Iceland history
Iceland is a magnificently beautiful country with a history that dates back hundreds of centuries. The history of the Icelandic people and their cultural traditions begin with Viking settlements. As time continued on, foreign occupation and control from Denmark and Norway brought about a search for independence within the people and government officials. Iceland has always investigated new and exciting ways to brighten the horizon for mankind, but the freedoms Icelanders now experience were not always available.
18th – 19th century
At the beginning of the 19th century, many Icelanders were coping with the eruption of the Laki volcano. The eruption of 1783 caused the death of thousands of Icelanders, as well as wiping out nearly 80% of the country’s livestock. The Mist Hardships, as most Icelanders call this time period, caused damages to villages, starvation of the population, and the death of about a quarter of the people living in the country.
The Danish control of Iceland and the worsening social and political climates of the 19th century led to mass emigration of Icelanders to places around the world. After nearly a century of hardships, Icelanders sought to gain independence from Denmark and create a national identity. The year 1874 brought about the allowance from Denmark for Iceland to create a constitution, as well as state affairs being handled by Icelanders.
Quick fact!
Dried fish was used for money in Iceland in 1413.
1918 – 1945
The Act of Union with Denmark in 1918 established Iceland as the Kingdom of Iceland, an independent state from Denmark, but still maintained a unique union and relationship with the King of Denmark. Iceland was still represented by Denmark for foreign affairs and military assistance, but the overall declaration of independence allowed for Iceland to assert its neutrality, establish trade, and create a system of government. The relationship between Iceland and Denmark would remain a satisfying union until the Nazi invasion and occupation of Denmark in 1940.
The Second World War forced Iceland into several political and economic situations that were entirely unexpected. The Nazi occupation of Denmark forced the Parliament of Iceland (Althing) to seize control of its own foreign affairs and elected a interim governor, Sveinn Björnsson, to lead the country. Iceland declared its neutrality from the war, and took action against both Allied and Axis forces. British forces began to occupy Iceland despite the Icelandic government’s protests.
It wasn’t until Iceland agreed to allow the United States’ Government to be responsible for Iceland’s defenses in 1941 that the “occupation” was over. American troops were sent to Iceland to defend the country. As foreign allies defended Iceland, the Icelandic government formally became an independent state in 1944 with Sveinn Björnsson elected as the first President of Iceland. The post war years led to a great expansion of Iceland’s fishing industry, manufacturing, and creating a standard of living equivalent to the years during World War II.
Quick fact!
Iceland offered the first known fire and plague insurance in 1151.
1946 – present
Iceland’s economy and foreign status remained unsteady until the 1990’s. After World War II, Iceland became a part of NATO and remained under U.S. military protection. The late 20th century brought about economic reform and stability to Iceland.
Iceland continues to prosper under economic and social reforms initiated after the collapse of the Icelandic economy in 2008. Though the country has seen its fair share of hardships, Iceland remains one of the most culturally rich and naturally beautiful countries on the planet.
Icelandic language and culture
Culture of Iceland
Iceland has a rich Norse heritage that has been handed down through the generations. The preservation of many traditions, especially concerning cuisine, literature and music are what makes this land of snow and ice so unique. Another unique factor is the strong Icelandic focus on community. Iceland’s small population, plus the harsh, isolated environment, has unified these highly creative and original people to a large degree.
Music
Icelandic music for much of its history has been based around religious hymns or choral singing. Traditional folk music and instruments such as the fidla (Icelandic violin) and langspil (old fashioned string instrument) were popular in the 19th century, and are still played today.
Icelandic contemporary music was introduced to the world in the 1980s with a band called The Sugarcubes. The lead singer of The Sugarcubes, Björk, who went solo in the early 1990s, is Iceland’s most internationally recognised artist. Iceland’s biggest contemporary music festival is the Iceland Airwaves which takes place in Reykjavík for five days in late October.
Arts
Literature is very popular in Iceland and it has a rich heritage of classical works in the form of epic sagas which date back to when the country was settled. Iceland has more bookstores per capita and also translates and imports more international literature than any other country in the world.
Icelandic art developed parallel to northern European trends during the 19th century. However, the country’s unique landscape and cultural mythology have been popular subjects for artistic expression throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Cuisine
Icelandic cuisine has been considered in the past to be relatively mundane. There was a high reliance on preserved fish and lamb; fresh fruit and vegetables weren’t really grown, and seasoning was unheard of. Subsequently the cuisine didn’t really win any awards. Since the 1980s things have improved somewhat but a number of traditional foods that have are an acquired taste still play a part in the Icelandic diet.
Look out for sild (pickled herrings) which can be eaten for breakfast, súrmatur (meat scraps made into cakes and pickled in whey) and the delicacy hákarl (rotted Greenland shark).
Languages of Iceland
Iceland recognizes Icelandic as the national and official language. It is spoken by about 93% of the population. Iceland also has a handful of immigrant languages with the main ones being Polish and Lithuanian.
English and Danish are taught as mandatory subjects, as such they are spoken by many, just as is the case with German and French.
Basic Icelandic words and phrases
Hello – Halló
Goodbye – Bless
Please – Gjörðu svo vel
Thank you – Takk
Yes – Já
No – Nei
My name is… – Ég heiti…
I don’t speak Icelandic – Ég tala ekki íslensku
Iceland weather
Influenced heavily by warm Atlantic currents, Iceland’s climate is a bit more mild than it’s northerly location would suggest. Generally, the northern highlands are much colder and drier than the warmer and wetter southern coast Average temperatures in the winter are slightly below zero and highs in the summer only in the teens.
Spring in Iceland
The gradual warm up from the winter sees average temperatures rise slowly, April is usually the time when temperatures start to climb. The coastline warms much quicker while the mountainous regions remain quite cold. Be sure to dress warmly in a medium to heavy jacket as it is still quite cold out.
Summer in Iceland
Average summertime temperatures peak in July around 15 degrees Celsius, making for quite the mild summer. Long days with up to 18 hours of sunlight make for extremely short nights, dress in long sleeves and a light jacket to prepare for when that sun eventually goes down.
Autumn in Iceland
Autumn has the largest levels of precipitation so be sure to dress in a waterproofed jacket or rain coat. As winter nears, average temperatures begin to drop slowly from the upper single digits, nearing the freezing mark. By November it’s below freezing and several snowfalls have likely occurred.
Winter in Iceland
Average temperatures in winter teeter in the single digits below freezing. Rain turns to snow, making for a ground cover that may last most of the season, depending on the region you are in. Dress in your heavy coat and be prepared to get a bit chilly, especially in the higher altitudes.
Average temperatures in Reykjavik and Akureyri
Average rainfall in Reykjavik and Akureyri
No comments:
Post a Comment