The Lands of Ice and Fire

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New Government of Iceland Takes Office". Iceland Monitor. 29 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022 . Retrieved 14 December 2021. How Iceland's government was brought down by a letter from PM's father demanding paedophile's pardon". The Independent. September 2017. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017 . Retrieved 30 May 2018. Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America, although it is closest to Greenland (290 kilometres; 155 nautical miles), an island of North America. Iceland is generally included in Europe for geographical, historical, political, cultural, linguistic and practical reasons. [61] [62] [63] [64] Geologically, the island includes parts of both continental plates. The closest bodies of land in Europe are the Faroe Islands (420km; 225nmi); Jan Mayen Island (570km; 310nmi); Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, both about 740km (400nmi); and the Scottish mainland and Orkney, both about 750km (405nmi). The nearest part of Continental Europe is mainland Norway, about 970km (525nmi) away, while mainland North America is 2,070km (1,120nmi) away, at the northern tip of Labrador. According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. [15] In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, immigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin.

If you have a bit more time and fancy a deeper dive into the country, consider venturing further afield. The Westfjords in the northwest is cut off from the ring road and is probably Iceland’s most remote region — only about seven per cent of visitors to the country make it here. You can see Arctic foxes — the country’s only native mammal — and go whale-watching in the deep fjords that extend into the land like tentacles. The Westfjords are a ten-hour drive or a 45-minute plane ride away from Reykjavik’s domestic airport. Iceland elections leave ruling centre-right party in driving seat". The Guardian. October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016 . Retrieved 28 June 2017. Populations by religious and life stance organizations 1998–2022". Archived from the original on 20 September 2022 . Retrieved 20 September 2022. A geologically young land at 16 to 18 million years old, Iceland is the surface expression of the Iceland Plateau, a large igneous province forming as a result of volcanism from the Iceland hotspot and along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the latter of which runs right through it. [71] [72] This means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes including Hekla, Eldgjá, Herðubreið, and Eldfell. [73] The volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783–1784 caused a famine that killed nearly a quarter of the island's population. [74] In addition, the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for several months afterwards, and affected climates in other areas. [75] Surtsey, one of the youngest islands in the world, is part of Iceland. Named after Surtr, it rose above the ocean in a series of volcanic eruptions between 8 November 1963 and 5 June 1968. [68] Only scientists researching the growth of new life are allowed to visit the island. [78]

Viðskiptablaðið – Hagvöxtur 2012 mun minni en spár gerðu ráð fyrir" (in Icelandic). Vb.is. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014 . Retrieved 14 April 2013. The climate varies between different parts of the island. Generally speaking, the south coast is warmer, wetter, and windier than the north. The Central Highlands are the coldest part of the country. Low-lying inland areas in the north are the aridest. Snowfall in winter is more common in the north than in the south. a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Iceland)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023 . Retrieved 13 October 2023.

Iceland's official governmental goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the year 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by the year 2040. [132]

The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the native parliament, the Althing, one of the world's oldest functioning legislative assemblies. Following a period of civil strife, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. The establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397 united the kingdoms of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Iceland thus followed Norway's integration into that union, coming under Danish rule after Sweden seceded from the union in 1523. The Danish kingdom forcefully introduced Lutheranism to Iceland in 1550. [16] when Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Hairy-Breeches, had Saint Edmund, king of the English killed. That was 870 years after the birth of Christ.” Sixty-nine municipalities in Iceland govern local matters like schools, transport, and zoning. [117] These are the actual second-level subdivisions of Iceland, as the constituencies have no relevance except in elections and for statistical purposes. Reykjavík is by far the most populous municipality, about four times more populous than Kópavogur, the second one. [68]