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Iceland Research Paper

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THE COUNTRY OF ICELAND Sparsely populated and isolated from the rest of Europe by water, the often forgotten country of Iceland is a very fascinating place. While it is similar in certain ways to its Scandinavian counterparts, Iceland has several characteristics which set it apart from the rest of the world. While most people have heard the name of this country, they probably know little about it. Because of its unique geography, traditional culture, rich history, democratic form of government, modern economy, and its backslidden religion, Iceland is one of the most interesting countries in the world. Iceland’s geography is some of the most interesting in the world because of its variety. Located in the North Atlantic, it is Europe’s westernmost …show more content…

Since it was first settled by the Vikings, the culture is very similar to the rest of historical Scandinavia. For example, Icelanders do not use surnames, but they use the Viking tradition of a first name and a last name which combines the father’s name and adds either -son for a male or -dottir for a female. In fact, so many people have the same name in Iceland, that the phone directory has to include each person’s occupation. Iceland’s rich history still has a major modern influence. Iceland was discovered and settled by A.D. 870. Shortly after, these settlers formed Europe’s first parliament known as the Althing. Author Else Roesdahl states that it also “fulfilled social and cultural functions.” Also, Icelandic sagas written in the 1200s about Germanic mythology continue to influence readers in Iceland and around the world. After hundreds of years under Norwegian and Danish rule, Iceland gained her independence on June 17, …show more content…

Because of Iceland’s advanced health system the people enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world. While the economy is based mainly on fishing and fish products, there are a number of other factors as well. Since Iceland produces the most geothermal energy per capita, almost a quarter of the population relies on geothermal energy for heat and electricity. This cuts down the cost of heat for much of the country, and it could also become a major factor as an export. For example, in 2012, Iceland and the United Kingdom agreed to investigate the potential of running a high voltage direct current that would send electricity from a submarine cable from Iceland to the UK. Another economic factor is tourism. Because of the beautiful scenery and the soothing hot springs, Iceland has become a popular tourist attraction. More than 300,000 tourists visit Iceland each year, which also makes tourism an important part of the

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