Iceland

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According to the Landnámabók, an ancient manuscript, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD, when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the island's first permanent settler. In following centuries, Norwegians and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, migrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin. The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the native parliament, the Althing, one of the world's oldest functioning legislative assemblies.

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Etymology

The Landnámabók names Naddodd (Old Norse: Naddoðr) as the first Norseman to reach Iceland in the ninth century, having gotten lost while sailing from Norway to the Faroe Islands. He gave the island its first name of Snæland (English: Snowland). The second explorer to arrive was the Swedish Garðar Svavarsson, who circumnavigated the island and named it Garðarshólmur (English: Garðar's Isle) after himself.

The island's present name originated from Flóki Vilgerðarson, the first Norseman to intentionally travel to Iceland.

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History

According to both Landnámabók and Íslendingabók, monks known as the Papar lived in Iceland before Scandinavian settlers arrived, possibly members of a Hiberno-Scottish mission. An archaeological excavation has revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula. Carbon dating indicates that it was abandoned sometime between 770 and 880. In 2016, archaeologists uncovered a longhouse in Stöðvarfjörður that may date to as early as 800.

Swedish Viking explorer Garðar Svavarsson was the first to circumnavigate Iceland in 870, and established that it was an island.

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Geography

Iceland is at the juncture of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. The main island is entirely south of the Arctic Circle, which passes through the small Icelandic island of Grímsey off the main island's northern coast. The country lies between latitudes 63 and 68°N, and longitudes 25 and 13°W.

Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America, although it is closest to Greenland, an island of North America. Iceland is generally included in Europe for geographical, historical, political, cultural, linguistic, and practical reasons.

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Politics

Iceland is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, while the prime minister serves as the head of government in a multi-party system. Members of the Icelandic parliament are voted in by proportional representation within large constituencies.

After the 2024 parliamentary elections, the Icelandic government is led by a coalition between the Social Democratic Alliance, the centrist Viðreisn (Liberal Reform Party), and the populist People's Party.

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Economy

In 2022, Iceland was the eighth-most productive country in the world per capita (US$78,837), and the thirteenth-most productive by GDP at purchasing power parity ($69,833). About 85% of the total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestic renewable energy sources. Use of abundant hydroelectric and geothermal power has made Iceland the world's largest electricity producer per capita.

Historically, Iceland's economy depended heavily on fishing, which still provides around 20% of export earnings and employs 7% of the workforce.

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Demographics

The original population of Iceland was of Norse and Gaelic origin which is evident from literary evidence dating from the settlement period as well as from later scientific studies such as blood type and genetic analyses. One such genetic study indicated that the majority of the male settlers were of Nordic origin, while the majority of the women were of Gaelic origin, meaning many settlers of Iceland were Norsemen who brought Gaelic slaves with them.

Iceland has extensive genealogical records dating back to the late 17th century and fragmentary records extending back to the Age of Settlement.

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Culture

Icelandic culture has its roots in North Germanic traditions. Icelandic literature is popular, in particular the sagas and eddas that were written during the High and Late Middle Ages. Centuries of isolation have helped to insulate the country's Nordic culture from external influence; a prominent example is the preservation of the Icelandic language, which remains the closest to Old Norse of all modern Nordic languages. The country has a strong tradition of upholding human rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly with legislation for marginalised groups, such as women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community.

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