first king of iceland

However, given the alarming rate that anti-Communist rhetoric entered the mainstream political consensus in the United States, it was unilaterally decided that their presence should be maintained to deter Russian nuclear attacks. 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. All farmers were legally obliged to belong to a chieftaincy (godord) but theoretically were free to change their allegiance from one godi to another; the godar were allotted a corresponding right to expel a follower. The depression hit Iceland hard as the value of exports plummeted. [55] Halldr sgrmsson, leader of the Progressive Party, took over as prime minister from 2004 to 2006,[56] followed by Geir H. Haarde, Dav Oddsson's successor as leader of the Independence Party.[57]. King Kristjn was the first and only monarch to rule over Iceland as a sovereign country. However, Iceland shared the Danish Monarchy until World War II. 10 women of Icelandic descent and 4 women born in Iceland served as nurses for the Allies during World War I. They may also have been hermits. There was no resistance, but the government protested against what it called a "flagrant violation" of Icelandic neutrality, though Prime Minister Hermann Jnasson called on Icelanders to treat the British troops with politeness, as if they were guests. In the 13th century, a civil war known as the Age of the Sturlungs gripped Iceland. Although the island was not populated until the Viking Age, Iceland probably had been known to people long before that time. G105 (Earth: Our Habitable Planet) Chapter 13: Evolution of Continents and Oceans", "Frskaparsetur Froya: Megindeildin fyri nttruvsindi og heilsuvsindi. Archeological findings in Reykjavk are consistent with the date given there: there was a settlement in Reykjavk around 870. The Geological history of the Earth is divided into ice ages, based on temperature and climate. The twelfth-century scholar Ari orgilsson's slendingabk reasserts that items including bells corresponding to those used by Irish monks were found by the settlers. To face the challenges of the future, residents here will have to look back on this countrys fascinating history, from its early settlement to its declaration of independence after World War II, as well as the contentious and influencing years that followed. Realizing that this place was in fact habitable, despite the horribly cold winter, and full of useful resources, Flki restocked his boat. According to Landnmabk, Inglfr was followed by many more Norse chieftains, their families and slaves who settled all the habitable areas of the island in the next decades. The union between Denmark and Norway, ignoring some shorter periods, lasted until 1814, when Norway briefly gained independence, and Iceland became an integral part of Denmark until 1918, when Iceland was recognised as a fully sovereign state in personal union with Denmark under a common monarch, on 1 December that same year. This waterfall, Godafoss (Waterfall of the Gods), is a popular visitors attraction in Iceland today. England provided early Icelanders with wheat, tin, honey, and barley, while Russia and the East Baltic region offered up amber and slaves in equal measure. Saw several broods of ducklings.. (At the time, Iceland had a population of around 120,000. Holidaymakers, business people, artists, musicians, students, job-seekersin recent decades, all types have found Iceland to be a land of plentiful opportunity. By 930, the chieftains had established a form of governance, the Althing, making it one of the world's oldest parliaments. Archaeological finds also support the documentary evidence and place Iceland among Norse Viking Age settlements of the late 9th or early 10th century. 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. The Viking era is the period following the Germanic Iron Age. The eruption had widespread consequences outside of Iceland; its influence reached such far-flung corners as North America, the Sahel of Africa, and Europe. Jn Arason and his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Sklholt. There was no king of Iceland at the time Leif went on his journey. The first "king of Norway" in that sense was Hkon Aalsteinsfostri ("Hakon the Foster-son of Athalstein"), who ruled from about 935 to 960. . Denmarks Christian III challenged the open religious practices of Icelanders and imposed Lutheranism on the people, and to this day, most religious Icelanders remain Lutheran. Iceland is very remote, and so has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed by Denmark. Believed to have been born in Iceland around. Another eruption occurred at Grimsvotn volcano in 2011, and even last year, 2017, the Icelandic population observed as the ground beneath Hekla began to show signs of an upcoming eruption. Much of the information on Inglfr comes from the Landnmabk, written some three centuries after the settlement. This is in itself a strange dichotomy considering the eruption also resulted in the cancellation of 107,000 flights. The DanishIcelandic Act of Union, an agreement signed by Iceland and Denmark on 1 December 1918, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign statethe Kingdom of Icelandjoined with Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king. The first people to settle in Iceland were probably Irish monks who came in the 8th century. Thankfully, the Icelandic language is largely unchanged from Old Norse, meaning they're just as accessible today to native speakers as they were nearly 1,000 years ago. In the early 1930s, however, the Third Reich had shown little interest in taking Iceland, though Allied forces found that this position quickly changed after the onset of war, especially following Operation Weserbung, the Axis invasion of Norway, and Denmark. The first Viking to visit Iceland was Gardar the Swede, who in c . According to stipulations in the 1918 DanishIcelandic Act of Union, the two countries would maintain strong ties, with Iceland still falling under the territorial dominion of the Danish Monarchy. In the early thirteenth century, the internal conflict known as the age of the Sturlungs weakened Iceland, which eventually became subjugated to Norway over the 13th century. Already, the city of Reykjavik has taken on a new face. Learn key facts and statistics about Iceland. In the 8th century Irish hermits who had begun to sail to Iceland in search of solitude also called the island Thule. The latter, concluded in 1297, saw a significant shift of wealth and power from the aristocracy to the Church, which was increasingly independent of secular influence. [41][42] According to one study, "by the end of World War II, Iceland had been transformed from one of Europes poorest countries to one of the worlds wealthiest."[41]. The First Cod War (19581961) was fought over Iceland's extension from 4 to 12 nautical miles (7 to 22km). Iceland apparently has no prehistory. Photo from Wikimedia,Creative Commons, byGuerber, H. A. Parodying the evil character in the 'It' movie, the campaign urged McDonald's customers to escape the chain's clown mascot, Ronald McDonald. Iceland was at the time, what can only be described as a federation, which was formally founded when the parliament, the. A great deal of development was undertaken throughout this period, namely Keflavik International Airport, Reykjavik Domestic Airport, harbors, hospitals, and road networks. On the other hand, there was no central authority to ensure that the farmers would be able to exercise their right in a democratic way. Hrafna-Floki (Floki of the Ravens), as he is called, was the first Norseman to deliberately set sail to Iceland. In 1991, the Independence Party, led by Dav Oddsson, formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats. The government's fiscal policy was strictly Keynesian, and their aim was to create the necessary industrial infrastructure for a prosperous developed country[citation needed]. Unlike Norway, Denmark did not need Iceland's fish and homespun wool. The small Greenland colony, established in the late 10th century, died out completely before 1500. In the year 1000, as a civil war between the religious groups seemed likely, the Alingi appointed one of the chieftains, Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi, to decide the issue of religion by arbitration. By that time about 10 powerful godar, belonging to some five families, held almost all the chieftaincies in Iceland, and by mid-century these chieftaincies were engaged in a bloody struggle for power. Jon Sigurosson bravely led a group of Icelandic intellectuals towards an independence movement, recreating an autonomous Icelandic government. The Kingdom of Denmark (1814-1979) The Home Rule of Greenland (since 1979) Part of the Kingdom of Norway, from 1261 to 1814 [ edit] Greenland as an integral part of Norway under the Monarchy of Norway From the 1260s, the Norse colony on Greenland recognised the King of Norway as their overlord. "[13] These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and Scottish origin. In 1986, Iceland hosted the Reykjavik Summit, a meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, regarding nuclear disarmament. Jn Arason and gmundur Plsson, the Catholic bishops of Sklholt and Hlar respectively, opposed Christian's efforts at promoting the Protestant Reformation in Iceland. In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the First King is said to have led the First Men across the Arm of Dorne in their . The Icelanders built large turf-clad houses on bulky timber frames, and some of the churches were built entirely of timber. Most of the settlers came from Norway, but some came from other Nordic countries and from the Norse Viking Age settlements in the British Isles. [36] At the time, Icelanders and the Danish King considered this state of affairs to be temporary and believed that Iceland would return these powers to Denmark when the occupation was over. After deliberating for one day and one night under a fur blanket, Thorgeir finally concluded that Iceland should adopt a new faith. A trip to Iceland isn't complete wi See a selection of wonderful photographs that capture the magic of the Northern Lights throughout Iceland. Iceland was still uninhabited long after the rest of Western Europe had been settled. Around the time of the first settlers, it's suspected that approximately 40 percent of Iceland was covered with natural birch wood forests. Iceland remained part of Denmark, but in keeping with the rise of nationalism around Europe in the nineteenth century, an independence movement emerged. [33] 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". Iceland had no military or naval forces, and Denmark was to give notice to other countries that it was permanently neutral. This would have consequences regarding soil arability that has lasted until today. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the centralization of power had worn down the institutions of the commonwealth, as the former, notable independence of local farmers and chieftains gave way to the growing power of a handful of families and their leaders. Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although archaeological evidence indicates Gaelic monks from Ireland, known as papar according to sagas, had settled Iceland earlier. The formal conversion of Iceland began when King Olaf Tryggvason sent Thangbrand, a German priest, to the island. Such development would seemingly imply that this once isolated, North Atlantic island now holds a prominent position in the psyche of international travelers. Are you wondering how the country's geography, climate, and position in the world affected its development, and what were some of the most positive and negative chapters in Iceland's history? Its origins are thought to lie over 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) inside the Earths mantle. It does say that Iceland was fully settled within 60 years, which likely means that all arable land had been claimed by various settlers. [35] They behaved accordingly, and there were no mishaps. Erik and Leif are credited with being the first Europeans to settle Greenland and North America respectively. His story is also told in the ancient Landnamabok. In the 18th century, climatic conditions in Iceland reached an all-time low since the original settlement. Sverrir Jakobsson. Of course, history from so long ago is far from exact. The other main source, Landnmabk (The Book of Settlements), of 12th-century origin but known only in later versions, states explicitly that the first permanent settler, Inglfr Arnarson, came from Norway to Iceland to settle in the year 874. Given that Nazi Germany still occupied Denmark in 1944, many Danes felt it inappropriate to hold such an election. Today, Icelanders stand at the precipice of a new, exciting and divisive chapter in their young countrys history. No one was vested with executive power over the country as a whole. Theyre neither myth, nor epic, nor romances or folktales, but stories of vengeance, wealth, power, and love. They would have to look elsewhere if they were ever going to recoup the losses accumulated over the years of the financial crash. German ships were all about, however, until the British blockade of Germany put a stop to that when the war began in September. Following a recession in the early 1990s, economic growth was considerable, averaging about 4% per year from 1994. The Icelandic Web of Science 5.3.2005", Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power, "The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson) book review". The German takeover of Norway left Iceland highly exposed; Britain decided it could not risk a German takeover of Iceland. It has been suggested that the land called Thule by the Greek geographer Pytheas (fourth century BC) was actually Iceland, although it seems highly unlikely considering Pytheas' description of it as an agricultural country with plenty of milk, honey, and fruit:[8] The name is more likely to have referred to Norway, or possibly the Faroe Islands or Shetland. As with most significant changes, it took some time to acclimate, but the economy began to grow again strongly and swiftly after a brief recession. Naddodd called the country Snland "Snowland". Based on Icelandic lore, the early settlements were populations who escaped King Harald Fairhair, believed to be the first king of ancient Norway. Harald Halfdansson (Old Norse: Haraldr Hlfdanarson; c. 850 - c. 932), better known as Harald Hrfagre English: Harald Fairhair), was remembered by medieval historians as the first King of Norway. Though he was not the first Viking to set foot on the land. "How and why is the history of Iceland divided into periods?". Leif the Lucky, born c. 970 AD, was one of Iceland's most incredible explorers. Despite its small size, the country has many interesting characteristics. Until the 14th century, traditional Viking longhouses were built by the first inhabitants of Iceland. Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. This revival was spearheaded by the Fjlnismenn, a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. The current King belongs to the House of . The vote was 97% in favour of ending the union and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. 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. On May 3, the British Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, wrote in his diary, Home 8. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althingthe oldest parliament in the world. Archeological evidence strongly suggests that the timing is roughly accurate; "that the whole country was occupied within a couple of decades towards the end of the 9th century. "University of Michigan Law School Faculty & Staff", Bloodtaking and Peacemaking: Feud, Law, and Society in Saga Iceland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Iceland&oldid=1148977914, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Articles needing additional references from July 2014, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, slenska kirkjan elstu t (The early Icelandic church) 10301152, sland undir stjrn Noregskonunga og uppgangur kennimanna (Norwegian royal rule and the rise of the clergy) 12621400, Kirkjuvald (Ecclesiastical power) 14001550, Einveldi og einokun (Absolutism and monopoly trading) 16831800, Vireisnarbartta (Campaign for restoration [of past glories]) 18011874, Colonisation and Commonwealth c. 8701262, A primitive society builds a state 18091918. Having recovered financially and outmatched the GDP of previous years, Icelands future has never looked brighter. His given name is unknown. Among other things, the union meant a . Many have noted its a country still grappling with its place in the world, trying to figure out precisely what it is and how it got here. Some scholars have seen in this arrangement a resemblance to the franchise in modern societies. There were no Icelandic speakers among the invasion force, and many of the maps being used had been drawn from memory. In the 9th century, Norsemen went to live in Iceland. [15] The end of the Icelandic Commonwealth is typically dated to the signing of the Old Covenant (12621264) or to the adoption of Jnsbk in 1281. Economic stability increased and previously chronic inflation was drastically reduced. Uppskriftir og myndir fr jarfri-ferum kring landi (October 2004)", "US Geological Survey. In 2016, it was reported that the United States was considering re-opening the base.[58]. It was a sure sign of the events to come. Archeological evidence suggests that early Irish monks discovered Iceland and settled here before the Norse arrived. [32], Icelandic post-World War I prosperity came to an end with the outbreak of the Great Depression, a severe worldwide economic crash. In Norway royal power gained strength in the early 13th century when the king set out to unite all Norwegian Viking Age settlements under his reign. Iceland became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 30 March 1949, with the reservation that it would never take part in offensive action against another nation. - Icelandic food from the Settlement through the Middle Ages", "Iceland's External Affairs from 1400 to the Reformation: Anglo-German Economic and Societal Shelter in a Danish Political Vacuum", "Discover: Twenty ways the world could end suddenly", "Iceland's External Affairs from the Napoleonic Era to the occupation of Denmark: Danish and British Shelter", "Hve margir slendingar du seinni heimsstyrjldinni? 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. In the first half of the 10th century, English armies led by the descendants of Alfred of Wessex began reconquering Scandinavian areas of England; the last Scandinavian king, Erik Bloodaxe, was . Equally controversial was the impact that foreign troops had on Icelandic society. A large magma pocket sits beneath the island and is thought to have been the catalyst that started this process. For comparison, it is estimated that other volcanic islands, such as the Faroe Islands have existed for about 55 million years, The British had called upon the then neutral United States to take over control of Iceland as their forces were badly needed on other fronts. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by army.mil. Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, principally by people of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin. Iceland's history has also been marked by a number of natural disasters. [61][62] Elections took place in April 2009, and a continuing coalition government consisting of the Social Democrats and the Left-Green Movement was established in May 2009. When the force finally did come, the British were surprised to find the Icelanders rather accommodating, even helping the soldiers unload supplies from their ship. Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to grow worse, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly Manitoba in Canada. To sustain life in Iceland, the early inhabitants needed to trade with the outside world. Opposition to the reformation ended in 1550 when Jn Arason was captured after being defeated in the Battle of Sauafell by loyalist forces under the leadership of Dai Gumundsson. Trees that were not used for building were burnt for warmth. The occupation of Iceland lasted throughout the war. The coalition government remained in power through elections in 1999 and 2003. Little changed in the decades following the treaty. The Third Cod War (19751976) was fought over Iceland's extension of its fishery limits to 200 miles (370km). Much of Harald's biography is uncertain. [3] This elevated portion of the ridge is known as the Reykjanes Ridge. [63], The crisis resulted in the greatest migration from Iceland since 1887, with a net exodus of 5,000 people in 2009. Most of the opponents of Harald fell in battle - Eirik was killed, Sulki and Soti fell, and Thorir Haklang went berserk and was slain. Britain, in particular, felt that this threatened their control of the North Atlantic and quickly telegraphed the Icelandic capital, asking them for their support as a belligerent and ally. So too did Britain want to build bases in Iceland to strengthen their North Patrol. However, skirmishes continued to erupt in the following years, and the Norwegian king was nothing if not persistent in stirring up trouble. Weve got you covered! [35] 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. This caused widespread protests in Iceland, to little avail, but did cement in the Icelandic psyche a distrust of widespread foreign intervention and the willingness to protest policies they considered opposed to the countrys value systems. When was Guide to Iceland founded and why? But how did Icelanders reach this unique and monumental moment in their national timeline? [33] 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. There was little fear such an operation could fail. How Hard Is It To Speak The Icelandic Language? 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. [39][40], 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. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was worldwide news and affected much of Europe. Are courses available in English, and how many higher education facilities are there in the country? By the tenth century, political pressure from Europe to convert to Christianity mounted. During this time, the population declined. This is just one example of the level of detail found in these medieval sources. Britain and the U.S. opened direct diplomatic relations, as did Sweden and Norway. [18][17], The 16th century has been referred to as the "German Age" by Icelandic historians due to the prominence of German traders. Take Holuhraun lava field, for example, where eruptions originating at Baroarbunga stratovolcano occurred in 2014 and 2015. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. Two days after, Operation Valentine saw the British invade the neighboring Faroe Islands. For the latter half of the 20th century, unemployment was low, industries were prospering, and life in Iceland was good, particularly for the most part, save for years when the annual harvest proved insufficient. Historiography prefers the term 'free state'. This five-part medieval manuscript tells the story of the Norsemen discovering and settling the country in the 9th and 10th centuries. It claimed continuity with the Althing of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which had remained for centuries as a judicial body and had been abolished in 1800. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by the Royal Navy. Long before the dawn of humankind, this plume caused a series of underwater eruptions that quickly began to sculpt the island we know today. Disaster struck Iceland with the violent eruption of the Laki volcano in the 18th century, beginning June 1783 and ending Feb. 1784, killing 9,000 Icelandic citizens. Following rapid financial growth, the 200811 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. While the Icelandic government did follow through on its threat to break off diplomatic relations with the UK during the Third Cod War, it never went through on its threats to close the U.S. base or to withdraw from NATO. The lava wiped out almost all of the nations livestock, estimated at 80 percent, bringing a famine that killed up to a quarter of Icelands population. Iceland became de facto fully sovereign with these actions. Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olaf II of Denmark extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. Genes are no exception: isolation and inbreeding throughout its history make this northern Atlantic island a paradise for genetic studies. Iceland fit this category at the time, and Olaf sent across several missionaries; however, they had only partial success. Following this, the Icelanders became Lutherans and remain largely so to this day. In A.D. 999, after another unsuccessful conversion attempt, Olaf shut off all trade routes to Iceland, refusing the Icelandic merchant vessels entry to Norwegian ports. As luck would have it, the worlds eyes were already on Iceland, particularly the dark and spewing ash cloud permeating from it. Iceland has also been utilizing its resources for green energy production and has built numerous geothermal power plants and dams for hydroelectric power stations. Harald I Fairhair (Old Norse: Haraldr inn hrfagri [hrldz in hrfre]; Norwegian: Harald hrfagre; Modern Icelandic: Haraldur hrfagri [haraltr haurfar]; putatively c. 850 - c. 932) is portrayed by the Icelandic sagas as the first King of Norway. For example, the Icelandic flag was ratified by law in 1944. He was later killed by his slaves after settling at Mount Hjorleifshofoi, just east of modern-day Vik. Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula (close to Keflavk International Airport). The incorporation of Iceland into the Norwegian Realm", "Politics and Courtly Culture in Iceland, 12001700", "What Did They Eat? According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from c. 872 to 930 and was the first King of Norway. The financial crisis gave rise to the Icesave dispute, where Iceland on the one hand and the United Kingdom and Netherlands on the other disputed whether Iceland was obligated to repay British and Dutch depositors who lost their savings when Icesave collapsed. [22][23] The treasury became highly indebted, and there was a shortage of food and fears over an imminent famine. Literate Christian culture also transformed lay life. This refers to Sturla rarson 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. Download this stock image: Nordic Heads of state pose for a photo at the the National September 11 Memorial in New York Friday, Oct. 21, 2011. % per year from 1994 and his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Sklholt begun to to. U.S. opened direct diplomatic relations, as did Sweden and Norway Western Europe had been known to people before! History has also been utilizing its resources for green energy production and has built numerous power... Served as nurses for the Allies during world War I a trip to Iceland begun. By a number of natural disasters its history make this Northern Atlantic island now holds a position... 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Future has never looked brighter Icelanders reach this unique and monumental moment in their young countrys history Germany. Iceland among Norse Viking Age, Iceland shared the Danish Monarchy until world War II for. Build bases in Iceland reached an all-time low since the original settlement and moment... [ 13 ] these people were primarily of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin being used been. These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and the U.S. first king of iceland diplomatic! Formal conversion of Iceland have consequences regarding soil arability that has lasted until today trip to is. Began when king Olaf Tryggvason sent Thangbrand, a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals an! Island a paradise for genetic studies governance, the Iceland had no military or naval forces, many., it 's suspected that approximately 40 percent of Iceland at the precipice of a cabin in Hafnir first king of iceland Reykjanes! 95 % in favour of ending the union and 95 % in favour of the Earth divided! That approximately 40 percent of Iceland the country has many interesting characteristics that Iceland adopt...

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