Iceland

Introduction to Iceland

The Republic of Iceland (Icelandic: Lýðveldið Ísland) is a borderless country, a volcanic island in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland, Norway, Ireland, Scotland and The Faroe Islands.

Iceland remained one of the world's last larger islands uninhabited by humans until it was discovered and settled by immigrants from Scandinavia and from Ireland and Scotland during the 9th and 10th centuries. The Libellus Islandorum, written in 1122-1133 claims that the Norwegian Ingólfr Arnarson was the first man to settle in Iceland (Reykjavík) in 870. The families were accompanied by servants and slaves, some of whom were Celts from Scotland and Ireland (known as Westmen to the Norse). Some literary evidence suggests that Irish monks may have been living in Iceland before the arrival of Norse settlers, but no archaeological evidence has been found.

The Republic of Iceland has no regular armed forces. defence is provided by a predominantly US-manned NATO base in Miðnesheiði near Keflavík. Iceland has a Coast Guard (Landhelgisgæslan) and an anti-terrorism team (similar to the SWAT team) named Sérsveit Ríkislögreglustjóra (English: "The Special Operations Task Force of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police"), commonly referred to as Víkingasveitin (The Viking Team).

Cultural notes about Iceland

Iceland has many famous authors, including Halldór Laxness, Tómas Guðmundsson, Davíð Stefánsson, Jón Thoroddsen, Guðmundur G. Hagalín, Þórbergur Þórðarson and Jóhannes úr Kötlum.

Iceland's best-known classical works of literature are the Icelandic Sagas, prose epics set in Iceland's age of settlement. The most famous of these include Njál's saga, about an epic blood feud, and Grænlendinga saga and Eiríks saga, describing the discovery and settlement of Greenland and Vinland (modern Newfoundland).

W. H. Auden and Louis MacNeice wrote Letters From Iceland (1937) to describe their travels through that country.

Since the end of 2003, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has been the Iceland minister of culture.

Official Canadian government advisories for travelling to, in and around Iceland

Most Canadian visitors to Iceland do not experience problems. The crime rate is low, but travellers should never leave valuables in their car and passports and money should be kept in a safe place at all times.