The governments of the 1990s and 2000s adhered to a staunch but domestically controversial pro-U.S. foreign policy, lending nominal support to the NATO action in the Kosovo War and signing up as a member of the Coalition of the willing during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There is little consensus on how to divide Icelandic history. [20][21][22], Iceland was part of neutral Denmark during the war. 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. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. Britain and the U.S. opened direct diplomatic relations, as did Sweden and Norway. Following rapid financial growth, the 2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. Over time, the snow and precipitation accumulated and snow depths of as much as 18 thousand feet were achieved. [2] This elevated portion of the ridge is known as the Reykjanes Ridge. This ridge is a 40.000 km crack in the ocean floor caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a submarine ridge located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, that wraps around the globe for more than 65,000 km like the seam of a baseball. [5] The younger rock strata in the southwest of Iceland and the central highlands are only about 700,000 years old. 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. They may also have been hermits. Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók is generally considered more reliable as a source and is probably somewhat older, but it is far less thorough. This nation is called Iceland. People from Norway, Denmark and Sweden were the first to settle in Iceland from as early as 870. [17] This period is known as the Móðuharðindin or "Mist Hardships". However, Iceland became more isolated during World War I and suffered a significant decline in living standards. Little changed in the decades following the treaty. While the rest of the year are relatively colder with November to March usually the coldest months. Following the creation of its constitution, Iceland was independent until 1262. The coalition government remained in power through elections in 1999 and 2003. Iceland is a constitutional republic with a multi-party system. [31] The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War cut Iceland's exports of saltfish by half, and the depression lasted in Iceland until the outbreak of World War II, when prices for fish exports soared. Dust storms caused by glacial winds are also common in the highlands especially at the early stages of the warmer periods of the year. Icelanders began to trade for grain from continental Europe, which was an expensive proposition. The assembly was called the Althingi. 989 fought for Canada, whereas 256 fought for the United States. Based on the age of the rocks formed from basaltic lava, the Island can be divided into 3 regions: Quaternary flood basalts, Tertiary flood basalts, and Fissure Swarm. [14] A serfdom-like institution called the vistarband developed, in which peasants were bound to landowners for a year at a time. Iceland is on a type of tectonic plate boundary called a divergent boundary. The assembly was open to everyone and a large crowd usually attended them. Sverrir Jakobsson. In March 2006, the United States announced that it intended to withdraw the greater part of the Icelandic Defence Force. [15] The trade has been credited with raising Icelandic living standards. Icelandic patrol ships and British trawlers clashed in all four Cod Wars. We will also give you some photography, clothing, and safety tips so that you can have the best possible experience. [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. [33] They behaved accordingly, and there were no mishaps. In 930, the Althing, Iceland’s Government system was formed by the Chieftains. To ensure separation of powers, the Constitution was written to establish 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Iceland is a republic, has a written constitution and a parliamentary form of government. [15] Dutch and French traders became more prominent in the mid-17th century.[15]. Another source mentioning the Papar is Íslendingabók, dating from between 1122 and 1133. Legislative power is vested in both the Parliament and the President. Later on, Norway (which Iceland was a part of) united with Sweden first then Denmark through the Kalmar Union. Floods, ash, and fumes killed 9,000 people and 80% of the livestock. There is some literary evidence that monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norsemen. Iceland contains about 130 volcanoes and there is usually an eruption every decade or half-decade. The last glacial period, commonly referred to as The Ice Age is thought to have begun about 110,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. "[12] These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and Scottish origin. 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? It was a system where the most powerful rulers of Iceland gathered at an assembly to decide the laws and proceedings of the land. 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. Its mainly Nordic settlers formed a legislature called the Althing in ad 930. Iceland was formed for about 24 million years. Flóki settled for one winter at Barðaströnd. This region with active volcanoes is called Neovolcanic zones and these zones are made up mostly of Fissure swarm basalt rocks. Halldór Ásgrímsson, leader of the Progressive Party, took over as prime minister from 2004 to 2006, followed by Geir H. Haarde, Davíð Oddsson's successor as leader of the Independence Party. Fact: The island nation has over 200 volcanoes! Iceland is the 2nd largest Island in Europe and the 18th largest Island in the world. This period is referred to therefore as the þjóðveldisöld or goðaveldisöld (National or Chieftain State) period by Icelandic authors, and the Old Commonwealth or Freestate by English ones. This refers to Sturla Þórðarson and his sons, Sighvatr Sturluson, and Snorri Sturluson, who were one of two main clans fighting for power over Iceland, causing havoc in a land inhabited almost entirely by farmers who could ill-afford to travel far from their farms, across the island to fight for their leaders. In the year 1000, as a civil war between the religious groups seemed likely, the Alþingi appointed one of the chieftains, Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi, to decide the issue of religion by arbitration. These plates spread at a rate of approximately 2.5 centimeters per year. Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olaf II of Denmark extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. The volcanic activity of the Mid Atlantic Ocean ridge continued to separate the regions and as it did, the land above the ocean was flooded with water. [1] Due to the island's strategic position in the North Atlantic, the Allies occupied the island until the end of the war, with the United States taking over occupation duties from the British in 1941. 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. The major constituent of the magma eruptions of the volcanoes is basalt lava and tephra. 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. Based on the age of the rocks formed from basaltic lava, the Island can be divided into 3 regions: Quaternary flood basalts, Tertiary flood basalts, and Fissure Swarm. It was around this period that documentation of Iceland’s history started with the compilations called Sagas of Icelanders. Some of these drifted with Greenland and can be found in eastern Greenland as well as western Scotland and in parts of Faroe Islands. Norway (and thus Iceland) then became part of the Kalmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark, with Denmark as the dominant power. Initially, the planes of North American and European land which were highly elevated were not submerged in ice but they were affected by the continuous snow and precipitation that were a consequence of a combination of a change in wind direction and ocean shifts. According to Landnámabók, Ingólfr was followed by many more Norse chieftains, their families and slaves who settled all the habitable areas of the island in the next decades. These actions were aimed at keeping Icelanders' standard of living as high as it had become during the prosperous war years.[44]. The president is elected by direct popular vote for a term of four years, with no term limit. The major constituent of the magma eruptions of the volcanoes is basalt lava and tephra. 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. Widespread protests in late 2008 and early 2009 resulted in the resignation of the Haarde government, which was replaced on 1 February 2009 by a coalition government led by the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement. [34], Iceland turned down British offers of protection after the occupation of Denmark, because that would violate Iceland's neutrality. The government's fiscal policy was strictly Keynesian, and their aim was to create the necessary industrial infrastructure for a prosperous developed country. Most of the population of Iceland lives in the capital city – Reykjavik which is also the largest city in Iceland. Roman currency dating to the third century has been found in Iceland, but it is unknown whether they were brought there at that time or came later with Vikings after circulating for centuries.[9]. [41] Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Björnsson as its first president. Sverrir Jakobsson. [24], 1,245 Icelanders, Icelandic Americans, and Icelandic Canadians were registered as soldiers during World War I. Carbon dating reveals that the cabin was abandoned somewhere between 770 and 880, suggesting that Iceland was populated well before 874. Laws were not written down but were instead memorized by an elected Lawspeaker (lǫgsǫgumaðr). Bergsteinn Jónsson and Björn Þorsteinsson. Iceland became de facto fully sovereign with these actions. By the middle of the 16th century, Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on his subjects. In 2016, it was reported that the United States was considering re-opening the base.[53]. So far, only about a quarter of the Island is habitable. HOMEALL TOURSABOUT USCONTACT USTERMS AND CONDITIONS, We are part of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association, South Coast: Glacier hike, fire & ice with dinner at the Viking lodge, South Coast: Volcanoes, waterfalls & Viking dinner at the Viking house, Golden Circle: First-class farm tour with food & Secret Lagoon, Snæfellsnes Peninsula: Semi private tour with fish & chips in Olafsvik, COVID-19 informations with special offers. Many geysers or hot springs are formed when water comes into contact with the lava-heated rocks. Thunderstorms rarely occur in Iceland but windstorms are quite common. 16 million years ago. It is the longest and the most extensive chain of mountains on earth, but being located underwater, more than 90% of this mountain range remains hidden from view. Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland; ()) is an island country in the North Atlantic, between Greenland and Norway, formerly a possession of Denmark.It is culturally considered to be part of Europe.Iceland is 301 kilometers east of Greenland and 1001 kilometers west of Norway.There are about 329,100 people who live in Iceland. 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. Jón Arason and his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Skálholt. [16][15], The 16th century has been referred to as the "German Age" by Icelandic historians due to the prominence of German traders. The highest temperatures (usually 10-13°C) in Iceland are experienced from around May to September and this is the summer period of the Icelandic people. Lv 4. Mean annual temperatures in the coastal areas around Iceland lie everywhere well above 0°C (Figure 2), but are generally below that in areas above 600-700 m a.s.l. The vote was 97% in favour of ending the union and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. Iceland was formed perhaps 20-25 million years ago by volcanic eruption, possibly as a group of smaller islands, and grew slowly over millions of years. [24][26] There is no evidence of any German plans to invade Iceland during the war. Iceland remained a part of Denmark until the 19th century when a wave of nationalism sweeping across Europe prompted the rise of a group pushing for independence. 0 0. binder. As the end of the first millennium grew near, many prominent Icelanders had accepted the new faith. These mantle currents are the cause, not only of crust movements and volcanism but also of geothermal activity, since the heat which they carry upwards from the core may warm up water on the way to the surface. One theory suggests that those monks were members of a Hiberno-Scottish mission, Irish and Scottish monks who spread Christianity during the Middle Ages. As the plates moved apart, excessive eruptions of lava constructed volcanoes and filled rift valleys. Unlike Norway, Denmark did not need Iceland's fish and homespun wool. Due to this, as magma erupts from the ocean floor, the hot lava rises to the surface each time and cools to form a new crust over the drifting tectonic plates. Great example of this is in Thingvellir, in the southern part of Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet or rather move away from each other. Some scientists believe the hotspot beneath Iceland could have contributed to the rifting of the supercontinent Pangaea and the subsequent formation of the North Atlantic Ocean. [45] On 10 May 1940, British military forces began an invasion of Iceland when they sailed into Reykjavík harbour in Operation Fork. There are only a few places on earth where it juts out of the surface of the ocean, in the form of a f… [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. Glaciers cover more than 11 percent of Iceland – almost 4,600 square miles, according to … Halfway between Greenland (a North American Island) and Northern Europe island and Sweden is an Island nation of an area spanning about 40,000 square miles. The United States closed the Keflavík Air Base in September 2006. In October 1946, the Icelandic and United States governments agreed to terminate U.S. responsibility for the defense of Iceland, but the United States retained certain rights at Keflavík, such as the right to re-establish a military presence there, should war threaten. Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. The current Althingi holds at Reykjavik and the system is now made up of 63 parliamentarians elected by proportional representation. Due to Iceland's strategic importance during the Cold War, it was important for the U.S. and NATO to maintain the base on Icelandic soil and to keep Iceland as a member of NATO. Around the time Iceland became a vassal state of Norway, a climate shift occurred—a phenomenon now called the Little Ice Age. Social Democrat minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was appointed Prime Minister, becoming the world's first openly homosexual head of government of the modern era. [15][16] What drew foreigners to Iceland was primarily fishing in the fruitful waters off the coast of Iceland. The parliament convened each summer at Þingvellir, where representative chieftains (Goðorðsmenn or Goðar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. Beginning on 20 May 1944, Icelanders voted in a four-day plebiscite on whether to terminate the personal union with the King of Denmark and establish a republic. A system of individual transferable quotas in the Icelandic fisheries, first introduced in the late 1970s, was further developed. "How and why is the history of Iceland divided into periods?". Iceland formed by the coincidence of the spreading boundary of the North American and Eurasian plates and a hotspot or mantle plume – an upsurge of abnormally hot rock in the Earth´s mantle. [8] The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. It was formed when magma that erupted through the Ice ran off atop the glacier. Its economy grew rapidly largely through fishing, although this was marred by disputes with other nations. This revival was spearheaded by the Fjölnismenn, a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. While covered in ice, Iceland's icefalls, fjords and valleys were formed. Danish King Christian X sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. Let us guide you around Iceland’s most amazing ice caves! Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula (close to Keflavík International Airport). However, a new national consciousness was revived in Iceland, inspired by romantic nationalist ideas from continental Europe. 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 valleys and fjords (long, deep and narrow body of water running far inland) were formed during the cold periods of the last Ice Age when glaciers cut rock formations to form deep cliffs. Real power rests with the 63-member parliament, the Althingi (Althing). Initially, Greenland was above the mantle plumes in Iceland and its thickness prevented volcanic activity but as Greenland drifted towards the southeast from where Iceland is currently, the mantle plumes became highly active. 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. Centuries later, around 995, Olaf Tryggvason, who was the King of Norway at that time, facilitated the advent of Christianity into Iceland. This place eventually became the capital and the largest city of modern Iceland. Some part of the neovolcanic zones also contains quaternary rocks. Much of the information on Ingólfr comes from the Landnámabók, written some three centuries after the settlement. He discovered that the country was an island and called it Garðarshólmi "Garðar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at Húsavík. After decades of conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the Old Covenant (Gamli sáttmáli) establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy.[13]. Although Iceland was neutral in the Second World War, the United Kingdom invaded and peacefully occupied it in 1940 to forestall a Nazi occupation, after Denmark was overrun by the German Wehrmacht. [46][48], The Cod Wars were a series of militarized interstate disputes between Iceland and the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. The geological history of the earth is divided into ice ages, based on temperature and climate. Although it is said that settlement started in Iceland in 874, there is evidence to show that it started earlier than that. [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. The settlers of Iceland were predominantly pagans and worshiped the Norse gods, among them Odin, Thor, Freyr, and Freyja. Iceland's history has also been marked by a number of natural disasters. The lowlands experience less intense winds than the highlands. Iceland has a lot of volcanic tuff understandably because it has been covered in Ice for millions of years and a lot of Palagonite have formed from the volcanic activities in the region. Iceland’s constitution, which was adopted in 1944, established a parliamentary democracy with a directly elected president as head of state. 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. ", "A Theory of Shelter: Iceland's American Period (1941–2006)", "Small States and Shelter Theory: Iceland's External Affairs", "Iceland Picks the World's First Openly Homosexual PM", "The Icesave dispute: A Case Study into the Crisis of Diplomacy during the Credit Crunch", "Iceland lost almost 5000 people in 2009", "Iceland Recession Ends as Economy Returns to Growth", "Gunnar Karlsson. [31] Government interference in the economy increased: "Imports were regulated, trade with foreign currency was monopolized by state-owned banks, and loan capital was largely distributed by state-regulated funds". Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. The Proto Cod War (1952–1956) revolved around Iceland's extension of its fishery limits from 3 to 4 nautical miles. The geological origin of Iceland is volcanic in nature. It is not clear if the Papar left before the Vikings came or if they left soon after the Vikings came and another evidence relates that the Papar left to avoid the heathen ways of the Norse. Igneous rocks which arose from this hotspot have been found on both sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which originated 57–53 million years ago ("Ma"), around the time North America and Eurasia separated and sea floor spreadingbegan in the Northeast Atlantic. On 17th June 1944, the choices of the voters were effected, Iceland became a Republic and the Union with Denmark ended. In 2004, Davíð Oddsson stepped down as Prime Minister after 13 years in office. Naddodd called the country Snæland "Snowland". [39] Despite this, the relationship with the United States was contentious in Icelandic domestic politics, leaving some scholars to describe Iceland as a "rebellious ally" and "reluctant ally. Iceland's resultant poverty was aggravated by severe natural disasters like the Móðuharðindin or "Mist Hardships". In 1874, a thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and home rule, which again was expanded in 1904. Iceland is a sub-polar region and for a region pretty close to the Arctic Circle, it has remarkably wide temperature variation through the year, largely because of the North Atlantic current and the North Atlantic Ocean current called the Irminger current. When Greenland finally drifted off the mantle plumes, massive volcanic activity started generating basalt lava over the ocean. Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies 40:2 (Autumn 2009), 151–70. Towards the end of the tenth century, Christianity came to Iceland through the influence of the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason. The Althingi is the Parliament of Iceland (one of the oldest parliaments in the world) and it was established at pingvellir. The occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war. It was the volcanic activity that was believed to have created Iceland. The Icelandic Web of Science 5.3.2005", Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power, "The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson) – book review". The island’s surface has been formed by lava flows and other volcanic materials that come from numerous erupting volcanoes, some of which are still active. Church fast days increased demand for dried codfish, which was easily caught and prepared for export, and the cod trade became an important part of the economy.[14]. Convection currents have thus formed in the mantle to carry this heat upwards. The U.S. base served as a hub for transports and communications to Europe, a key chain in the GIUK gap, a monitor of Soviet submarine activity, and a linchpin in the early warning system for incoming Soviet attacks and interceptor of Soviet reconnaissance bombers. Iceland History Iceland was founded by the Vikings. Iceland is a minefield of explosive energy, and because of this beautiful shapes and patterns are formed across the landscape.