Portal:Iceland

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The Iceland Portal

Velkomin! Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland, is a volcanic island nation in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland and the Faroe Islands.

Iceland was one of the last large islands uninhabited by humans until it was discovered and settled by immigrants from Scandinavia, Ireland and Scotland during the 9th and 10th centuries.

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. Unlike neighbouring Greenland, Iceland is considered to be a part of Europe, not of North America. Due to cultural, economic and linguistic similarities, Iceland in many contexts is also included in Scandinavia.

Approximately 10 per cent of the island is glaciated. Iceland is located on both a geological hot spot, thought to be caused by a mantle plume, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This combined location means that the island is extremely geologically active. All this geologic activity helps Iceland to produce 17.5% of it's electricity from geothermal sources.

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Bolli Bollasonwas a key historical character in the Medieval Icelandic Laxdœla saga, born around 1006in Orlygsstadir, at Helgafellon the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. He was held in the highest regard among the contemporary Scandinavianrulers, and also in the Byzantine Empire, where he became the first known West Norseman in the Varangian Guard. It is believed that he had reached the rank of "Manglabites" in the Byzantine army, and on his return to Iceland, his finery and recognition earned him the name "Bolli the Elegant".

His importance in the literary context of the saga is his prominence as the son of Bolli Þorleiksson and Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, the two central characters of the work. In addition to this role, his own tale, the Bollaþáttur, was later appended to the end of the manuscripts in the early 14th century.

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Credit: Jniemenmaa

Gullfoss is a waterfall located on the Hvítá in south central Iceland. Its name means the "Golden Falls." The flow of the river from the regular rains and the glacial runoff, particularly in summer, makes Gullfoss the largest volume falls in Europe.

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Geir Hilmar Haarde is Prime Minister of Iceland and chairman of the Independence Party. Geir became Prime Minister on June 15, 2006 following the announcement of Halldór Ásgrímsson's resignation as the Prime Minister of Iceland on June 5, 2006. He then led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party. After the 2007 parliamentary elections, where the Independence Party increased their share of the vote, Haarde renewed his term as Prime Minister leading a coalition between his party and the Alliance. ...Archive/Nominations

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News

Jan 17: Chess legend Bobby Fischer dies in Iceland at the age of 64. (Reuters)
Jan 13: According to Eric Weiner's travel memoir The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, Iceland consistently ranks as one of Earth's happiest places. (Mercury News)
Jan 12: Ísafjörður's town council agrees to challenge the Ministry of Transport to convert its local airport to an international airport. (IcelandReview)
Jan 12: Ridley Scott, director of Gladiator, is considering plans for a movie based on the 1986 Reykjavík Summit. (IceNews) ...Archive
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Did you know...

...that in 1995 an avalanche destroyed 29 homes and killed 20 people in the town of Flateyri?
...that Sveinn Einarsson was the stage director of more than 70 productions, operas, classics and modern plays?
...that the first bar mitzvah by Icelandic Jews took place in 1941 on the Shabbat of Passover? ...Archive
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When I was a teenager in Iceland people would throw rocks and shout abuse at me because they thought I was weird. I never got that in London no matter what I wore. — Björk Guðmundsdóttir

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Credit: Kilmer

Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. ...Archive/Nominations

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Main topics

Subdivisions: Austurland • Höfuðborgarsvæði • Suðurland • Suðurnes • Vestfirðir

History: Timeline • Settlement of Iceland • Icelandic Commonwealth • Age of the Sturlungs • Cod War

Law: Supreme Court of Iceland

Politics: Parliament (Alþing) • President • Prime Minister • Ombudsman • Cabinet • Constitution • Elections • Administrative divisions • Political parties

Geography: Climate • Geology • Glaciers • Volcanoes • Waterfalls • Lakes • Rivers • Transport

Economy: Stock Exchange • Icelandic Króna • Banks

Military: Iceland Air Defence System • Icelandic Coast Guard • Icelandic Crisis Response Unit • Víkingasveitin

Demographics: Language • Religion • Subdivisions

Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Education • Literature • Media • Music • Public holidays • Sport • Television • Whaling

Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Lofsöngur)

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Things you can do

Requests: Kjósarsýsla • Gullbringusýsla • Borgarfjarðarsýsla • Dalasýsla • Mýrasýsla • Snæfellsnes- og Hnappadalssýsla • Norður-Ísafjarðarsýsla • Strandasýsla • Vestur-Ísafjarðarsýsla • Austur-Húnavatnssýsla • Skagafjarðarsýsla • Vestur-Húnavatnssýsla • Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla • Austur-Skaftafellssýsla • Norður-Múlasýsla • Rangárvallasýsla • More...
Stubs: Sjónvarpið • Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project • Morgunblaðið • Icelandic Police • Atli Heimir Sveinsson • Constitution of Iceland • Valdís Óskarsdóttir • Þorramatur • Islam in Iceland • Perlan • Left-Green Movement • Jet Black Joe • Suðurland • More...
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