During this time, Iceland remained independent, a period known as the Old Commonwealth, and Icelandic historians began to document the nation's history in books referred to as sagas of Icelanders. Iceland finally became a republic on June 17, 1944, when 97 percent of voting Icelanders opted in favor of independence from Denmark. This created a dramatic deficit in Iceland's trade. The British were replaced by up to 40,000 Americans, who outnumbered all adult Icelandic men. Photo byWikimedia,Creative Commons, by Olaus Magnus. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. The first Norseman who lived in Iceland was Flki Vilgerarson. Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. This has had both incredible benefits and detriments to the Icelandic community, sparking an ever-hot debate on the preservation of nature versus the utilization of energy sources. The German takeover of Norway left Iceland highly exposed; Britain decided it could not risk a German takeover of Iceland. It is also believed that the western fjords of Norway were simply overcrowded in this period. 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. With the introduction of absolute monarchy in DenmarkNorway in 1660 under Frederick III of Denmark, the Icelanders relinquished their autonomy to the crown, including the right to initiate and consent to legislation. Following rapid financial growth, the 200811 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. History. Theyre neither myth, nor epic, nor romances or folktales, but stories of vengeance, wealth, power, and love. [25][26][27] In their attempts to stop the Icelanders from trading with the Germans indirectly, the British imposed costly and time-consuming constraints on Icelandic exports going to the Nordic countries. Reykjavik responded by confirming their neutrality. During the course of the 19th century, Icelanders strove for emancipation from Denmark, and gradually the country achieved greater independence. The First Cod War (19581961) was fought over Iceland's extension from 4 to 12 nautical miles (7 to 22km). Iceland was still uninhabited long after the rest of Western Europe had been settled. Farms, fishing outposts and villages began to form all around Iceland's coast. [7], Iceland remained, for a long time, one of the world's last uninhabited larger islands (the others being New Zealand and Madagascar). In the 1990s, the Independence Party set a drastic reform of Icelands economy into motion. All the earth's plants burned, withered and turned grey, one after another, as the fire increased and neared the settlements.". [69] On 30 November 2017, Katrn Jakobsdttir became Iceland's new prime minister despite the fact her party, Left-Green Movement, came second in the election - behind the Independence Party. The Viking era is the period following the Germanic Iron Age. Only a few decades before that, it had become subject to the modernism that followed World War IIthe theaters, the restaurants, the museums, and the bars. [14] After decades of internal conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the Old Covenant (Gamli sttmli) establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy. Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. The first Norseman who deliberately sailed to Gararshlmi was Hrafna-Flki Vilgerarson. There is some literary evidence that monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norsemen. In the late 14th century Norway and Denmark entered into a union.List of rulers of Iceland. Did you learn anything new? This revival was spearheaded by the Fjlnismenn, a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. During the heightened years of the war, foreign troops made up 50 percent of the native male population in Iceland, and local men were quick to notice the infatuation many Icelandic women showed toward these new arrivals. Weve got you covered! [51][52][53], During these disputes, Iceland threatened closure of the U.S. base at Keflavk, and the withdrawal of its NATO membership. 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. This subjection to the monarchy was later abolished in the same year, and complete autonomy was granted, with Sveinn Bjornsson serving as the first President of the Republic of Iceland. No edits made. 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. At the local level, three godar usually held a joint assembly in late spring at which a local court operated, again with judges nominated by the godar. Following the Second World War, Iceland was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and joined the United Nations one year after its establishment. 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. Following a recession in the early 1990s, economic growth was considerable, averaging about 4% per year from 1994. Iceland is a relatively young island in the geological sense, being formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but it is still growing from fresh volcanic eruptions. As a dependency of Norway, Iceland came under the Danish-Norwegian Crown in 1380 and was in reality a Danish dependency from 1660. As of 2017, it's again the intention of the U.S. military to build a modern airbase on the Reykjanes Peninsula. 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. This writing dates to around 330 B.C. Discover the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. The Icelandic constitutional referendum was held in 1944 as the closing chapters of the war began to materialize. Every day, it seems this city, country, and population are changing. This vote occurred only four years after Denmark had succumbed to the invading German army. Gaining independence meant that Iceland had to reinvent its position on the world stage as culturally separate from the Danish and its relationship with the rest of mainland Europe. It is unknown, however, if Pytheas and the hermits were describing the same island. 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. 860 set out on a voyage from Denmark, where he had made his home, to the Hebrides, to claim some land his wife had inherited. He decided that the country should convert to Christianity as a whole, but that pagans would be allowed to worship privately. This is not a bad thing, only a visible reminder that nothing remains the same. 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. The United States provided extensive economic patronage, advocated on Iceland's behalf in international organizations, allowed Iceland to violate the rules of international organizations, and helped Iceland to victory in the Cod Wars. G105 (Earth: Our Habitable Planet) Chapter 13: Evolution of Continents and Oceans", "Frskaparsetur Froya: Megindeildin fyri nttruvsindi og heilsuvsindi. Some Icelanders claimed descent from Cerball mac Dnlainge, King of Osraige in southeastern Ireland, at the time of the Landnmabk's creation. Archeological evidence suggests that early Irish monks discovered Iceland and settled here before the Norse arrived. Iceland apparently has no prehistory. [17] Dutch and French traders became more prominent in the mid-17th century.[17]. These same forces can still be seen in volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by army.mil. Harald Fairhair, regarded as the first Norwegian king, united the petty kingships of Norway into a single realm in about 885. Iceland also traded significantly with the United Kingdom during the war, as Iceland found itself within its sphere of influence. The first Icelandic bishop, sleifur Gissurarson, was consecrated by bishop Adalbert of Hamburg in 1056. The small Greenland colony, established in the late 10th century, died out completely before 1500. As you can see, Icelands volcano history goes way back. A layer of tephra (volcanic ash) that in many places coincides with the earliest remains of human habitation in Iceland has been identified in Greenland ice and dated to about 870. Settlements from that era have been found in southwest Greenland and eastern Canada, and sagas such as Saga of Erik the Red and Greenland saga speak of the settlers' exploits. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. The vote was 97% in favour of ending the union and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. Ten men were taken as prisoners of war by the Germans. 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. [48][50], The Cod Wars were a series of militarized interstate disputes between Iceland and the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. But who were the first Icelanders and where did they from? German ships were all about, however, until the British blockade of Germany put a stop to that when the war began in September. Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies 40:2 (Autumn 2009), 15170. Iceland has also been utilizing its resources for green energy production and has built numerous geothermal power plants and dams for hydroelectric power stations. Thor seems to have been the most popular of the pagan gods in Iceland, although Odin is thought to have been the highest in rank. Realizing that this place was in fact habitable, despite the horribly cold winter, and full of useful resources, Flki restocked his boat. The first Viking to visit Iceland was Gardar the Swede, who in c . Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The membership came amid an anti-NATO riot in Iceland. These directly went against the churchs teachings but were ingrained cultural habits in the Icelandic population. Snorri Sturluson was the chieftain of the Sturlung clan and a vassal of the Norwegian king, as was Snorris nephew, Sturla Sighvatsson. Iceland's history has also been marked by a number of natural disasters. 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. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althingthe oldest parliament in the world. On 12 August 2006, the last four F-15's left Icelandic airspace. Harald I, byname Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair, Norwegian Harald Hrfager, Old Norse Harald Hrfagri, (born c. 860died c. 940), the first king to claim sovereignty over all of Norway. "How and why is the history of Iceland divided into periods?". 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. [26], 1,245 Icelanders, Icelandic Americans, and Icelandic Canadians were registered as soldiers during World War I. The first people to settle in Iceland were probably Irish monks who came in the 8th century. While his uncle is more famed as a saga writer, Sturla would make a name for himself, aggressively warring with rival clans who refused to accept they were subject to the Norwegian monarch. The Third Cod War (19751976) was fought over Iceland's extension of its fishery limits to 200 miles (370km). [15] In particular, it took stronger actions to stop the involvement of English traders with Iceland. [39][40] An additional 70 Icelanders died at sea, but it has not been confirmed whether they lost their lives as a result of hostilities. 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. Dav Oddsson was Icelands longest-serving Prime Minister and held the job from 1991 until 2004. The depression hit Iceland hard as the value of exports plummeted. The eruption had widespread consequences outside of Iceland; its influence reached such far-flung corners as North America, the Sahel of Africa, and Europe. Iceland remained independent until 1262, when it entered into a treaty which established a union with the Norwegian monarchy. 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. On 31 December 1943, the Act of Union agreement expired after 25 years. These plates are moving apart every so slightly (0.04 inches or 1 millimeter a year) at Thingvellir National Park, the countrys only UNESCO World Heritage site. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was worldwide news and affected much of Europe. [30] Iceland's competent governance of internal affairs and relations with other stateswhile relations with Denmark were interrupted during the warshowed that Iceland was capable of acquiring further powers, which resulted in Denmark recognizing Iceland as a fully sovereign state in 1918. Archeological findings in Reykjavk are consistent with the date given there: there was a settlement in Reykjavk around 870. Church fast days increased demand for dried codfish, which was easily caught and prepared for export, and the cod trade became an important part of the economy.[16]. However, when Olaf Tryggvason ascended the Norwegian throne in A.D. 995, he decided to focus his efforts on converting those under his rule. Disrupting the monsoon cycles of Africa and India, the eruption caused widespread famine in Egypt (resulting in a loss of of the population). Iceland has retained strong ties to the other Nordic countries. Within a century, it's thought that Iceland was entirely deforested. This past week, and the two prior to it, more poison fell from the sky than words can describe: ash, volcanic hairs, rain full of sulfur and saltpeter, all of it mixed with sand. However, this is merely a guess. In 2004, Dav Oddsson stepped down as Prime Minister after 13 years in office. He was re-elected with an overwhelming majority of the vote in the 2020 presidential election. [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. Not only will visitors here have multiple opportunities to visit these, but they will also catch a rare glimpse of the exposed North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The parliament convened each summer at ingvellir, where representative chieftains (Goorsmenn or Goar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. Are courses available in English, and how many higher education facilities are there in the country? So too is the American influence that still lingers in Icelandeven now, it's clear that this is a country of hot dog lovers, cinephiles, rock n roll musicians, and revolutionaries. According to a 2018 study in the Scandinavian Journal of History, Iceland benefited massively from its relationship with the United States during the Cold War. [43] Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Bjrnsson as its first president. 1262-1541 The Icelanders suffered from a severe shortage of timber, as there were no forests . 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. Book your complete trip with the best companies only. [30][31] It has been argued that the thirst for news of the war helped Morgunblai to gain a dominant position among Icelandic newspapers. Icelanders in the Settlement Era. Eventually all of the Nordic states were united in one alliance, the Kalmar Union (13971523), but on its dissolution, Iceland fell under Danish rule. By the middle of the 16th century, Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on his subjects. He set about conquering the various petty kingdoms in Norway throughout his early youth through a series of battles and was crowned King of Norway by the time he was 20. To avoid a civil war in Iceland, the pagan lawspeaker Thorgeir Thorkelsson was elected to decide whether Iceland should become a Christian country. This is in itself a strange dichotomy considering the eruption also resulted in the cancellation of 107,000 flights. Ari orgilsson's slendingabk is generally considered more reliable as a source and is probably somewhat older, but it is far less thorough. Learn key facts and statistics about Iceland. This magma pocket is known as the Iceland Plume. The next decade of significant interest in Iceland is the 1980s. One century later, Iceland would be granted to the Danish. Archaeological finds also support the documentary evidence and place Iceland among Norse Viking Age settlements of the late 9th or early 10th century. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by the Royal Navy. [39] Most were killed on cargo and fishing vessels sunk by German aircraft, U-boats or mines. The Icelanders built large turf-clad houses on bulky timber frames, and some of the churches were built entirely of timber. Despite the incredibly beneficial economic impact, this action proved to be highly controversial to much of the Icelandic population, who continued to protest their neutrality, all the while cooperating with Allied troops. To mark the occasion, he brought his pagan idols to a waterfall and threw them in the abandonment of faith. Carbon dating reveals that the cabin was abandoned somewhere between 770 and 880, suggesting that Iceland was populated well before 874. On May 6, British prime minister Winston Churchill made a case to the war cabinet that building military bases in Iceland was essential in preemptively denying the country to Axis forces. "[48][49] Iceland repeatedly threatened to leave NATO or cancel the US defence agreement during the Cold War, which is one reason why the United States went to great lengths to please the Icelanders. The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers and the people they enslaved from the east, particularly Norway and the British Isles, in the late ninth century. Iceland became a Christian nation in the year 1000 CE, when Christianity became the religion by law. One period in Icelandic history, as Gunnar Karlsson describes, can be considered the period from 930 CE to 12621264, when there was no central government or leader, political power being characterised by chieftains ("goar"). Learn about the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, the best waterfalls to visit, and the stories behind them. 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. He discovered that the country was an island and called it Gararshlmi "Garar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at Hsavk. Norway, in turn, was united with Sweden (1319) and then Denmark (1376). The first "king of Norway" in that sense was Hkon Aalsteinsfostri ("Hakon the Foster-son of Athalstein"), who ruled from about 935 to 960. . This captivating, one-hour adventure features CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir, who crosses the globe to interact with the most innovative players in the trillion dollar race to remove carbon from . Around the time Iceland became a vassal state of Norway, a climate shift occurreda phenomenon now called the Little Ice Age. Later the Icelanders began to write sagas, which were to reach their pinnacle of literary achievement in the next century. This place eventually became the capital and the largest city of modern Iceland. In the wake of the 2008-2011 credit crunch, this proved to be a short-lived, reckless dream. Two bishoprics were established, one at Sklholt in 1056 and the other at Hlar in 1106. The total value of Icelandic exports fell from 74 million kronur in 1929 to 48 million kronur in 1932, and did not rise again to the pre-1930 level until after 1939. Iceland demanded Britain allow it to trade with Germany, to no avail. Since Denmark was still occupied by Germany, many Danes felt offended that the step should have been taken at the time[citation needed]. [15], English and German merchants became more prominent in Iceland at the start of the 15th century. Already, the city of Reykjavik has taken on a new face. It should be understood that Icelands position on the globe is one of enormous strategic importance for any party engaged in international warfare. Viking incursions into Britain were also expelled thoroughly during this time, potentially leading to a need for peaceful settlement in other lands. Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, principally by people of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin. A large magma pocket sits beneath the island and is thought to have been the catalyst that started this process. 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. In October 2008, the Icelandic banking system collapsed, prompting Iceland to seek large loans from the International Monetary Fund and friendly countries. Civil war and the end of the commonwealth, Iceland under Norwegian and Danish kings (12621944), NATO membership, US defense agreement, and the Cold War, "Iceland was therefore peacefully occupied by Britain on 10 May 1940," says, The 9th-century Irish monk and geographer, Solrun B. Jensdottir Hardarson, "The 'Republic of Iceland' 194044: Anglo-American Attitudes and Influences,", Learn how and when to remove this template message, United Kingdom invaded and peacefully occupied it, Denmark was overrun by the German Wehrmacht, Iceland severed its remaining ties with Denmark, Iceland's strategic importance during the Cold War, "Vigdis Finnbogadottir, the world's first elected female president", "Jrgen Schieber, University of Indiana. Queen. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, he reigned from c. 872 to 930. Iceland was at the time, what can only be described as a federation, which was formally founded when the parliament, the. Photo fromWikimedia,Creative Commons, by the Arni Magnusson Institute. Following this, the Icelanders became Lutherans and remain largely so to this day. Much of Harald's biography is uncertain. [22][23] The treasury became highly indebted, and there was a shortage of food and fears over an imminent famine. The invasion plan known as Operation Fork was conducted haphazardly en route. 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. In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alingi (Althing). [51][52][53], It is rare for militarized interstate disputes of this magnitude and intensity to occur between two democracies with as close economic, cultural, and institutional ties as Iceland and the UK.[53][54]. 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. Some settlers coming from the British Isles were "Hiberno-Norse," with cultural and family connections both to the coastal and island areas of Ireland and/or Scotland and to Norway. 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. These were some of Icelands original inhabitants. Iceland remained independent until 1262, when it entered into a treaty which established a union with the Norwegian monarchy. [6] The younger rock strata in the southwest of Iceland and the central highlands are only about 700,000 years old. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. It was then that various agencies in Iceland, including the government and tourist board, rallied around the concept of boosting the country as a must-see travel destination. Icelandic patrol ships and British trawlers clashed in all four Cod Wars. Iceland then became a member of the European Economic Area in 1994. Harald Fairhair is portrayed in both Icelandic and Norwegian sagas, mostly dating from the 12 and 13th centuries CE, as the first King of Norway. The Icelandic Web of Science 5.3.2005", Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power, "The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson) book review". It led to major government interference in the marketplace that lasted until the post-World War II period. Early Medieval Icelandic Government, or Viking Iceland, has been termed an incipient form of democracy or democratic parliamentarism, however, the system was actually nothing like its European counterparts, be they medieval or contemporary. It started to form in the Miocene era about 20 million years ago from a series of volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where it lies between the North American and Eurasian plates. 1940-1946: During the Second World War, the United Kingdom occupies the officially neutral Kingdom of Iceland in order to secure a naval foothold against Axis forces in the North Atlantic. After the cold winter passed, the summer came and the whole island became green, which stunned Flki. Photo fromWikimedia,Creative Commons, byHaukurth. Little changed in the decades following the treaty. As legend has it, Ingolfur threw overboard two carved pillars and pledged to settle wherever they landed. [71], After the 2021 parliamentary election, the new government was, just like the previous government, a tri-party coalition of the Independence Party, the Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement, headed by Prime Minister Katrn Jakobsdttir.[72]. This is a highly advantageous spot for tacticians who understand that whoever operates military bases in Iceland, be they ports or airfields, has dominion over sea and air traffic in that vast and vulnerable stretch of ocean, as well as easy access to both landmasses. Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to grow worse, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly Manitoba in Canada. During World War Two, the royal couple were very popular and acted as national symbols. This gave rise to feuds, which provided the writers of the sagas with plenty of material. The . This five-part medieval manuscript tells the story of the Norsemen discovering and settling the country in the 9th and 10th centuries. Believed to have been born in Iceland around. 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. It became more difficult to raise barley, the primary cereal crop, and livestock required additional fodder to survive longer and colder winters. Trees that were not used for building were burnt for warmth. 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. 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. [20] Iceland established its own flag. There were no Icelandic speakers among the invasion force, and many of the maps being used had been drawn from memory. Read on for all you need to know about queer history, Reykjavi Guide to Iceland | The Story of the Leading Travel Agency of Iceland, The Complete Guide to the Midnight Sun in Iceland, Top 20 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Iceland, The Ultimate Guide to Gay Iceland | LGBT+ History, Rights and Culture, Life in Early Iceland & the Adoption of Christianity, Icelands Civil War: The Age of Sturlungs, Fascinating History of Icelandic Architecture, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by Olaus Magnus, 10 Reasons Icelanders are Proud of Iceland, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by Johan Peter Raadsig, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by the Arni Magnusson Institute. Though less consequential, there have been countless other eruptions and earthquakes over the years. As luck would have it, the worlds eyes were already on Iceland, particularly the dark and spewing ash cloud permeating from it. Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years.
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