Description of Iceland according to plan. Iceland Republic of Iceland. Leading political parties
Of course, the main heroes of EURO 2016 were the players of the Icelandic national team, who managed to snatch victory from the English national team, and, perhaps, this is the only team at the Championship that is warmly regarded by fans from all over the world. Today we are publishing a selection of 30 interesting facts about what kind of country Iceland is and what kind of people live there.
1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population of just over 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the island was only 50 thousand people. About 30 thousand fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, approximately 10 percent of the country's population.
2. If you noticed, all the names of the Icelandic National Team players are similar, they end in “son”. The whole point here is that in Iceland patronymics are used instead of surnames; in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic name. For boys, the particle “son” (son) is added to the father’s name; for girls, “dottir” (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different sexes in a family, then they will have different “surnames”, for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, if the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but after the mother’s name.
3. However, this does not mean that Icelanders do not strive to preserve the surname at all, they simply do it in a unique way, some give their children the same names after a generation, that is, they name the child after their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, they can trace the line kind.
4. The classic names of Icelanders are well known to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means "main stone", are the same normal human names in Iceland as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are: male - Jon and female - Gudrun.
5. In Iceland, in everyday life, especially long and complex names are abbreviated, for example, young man Aðalsteinn can be called simply Ali, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppie, Jon - Nonny, and so on.
6. Until recently, it was generally accepted that Icelanders are descendants of Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but recent genetic examination has established that the genes of the Irish, who existed as slaves in Iceland in ancient times, prevail in the gene pool of modern Icelanders. On the other hand, this fits perfectly with the local belief that the Icelandic Vikings stole all the beautiful women from England and Ireland for the purpose of love affairs, and for reproduction.
7. The Icelandic language, due to the long-term isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very little compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages is extremely small. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to that very language northern peoples, in which the Vikings communicated in ancient times, and Icelanders can read ancient sagas, as they say, without straining.
8. Icelandic household sagas, unlike other works of folk art, are a dry listing of facts, which is why it is sometimes quite difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the heroes’ feelings or experiences, only a meticulous listing of events: went there, conquered such and such, married so and so, killed so and so, was killed by so and so. In this case, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event occurred and in what period of time it happened. Previously, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the lack of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered Icelandic household sagas to be historical documents that did not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are still perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art, and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.
Pictured: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik
9. Another reflection of this feature of national thinking is the names geographical objects. In fact, complex and multi-stage words are simply a definition of the place in question. Thus, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city Kopavogur stands for “young seal bay”, and the difficult-to-pronounce name of the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano means “Island of Mountain Glaciers”.
10. At the same time, 90 percent of the country's population speaks English fluently. The following fact is no less interesting: in order to find a job in Iceland, a foreigner does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants to Iceland do not speak Icelandic even after 10 years of living in the country; They have more than enough English for both life and work. Another interesting thing is that if a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and receive it without any problems.
In the photo: the priest of the Ásatrúarfélagið church and his follower
11. Also because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime here. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave their babies sleeping in strollers on the streets of Reykjavik, while they go with their girlfriends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often thrown in cars, and the Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even spend the night there, not managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, police officers in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland does not have a military force; their functions are to some extent performed by the coast guard.
12. Today in Iceland, the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagið, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods, is very popular. Priests of the Ásatrúarfélagið are allowed, for example, to perform a wedding ceremony; it is considered an official procedure in the country, while ministers of the cult can also marry homosexual couples.
Today, 2,400 people officially count themselves among the followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and even now a large-scale construction of a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods is underway in Iceland, this will be the first such structure since the times of the Vikings.
In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live
13. The traditional date for the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is the year 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, the Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, people here still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden Residents (elves). Elves are huldufouls, these are creatures that live in round stones of a certain type; mere mortals cannot see them, except in those cases when the spirits themselves decide to show themselves to people.
The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or house, can cause problems, because huldufoulks should not be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations on it.
14. Christmas in Icelandic will be Yule, that is, it is a direct copy of the word “Yule” - an ancient holiday winter solstice among the Germanic peoples, so it is not surprising that Santa Claus is an unpopular character here. Here Yule Lad work for him at Christmas, but they don’t give gifts to children; on the contrary, the heroes of folklore are the evil spirits of winter. There are fifteen spirits, and they come from the very Hidden inhabitants of the huldufoulks. The spirits come to the cities strictly on schedule; the first to descend from the mountains on December 12 are Gryla and Leppaludi - the mother and father of thirteen Yule Lad. IN in this case, dad is a lazy and overweight male spirit, and his wife is an evil old woman, an analogue of the Russian Baba Yaga, by the way, she also has a stick. Following the parents, one after another, their children come to the cities - the evil spirits of Yule.
Each of the spirits, according to beliefs, engages in sabotage according to their strength and capabilities: one steals dishes, another blows out candles in houses, a third steals sausages, a fourth licks milk supplies, a fifth tangles the wool of sheep, in a word, everyone is at work. The spirits are accompanied by the evil cat Yolokotturin; according to legend, she steals small children and eats them. Yule Lad figurines in Reykjavik can be seen on every corner on the eve of Christmas, their images are also pasted on Icelandair planes, and projections of them are broadcast onto store windows and house facades.
15. It is believed that the national dish of Iceland is hakarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. The Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract, its meat contains poisonous ammonia, therefore, in order for the meat to become edible, it is left to rot underground or in a basement for three months. Haukarl tastes (and smells) like pure urea, which is how it usually stinks in some dirty public toilet. So, in fact, modern Icelanders almost never eat hakarl - this is entertainment for tourists, many of the locals have never tried this disgusting thing, as they say, one smell was enough to fully understand the scale of the disaster.
16. But fried bird breast is a dead end, on the contrary, a popular local dish, a kind of delicacy. Puffins are caught in the summer, when they fly to the island to nest, puffin meat is very tasty, but I really feel sorry for the bird, look how cute they are, they even know how to kiss! In a word, he ate and cried, ate and cried.
It is also shocking to many that in Iceland they eat whales; by the way, they taste like steak. But, according to Icelandic fishermen, if the whale population is not thinned out, they multiply very quickly and then eat all the commercial fish. Iceland regularly violates whale slaughter quotas, and animal rights activists and the whole of Europe are regularly unhappy with this.
In the photo: the national Icelandic dish Plokkfiskur
17. In general, if we talk about Icelandic cuisine, then cod, haddock, smoked salmon, lamb are popular here in the most different types, in particular - lamb fillet, small lobsters (they are slightly larger in size than large shrimp) and, of course, herring. Of course, potatoes are popular among vegetables; by the way, the delicious local dish Plokkfiskur is prepared from leftover haddock and potatoes.
In addition, Icelanders love to generously sprinkle their food with ketchup and mayonnaise; the most popular local drink is Coca-Cola. Among the sweets, sweets and licorice lollipops are held in high esteem here, and in the summer locals indulge in berries, which are good in Iceland. But there are no McDonald's restaurants in the country; the last one closed in 2008 during the crisis.
18. They also eat horse meat in Iceland, and this is also a little sad, because local horses are a real miracle of nature. They are short, hardy, and covered with thick fur in winter. At the same time, Icelandic horses are not afraid, there are no dangerous predators on the island, so the horses are not used to fearing for their lives, they easily approach strangers, allow themselves to be stroked and fed.
There is still debate about how horses originally got to the island. In ancient times, Icelanders assumed that all local horses were descendants of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin. Historians believe that horses were brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th - 10th centuries AD, and geneticists claim that horses were brought to the island from the shores of Scotland. Hippotherapy is also popular in Iceland - the treatment of neurological disorders through communication with horses.
19. Iceland is located on thermal springs, so it mainly uses renewable energy sources. As a result, thermal water flows from the tap, which, however, smells very strongly of hydrogen sulfide, but you gradually sniff it, houses are also heated generously, and since pipes with hot thermal water in Reykjavik are laid directly under the sidewalk, the streets of the Icelandic capital can never ice up, so there is no point in sprinkling them with chemicals.
In the photo: an Icelandic jeep for winter off-road travel
20. But don’t think that everything is so wonderful. Outside the cities, many roads in Iceland become impassable in winter: there is icing, drifting snow, and snow piles. Therefore, the most popular type of vehicle used if you need to travel from Reykjavik to Akureyri in winter is a jeep, and the bigger the better. On a tour of national parks or they even take tourists to the geysers on such monsters as in the photo below.
21. But what is truly wonderful in Iceland are the thermal pools with hot water built outdoors. Of course, everyone has heard about the famous Blue Lagoon, built near a thermal power plant, but this is more entertainment for tourists. Icelanders themselves most often go to ordinary thermal pools, which are open in the amount of approximately one per 10 houses. Everything is simple there: you go in, wash, and climb into the outdoor thermal pool. When purchasing a subscription, the cost of visiting is around 2 euros.
Interestingly, when visiting a thermal pool, guests must wash their hair, and since most pools are located outdoors, the very fact that locals swim with wet hair and do not get sick is admirable. In general, visiting the thermal baths in Iceland is the same option for evening leisure as going to a bar; this is where young people most often invite girls on a first date. It turns out to be very convenient, and cheaper than going to a bar, and you can immediately see the person in all the details.
22. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below minus 6 degrees, but the piercing and sometimes knocking wind fully compensates for this. But in summer it’s never hot in Iceland, the air temperature here rarely rises above 20 degrees, and there’s still the same wind, don’t forget about the wind.
23. If until recently the most popular resort for Russians was Turkey, then the Canary Islands still perform the same function for Icelanders. The reasons for Icelanders’ love for the Canary Islands are prosaic: the nature is similar, the flight is relatively close, by Icelandic standards it’s very affordable, but most importantly, it’s warm, and the fact that the water in the ocean is cool doesn’t bother them at all.
In the photo: Northern Lights over Reykjavik
24. In winter in Iceland it is not just dark, but very dark; on December 21 - the shortest day of the year - dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. But in winter you can regularly observe the Northern Lights here; in Iceland they are usually green, and there is even a website that shows the probability of occurrence Northern Lights in one or another region of the country, its address: http://www.vedur.is.
In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing; in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.
In the photo: the Icelandic Parliament building
25. At the heart government structure Iceland has democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth turning to the history of the country: as the island was settled, tings were formed in the regions of Iceland - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. At the Things, courts were held, disputes were resolved and events took place. brainstorming vital issues affecting the community. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general meeting - the Althing - in order to regulate relations between the regions. As a rule, those who had the powerful support of wealthy landowners achieved success during the Althing. The first Althing took place in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland came under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was captured by Great Britain, which, in turn, transferred Iceland to the United States. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over the England team for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge for the years of occupation.
However, the Icelandic Althing was reassembled in 1845, and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. The entire population of the country took part in finalizing the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012; citizens’ proposals were accepted through social networks and even through YouTube. But, the most curious thing is that for all this, the country has had the same president for the last 16 years - Olavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. Grimsson remained for the second term due to the lack of candidates for the post of head of state, for the third time he won the vote, for the fourth term he went again due to the lack of candidates for the post of president, and for the fifth time he won the elections again. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Gudni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.
Pictured: Hafþór Bjödnson as Grigor "The Mountain" Kligon
26. In Iceland there is socialism, here everyone receives approximately the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important,” that is, it doesn’t matter if you work as a waiter or a scientist - you are in equally worth respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Hafthor Bjödnson - the most strong man on the planet and performer of the role of Grigor "Mountain" Kligon in "Games of Thrones", like many Icelanders, long time not only did bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.
In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.
27. And the local population loves to read; today, according to some data, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.
28. In Iceland there is absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriage has been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay pride parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, try to maintain friendly relations when breaking up, because the country is small and it will still not be possible to completely stop communication. Icelanders get married easily and divorce easily; in case of divorce, children, as a rule, live 50/50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists; they do not allow themselves to be paid for in restaurants; they carry bags, do repairs, nail nails, and so on without any difficulties. True, the advantages of tolerance also give rise to disadvantages; in Iceland, personal space is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.
29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Australian economy, which is based on self-reliance and the construction of a system of closed reproduction of the community with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment. No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more than local ones, and the choice is small. In general, it’s funny with wine, it’s expensive regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and outright mumbo jumbo will cost about the same. Clothing is also mostly locally produced. And the main national item that any Icelander has in their wardrobe is the lopapeysa - a knitted sheep's wool jacket with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, the lopapeysa is quite expensive, but the thing lasts for years.
30. Iceland, according to statistics, is one of the most active countries in
in social networks. Almost all its residents have accounts on Facebook, however, in addition to Facebook, the country also has a local social network www.ja.is, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also their phone number, address and the location on the map where their homes are located. So if you want to meet one of the Icelandic National Football Team players and he is still living in the country, look for him on www.ja.is, he will definitely be there.
The island nation of Iceland is perhaps one of the most untouched places by mass travelers. Perhaps this is for the better, because where homosapien travelers do not tread much, it is much more pleasant to relax on our own. Iceland, like all islands, is surrounded by water and includes the city of Reykjavik, the capital of this state. The territory of the state consists of the island of Iceland with an area of 103 thousand km² and small islands around it.
Language
Official language: Icelandic. English is spoken everywhere.
Currency
Icelandic krona, international name: ISK
Sights of Iceland
In Iceland, the attractions mainly lie in the beauty of nature and the beautiful island topography. For example, the most popular attraction of the island is the Skutulsfjörður fjord, which is talked about by many who have purchased air tickets to Iceland and naturally visited this popular fjord. If Norway is famous for its fjords (plural), then Iceland is famous for its one and only thing. Perhaps this is the whole point.
The oldest buildings on the island include the Maritime Museum - it is a composition of various ancient buildings. Also, all the tourists flock to the central arch of the city. It will be interesting to note the symbolic singularity of this place - one fjord, one museum, one arch.
Perhaps the most stunning sight will be the waterfall. It is located on the Dinyandi River and consists of fresh water. The height of the waterfall is about one hundred meters. The waterfall, mind you, is also one. Oh, this Iceland. And so she is in splendid isolation in the middle of the ocean, and everything about her is unique. This amazing island is a real hermit.
What else is beautiful on this almost godforsaken continent? Yes, in principle, everything is fine here. And nature, and quiet beautiful streets and coastal cafes, and the people themselves. Iceland exudes not just individuality, but a kind of harmony - the unique tranquility of solitude. It seems as if you are alone in the entire endless ocean, and around you are only the sounds of nature and the singing of strange birds.
Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral is considered the symbol of the capital Reykjavik. Well, they still have names that you can’t pronounce the first time. The cathedral is crowned with a bell tower, climbing which you can contemplate the most beautiful and magical panorama of the island. Although the bell tower itself is not so high - only seventy-five meters in height.
Bookmark this page:Iceland
Republic of Iceland
Square: 103 sq. km
Administrative division: 8 regions, 23 districts (sisla), 14 urban districts (koupstadir)
Capital: Reykjavik
Official language: Icelandic
Currency unit: Icelandic krona
Population: 316.2 thousand (2007)
Population density per sq. km: 3 people
Proportion of urban population: 94 %
Ethnic composition population: Icelanders, Danes, Germans, Norwegians
Religion: The Evangelical Lutheran Church has state status
Basis of the economy: fishing
Employment: in the service sector - St. 55%; V agriculture- OK. 23%; in industry - approx. 22%
GDP: 12.1 billion USD (2006)
GDP per capita: 38.2 thousand USD
Form of government: unitarianism
Form of government: parliamentary republic
Legislature: unicameral parliament
Head of State: the president
Head of the government: Prime Minister
Party structures: multi-party system
Fundamentals of government
In the second half of the 13th century. The power of the Norwegian king extended to the territory of Iceland. In 1380, Norway, which included Iceland, came under the rule of Denmark. In 1397, the Kalmar Union created a union of the Scandinavian countries - Norway (with Iceland) and Sweden (with Finland) - under the supreme authority of the Danish kings. Iceland remained part of Denmark until the end of the First World War. In November 1918, Iceland's sovereignty was recognized, but issues of defense and foreign affairs remained under the responsibility of Denmark (Danish-Icelandic Union Treaty). In a referendum in May 1944, the majority of the island's inhabitants voted to dissolve the union. June 17, 1944 Iceland is declared an independent republic.
The Constitution of the Republic of Iceland came into force on the day of independence. With some changes it is still in effect. Proposals to amend the Constitution are made by members of parliament. If this or that amendment is adopted, the parliament is immediately dissolved and after new elections it (the amendment) must be accepted by a new composition of deputies (in the same wording). Next, the amendment is submitted to the head of state for signature, after which it comes into force as a Constitutional law. The head of state is the president, who is vested with both legislative and executive powers. He shares the first with parliament, the second with the government. A candidacy for the post of president is nominated by voters (at least one and a half and no more than three thousand votes are required). A candidate is considered elected if a majority of citizens vote for him. The term of office of the president is four years. It is indicated that they begin on August 1 and end on July 31. Elections are always held in June or July. The number of re-elections is not established by the Constitution. If the office of the President is vacant for any reason, his duties are temporarily performed by a triumvirate consisting of the Prime Minister, the President of Parliament and the Chairman of the Supreme Court.
The highest legislative body is the unicameral parliament (Althing). The upper house of parliament was abolished in 1991. The Althing's sixty-three members are elected by universal secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation. The constitution strictly sets the number of seats for each constituency, and states that the distribution of seats should depend on how many votes a particular party receives in the election. The validity period of deputy mandates is four years. The head of state has the right to dissolve parliament. Regular sessions of parliament open annually on October 1, unless that day falls on a weekend or holiday. Parliament can form commissions to consider important issues. The chairman (speaker) of parliament in Iceland is called the "president".
Althing deputies and ministers can propose bills. All bills are adopted by parliament in three readings. They also require the approval of the head of state. If the president rejects the bill, it still comes into force, but, as the Constitution says, “as soon as circumstances permit,” a referendum is held, which decides the final fate of the innovation.
The highest executive body is the government (Cabinet of Ministers). Members of the Cabinet of Ministers are appointed by the President, who also sets the number of ministers and determines their responsibilities. Meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers are chaired by a prime minister appointed by the president. The ministers, headed by the president, form State Council, to whose consideration all laws are submitted; All important state events are also coordinated with the State Council.
Judicial system
The Constitution specifies that the organization of the judicial system can only be established by law. It is headed by Supreme Court, which is the highest court of appeal and at the same time a body of constitutional control. District and city courts are subordinate to the Supreme Court. The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Minister of Justice. In addition, there are special courts for maritime, labor and religious matters.
Leading political parties
The political life of Iceland is traditionally determined by two parties: the Independence Party and the Progressive Party. Both have a solid history. Independence Party(PN; very often indicated in brackets - conservative), began to take shape at the end of the 19th century. Its final formalization occurred in 1929, when the absorption of less representative Conservative And Liberal parties.
Progressive Party(PP) has been in operation since 1916. It has the greatest influence among farmers. Like the PN, it is always represented in parliament.
Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, re-elected for a third term in June 2004, reflected the interests of the party before taking office People's Union, formed at the end of 1956 as an electoral bloc; since 1968 - an independent political party.
The president
Prime Minister
Since June 2006 – Geir Hilmar Horde (PN)
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