans, who outnumbered all adult Icelandic men. Iceland - Ultima Thule, a land in the farthest north. At least 144 of the combatants died during World War I (96 in combat, 19 from wounds suffered during combat, 2 from accidents, and 27 from disease), 61 of them were Iceland-born. It claimed continuity with the Althing of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which had remained for centuries as a judicial body and had been abolished in 1800. Infoplease has everything you need to know about Iceland. A constitution drawn up c. 930 created a form of democracy and provided for an Althing, the world's oldest practicing legislative assembly. In the early thirteenth century, the internal conflict known as the age of the Sturlungs weakened Iceland, which eventually became subjugated to Norway through the Old Covenant (1262–1264), effectively ending the commonwealth. About 364,000 people live in Iceland with over 200,000 people living in the capital and greater Reykjavik area. Stand up” (lol). [17] This period is known as the Móðuharðindin or "Mist Hardships". Posted on May 16, 2018 by Lisa. Iceland was settled by Vikings from Norway sometime in the 800s. Iceland has 10,000 waterfalls! Icelanders joke that they should be Greenland and Greenland should be Iceland. Weekend Getaway to Long Island: Things to Do. A system of individual transferable quotas in the Icelandic fisheries, first introduced in the late 1970s, was further developed. Iceland is very remote, therefore has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed by Denmark. [41] Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Björnsson as its first president. One period in Icelandic history, as Gunnar Karlsson describes, can be considered the period from 930 CE to 1262–1264, when there was no central government or leader, political power being characterised by chieftains ("goðar"). Icelandic … Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. 21. However, Iceland became more isolated during World War I and suffered a significant decline in living standards. According to stories written down some 250 years after the event, the country was discovered and settled by Norse people in the Viking Age. [10] The Landnámabók ("Book of Settlements"), written in the 1100s, mentions the presence of Irish monks, called the Papar, prior to Norse settlement and states that the monks left behind Irish books, bells, and crosiers, among other things. The subsequent strict Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly in the 17th and 18th centuries was detrimental to the economy. Sverre Bagge, Michael H. Gelting, Frode Hervik, Thomas Lindkvist & Bjørn Poulsen (Oslo 2012), 101–18. [5] The younger rock strata in the southwest of Iceland and the central highlands are only about 700,000 years old. After the end of the Kalmar Union, the royal government asserted greater control of Iceland. During this period Iceland was covered with a large ice cap which sculpted the fjords and valleys you see today all around the country. [45] The financial crisis gave rise to the Icesave dispute, where Iceland on the one hand and the United Kingdom and Netherlands on the other disputed whether Iceland was obligated to repay British and Dutch depositors who lost their savings when Icesave collapsed.[56]. Iceland’s population is young, with close to 40% under the age of 18. Denmark, however, did not provide much protection to Iceland,[citation needed] which was raided in 1627 by a Barbary pirate fleet that abducted almost 300 Icelanders into slavery, in an episode known as the Turkish Abductions. The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers and the people they enslaved from the east, particularly Norway and the British Isles, in the late ninth century. The Sophisticated Life Blog covers affordable luxury travel, culinary travel and wine. And, check out my Instagram highlight reel on Instagram for videos and commentary from my trip. 27. There is some literary evidence that monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norsemen. You may recall the eruption of a volcano in Iceland in 2010. Icelanders joke that they should be Greenland and Greenland should be Iceland. The settlement of Iceland is thoroughly recorded in the aforementioned Landnámabók, although the book was compiled in the early 12th century when at least 200 years had passed from the age of settlement. Because of the cold weather, only a few vegetables like potatoes, kale, cabbage and carrots grow there. [37][38], The occupation of Iceland by the British and the Americans proved to be an economic boom, as the occupiers injected money into the Icelandic economy and launched various projects. I did something similar with Cuba and Quebec City so be sure to check those out as well. Icelanders were, in general, sympathetic to the cause of the Allies. In 1262–1264, Iceland was incorporated into Norway; in 1380, when Norway came under Danish rule, Iceland went along; and on 17 June 1944, Iceland became an independent republic, though it had … Iceland is a relatively young island in the geological sense, being formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but it is still growing from fresh volcanic eruptions. The Proto Cod War (1952–1956) revolved around Iceland's extension of its fishery limits from 3 to 4 nautical miles. Milestones in Icelandic History Discovery and Settlement. Britain and the U.S. opened direct diplomatic relations, as did Sweden and Norway. The volcanoes have eruptions every 4-5 years. Top Do’s and Don’ts When Visiting Iceland! It is such a unique place. [18] Iceland established its own flag. The discovery of Iceland is attributed to the Greek explorer Pytheas who made an epic voyage of exploration to north-western Europe around 325 BC. The Royal Navy was sent to the contested waters in the last three Cod Wars, leading to highly publicized clashes. Iceland has retained strong ties to the other Nordic countries. 10. And, you can drink water directly from the waterfalls. [23][24][25] In their attempts to stop the Icelanders from trading with the Germans indirectly, the British imposed costly and time-consuming constraints on Icelandic exports going to the Nordic countries. In 2004, Davíð Oddsson stepped down as Prime Minister after 13 years in office. There are a however some things raise the eyebrows of tourists travelling in Iceland. According to this account, the previous inhabitants, a few Irish monks known as the Papar, left the island since they did not want to live with pagan Norsemen. The occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war. While it is a very popular tourist destination, the expansive country has approximately 350,000 permanent … The churches were also built as a shelter for people traveling around the island. The small Greenland colony, established in the late 10th century, died out completely before 1500. I hope you have enjoyed this blog post on interesting & fun facts about Iceland. Nonetheless, the Christian clergy had unique opportunities to accumulate wealth via the tithe, and power gradually shifted to ecclesiastical authorities as Iceland's two bishops in Skálholt and Hólar acquired land at the expense of the old chieftains. [31], With war looming in the spring of 1939, Iceland realized its exposed position would be very dangerous in wartime. Sverrir Jakobsson. Mauna Loa: Earth's Largest Volcano", ”New View on the Origin of First Settlers in Iceland”, "Politics and Courtly Culture in Iceland, 1200-1700", "Iceland's External Affairs from 1400 to the Reformation: Anglo-German Economic and Societal Shelter in a Danish Political Vacuum", "Iceland's External Affairs from the Napoleonic Era to the occupation of Denmark: Danish and British Shelter", "Hve margir Íslendingar dóu í seinni heimsstyrjöldinni? Travel Guides to Your Favorite Destinations. Viking incursions into Britain were also expelled thoroughly during this time, potentially leading to a need for peaceful settlement in other lands. The first settler was Ingólfur Arnarson, who settled in Reykjavík. 71. Police officers do not carry guns and Iceland does not have an army. 4. It became more difficult to raise barley, the primary cereal crop, and livestock required additional fodder to survive longer and colder winters. On June 17, 1994 Iceland gained full independence. 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