Portal:Iceland
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Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland, pronounced [ˈistlant] ) is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is linked culturally and politically with Europe and is the region's most sparsely populated country. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 380,000 residents. The official language of the country is Icelandic. Located on a rift between tectonic plates, Iceland's geologic activity includes geysers and frequent volcanic eruptions. The interior consists of a volcanic plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a latitude just south of the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate. According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, immigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin. (Full article...) Selected article -Hrafnkels saga (Old Norse pronunciation: [ˈhrɑvnˌkels ˌsɑɣɑ]; Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈr̥apn̥ˌcɛls ˌsaːɣa] ) or Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða (O.N.: [ˈfrœysˌɡoðɑ]; Ice.: [ˈfreisˌkɔːða] ) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It tells of struggles between chieftains and farmers in the east of Iceland in the 10th century. The eponymous main character, Hrafnkell, starts out his career as a fearsome duelist and a dedicated worshiper of the god Freyr. After suffering defeat, humiliation, and the destruction of his temple, he becomes an atheist. His character changes and he becomes more peaceful in dealing with others. After gradually rebuilding his power base for several years, he achieves revenge against his enemies and lives out the rest of his life as a powerful and respected chieftain. The saga has been interpreted as the story of a man who arrives at the conclusion that the true basis of power does not lie in the favor of the gods but in the loyalty of one's subordinates. The saga remains widely read today and is appreciated for its logical structure, plausibility, and vivid characters. For these reasons, it has served as a test case in the dispute on the origins of the Icelandic sagas. (Full article...)Selected pictureAround the volcano Leirhnjúkur in Iceland, there are several hot springs. These springs are produced by the emergence of geothermally-heated groundwater from the earth's crust. Iceland is particularly renowned for its hot springs. News
Main topicsSelected biography -
Arnaldur Indriðason (pronounced [ˈartnaltʏr ˈɪntrɪðasɔn]; born 28 January 1961) is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction; his most popular series features the protagonist Detective Erlendur. (Full article...)
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Selected quoteGeneral imagesThe following are images from various Iceland-related articles on Wikipedia.
Selected panoramaÁsbyrgi canyon—an enormous, horseshoe-shaped depression, part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park—lies in the north of Iceland, about two hours' drive to the east from Akureyri.
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