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
Iceland and Greenland share similar aspects of culture and common courtesy. These include greetings and visiting. In both Iceland and Greenland, a common greeting formally and
An unknown author wrote The Saga of The Volsungs in the thirteenth century, basing his story on far older Norse poetry. Iceland was settled by the Vikings about 870-930, who took to that land the famous lay of
The title "Viking" includes a wide description of Nordic people; Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, who lived during a period of
It was once reported that there was up to 25,000 Vikings living in Iceland in the mid 900’s. The Norse did not have books, but they did have an alphabet, so they passed on history by stories and poems. Their alphabet was made up runes, are the letters in a set of related alphabets. There are still remains of the runes in some parts of Europe like Iceland and Normandy. It was customary for men to wear long
large area and that it is surrounded by very large countries as well with the ocean around it.
What makes Antarctica unique regarding human geography, is how humans influenced the continent. physical geography is far more significant than human appearance. Antarctica is a cold, frozen, and mostly empty land found at the South Pole of the earth.
The Vikings section belong to the upper class of the people (Lovgren S., 2004). They were sea warriors not a national army but, a small groups lead by Viking chieftains. The Vikings came from the areas of Sweden, Norway, and Demark which was known as Scandinavia in the times of 750 to 100 A.D... They established themselves as traders, warriors, and explorers. Most people from this area were farmers and raised animals as part of their daily lives.
The history of iceland is interesting. The vikings found this place and liked it so they wanted to name it something that no one wanted
The Kingdom of Nordmark was founded in 2074 after a five year revolutionary war. The Republic of Sweden-Norway, which began in 2046, simply became too much for the brave men and women who fought against tyranny and injustice. Octavia Bondevik, the first leader of Nordmark, decided this needed to change. She and her husband Berwald were high in the politics of Sweden-Norway before coming to the realization of how terribly wrong the government was being run.
Laki is located in Europe. In Iceland, it is within the province Suðurland. The nearest town is Kirkjubæjarklaustur with a population of 160. This town is about 20 kilometers away. Laki’s coordinates are 64.0707 degrees North and 18.2378 degrees West. Even though Laki is at this location, it still had a big impact on the rest of the world.
Due to the hot springs and the unique landscape, the economy of Iceland is one of the most advanced in the world.
There are two countries that located in different continents but their national flags are similar and difference at the same time. Many Thai people have heard of Peru which is located in western of South Africa, but there are less people that have heard about Latvia which is located in Baltic region of Northern Europe.
When it comes to the historical features of Iceland there are some that seem to stand out more than others. It could be the original inhabitants, date of their independence, historical warfare, or maybe just the historical events and how they influenced the current society. The original inhabitants of Iceland were said to be “Irish monks who probably settled there in the eighth century” (Lacy 66). It was the last European country to be colonized. According to the CIA World Factbook (2010), Iceland became a soverieign state on December 1st, 1918 state under the Danish Crown and then got its independence on June 17th, 1944 from Denmark. “Iceland historical warfare include World War One which was from 1914-1918 and then World War Two which was from 1939- 1945. In 1976 Great Britain and Iceland signed an agreement to end the Cod War” (Lacy p. 237). One of the major disaster which wiped out much
Sweden is located in Europe, and shares the Scandinavian Peninsula with Finland and Norway. It’s absolute location is 60.13 degrees north and 18.64 degrees east. It’s positioned in both northern and eastern hemispheres, and north of Germany and Poland. It’s two neighbors on the Scandinavian Peninsula are located on either side of it, with Finland to the east side of it and Norway to the west. The Baltic Sea borders Sweden on its southern side, while the Gulf of Bothnia borders it on the east side. There are so many marvelous physical land features in Sweden, along with different regions consisting of different landscapes and unique characteristics.
Have you ever wondered about Austria, or what it’s like? Austria is such a beautiful country, covered by mountains, rivers, and lakes. The country is an amazing place to visit because of the amazing landforms, climate, little rain, and the temperature year round. Austria is also a good place to live because it has a free government, which allows you to be whatever you want and have more rights. First, I will tell you about Austria’s geography. Then, I will explain the government and how it works.