![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Iceland-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>According to the ancient manuscript Landn\u00e1mab\u00f3k<\/a>, the settlement of Iceland<\/a> began in 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ing\u00f3lfr Arnarson<\/a> became the first permanent settler on the island. In the following centuries, Norwegians, and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, emigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic<\/a> origin.<\/p>\n The island was governed as an independent commonwealth<\/a> under the Althing<\/a>, one of the world’s oldest functioning legislative assemblies. Following a period of civil strife<\/a>, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. The establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397<\/a> united the kingdoms of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Iceland thus followed Norway’s integration into that union, coming under Danish rule after Sweden’s secession from the union in 1523. Although the Danish kingdom introduced Lutheranism forcefully in 1550, Iceland remained a distant semi-colonial territory in which Danish institutions and infrastructures were conspicuous by their absence.<\/p>\n In the wake of the French Revolution<\/a> and the Napoleonic Wars<\/a>, Iceland’s struggle for independence took form and culminated in independence in 1918<\/a> and the founding of a republic in 1944. Although its parliament (Althing) was suspended from 1799 to 1845, the island republic has been credited with sustaining the world’s oldest and longest-running parliament.<\/p>\n Until the 20th century, Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture. Industrialist of the fisheries and Marshall Plan<\/a> aid following World War II<\/a> brought prosperity and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, it became a part of the European Economic Area<\/a>, which further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and manufacturing.<\/p>\n Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes, compared to other OECD countries<\/a>, as well as the highest trade union membership in the world. It maintains a Nordic social welfare system<\/a> that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. Iceland ranks high in economic, democratic, social stability, and equality, ranking third in the world by median wealth per adult. In 2018, it was ranked as the sixth most developed country in the world by the United Nations’ Human Development Index<\/a>, and it ranks first on the Global Peace Index<\/a>. Iceland runs almost completely on renewable energy.<\/p>\n Hit hard by the worldwide financial crisis, the nation’s entire banking system systemically failed in October 2008, leading to an economic crisis and the collapse of the country’s three largest banks. The crisis prompted substantial political unrest, the Icesave dispute<\/a>, and the institution of capital controls (imposed in 2008 and lifted in 2017). By 2014, the Icelandic economy has made a significant recovery, in large part due to a surge in tourism.<\/p>\n Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation’s Scandinavian heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse<\/a> and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is descended from Old West Norse and is closely related to Faroese. The country’s cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, Icelandic literature, and medieval sagas. Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army, with a lightly armed coast guard.<\/p>\n According to both Landn\u00e1mab\u00f3k<\/a> and \u00cdslendingab\u00f3k<\/a>, monks known as the Papar<\/a> lived in Iceland before Scandinavian settlers arrived, possibly members of a Hiberno-Scottish<\/a> mission. Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir<\/a> on the Reykjanes peninsula<\/a>. Carbon dating indicates that it was abandoned sometime between 770 and 880. In 2016, archaeologists uncovered a longhouse in St\u00f6\u00f0varfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur<\/a> that has been dated to as early as 800.<\/p>\n Swedish Viking explorer Gar\u00f0ar Svavarsson<\/a> was the first to circumnavigate Iceland in 870 and establish that it was an island. He stayed over winter and built a house in H\u00fasav\u00edk<\/a>. Gar\u00f0ar departed the following summer but one of his men, N\u00e1ttfari<\/a>, decided to stay behind with two slaves. N\u00e1ttfari settled in what is now known as N\u00e1ttfarav\u00edk and he and his slaves became the first permanent residents of Iceland.<\/p>\n The Norwegian-Norse chieftain Ing\u00f3lfr Arnarson<\/a> built his homestead in present-day Reykjav\u00edk in 874. Ing\u00f3lfr was followed by many other emigrant settlers, largely Scandinavians and their thralls, many of whom were Irish or Scottish. By 930, most arable land on the island had been claimed; the Althing, a legislative and judicial assembly, was initiated to regulate the Icelandic Commonwealth. Lack of arable land also served as an impetus to the settlement of Greenland<\/a> starting in 986. The period of these early settlements coincided with the Medieval Warm Period<\/a>, when temperatures were similar to those of the early 20th century. At this time, about 25% of Iceland was covered with forest, compared to 1% in the present day. Christianity was adopted by consensus<\/a> around 999\u20131000, although Norse paganism<\/a> persisted among segments of the population for some years afterwards.<\/p>\n The Icelandic Commonwealth<\/a> lasted until the 13th century, when the political system devised by the original settlers proved unable to cope with the increasing power of Icelandic chieftains. The internal struggles and civil strife of the Age of the Sturlungs<\/a> led to the signing of the Old Covenant<\/a> in 1262, which ended the Commonwealth and brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown. Possession of Iceland passed from the Kingdom of Norway (872\u20131397)<\/a> to the Kalmar Union<\/a> in 1415, when the kingdoms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united. After the break-up of the union in 1523, it remained a Norwegian dependency, as a part of Denmark\u2013Norway.<\/a><\/p>\n Infertile soil, volcanic eruptions, deforestation and an unforgiving climate made for harsh life in a society where subsistence depended almost entirely on agriculture. The Black Death<\/a> swept Iceland twice, first in 1402\u20131404 and again in 1494\u20131495. The former outbreak killed 50% to 60% of the population, and the latter 30% to 50%.<\/p>\n Around the middle of the 16th century, as part of the Protestant Reformatio<\/a>n, King Christian III of Denmark<\/a> began to impose Lutheranism<\/a> on all his subjects. J\u00f3n Arason<\/a>, the last Catholic bishop of H\u00f3lar<\/a>, was beheaded in 1550 along with two of his sons. The country subsequently became officially Lutheran and Lutheranism has since remained the dominant religion.<\/p>\n In the 17th and 18th centuries, Denmark imposed harsh trade restrictions on Iceland<\/a>. Natural disasters, including volcanic eruption and disease, contributed to a decreasing population. Pirates from several countries, including the Barbary Coast<\/a>, raided Iceland’s coastal settlements and abducted people into slavery. A great smallpox epidemic in the 18th century killed around a third of the population. In 1783 the Laki<\/a> volcano erupted, with devastating effects. In the years following the eruption, known as the Mist Hardships<\/a> (Icelandic: M\u00f3\u00f0uhar\u00f0indin), over half of all livestock in the country died. Around a quarter of the population starved to death in the ensuing famine.<\/p>\n In 1814, following the Napoleonic Wars<\/a>, Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via the Treaty of Kiel<\/a> but Iceland remained a Danish dependency. Throughout the 19th century, the country’s climate continued to grow colder, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly to the region of Gimli<\/a>, Manitoba<\/a> in Canada, which was sometimes referred to as New Iceland. About 15,000 people emigrated, out of a total population of 70,000.<\/p>\n A national consciousness arose in the first half of the 19th century, inspired by romantic and nationalist ideas from mainland Europe. An Icelandic independence movement took shape in the 1850s under the leadership of J\u00f3n Sigur\u00f0sson<\/a>, based on the burgeoning Icelandic nationalism inspired by the Fj\u00f6lnismenn<\/a> and other Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and limited home rule. This was expanded in 1904, and Hannes Hafstein<\/a> served as the first Minister for Iceland in the Danish cabinet.<\/p>\n The Danish\u2013Icelandic Act of Union<\/a>, an agreement with Denmark signed on 1 December 1918 and valid for 25 years, recognized Iceland as a fully sovereign and independent state in a personal union with Denmark. The Government of Iceland established an embassy in Copenhagen and requested that Denmark carry out on its behalf certain defense and foreign affairs matters, subject to consultation with the Althing. Danish embassies around the world displayed two coats of arms and two flags: those of the Kingdom of Denmark and those of the Kingdom of Iceland<\/a>. Iceland’s legal position became comparable to those of countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations such as Canada whose sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II.<\/p>\n During World War II, Iceland joined Denmark in asserting neutrality. After the German occupation of Denmark<\/a> on 9 April 1940, the Althing replaced the King with a regent and declared that the Icelandic government would take control of its own defense and foreign affairs. A month later, British armed forces conducted Operation Fork<\/a>, the invasion and occupation of the country, violating Icelandic neutrality. In 1941, the Government of Iceland, friendly to Britain, invited the then-neutral United States to take over its defense so that Britain could use its troops elsewhere.<\/p>\n On 31 December 1943, the Danish\u2013Icelandic Act of Union expired after 25 years. Beginning on 20 May 1944, Icelanders voted in a four-day plebiscite on whether to terminate the personal union with Denmark, abolish the monarchy, and establish a republic. The vote was 97% to end the union, and 95% in favor of the new republican constitution. Iceland formally became a republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Bj\u00f6rnsson<\/a> as its first president.<\/p>\n In 1946, the US Defence Force Allied left Iceland. The nation formally became a member of NATO<\/a> on 30 March 1949, amid domestic controversy and riots<\/a>. On 5 May 1951, a defense agreement was signed with the United States. American troops returned to Iceland as the Iceland Defence Force<\/a>, and remained throughout the Cold War<\/a>. The US withdrew the last of its forces on 30 September 2006.<\/p>\n Iceland prospered during the Second World War. The immediate post-war period was followed by substantial economic growth, driven by industrialization of the fishing industry and the US Marshall Plan<\/a> program, through which Icelanders received the most aid per capita of any European country (at US$209, with the war-ravaged Netherlands<\/a> a distant second at US$109).<\/p>\n The 1970s were marked by the Cod Wars<\/a>\u2014several disputes with the United Kingdom<\/a> over Iceland’s extension of its fishing limits to 200 nmi (370 km) offshore. Iceland hosted a summit in Reykjav\u00edk<\/a> in 1986 between United States President Ronald Reagan<\/a> and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev<\/a>, during which they took significant steps toward nuclear disarmament. A few years later, Iceland became the first country to recognize the independence of Estonia<\/a>, Latvia<\/a>, and Lithuania<\/a> as they broke away from the USSR. Throughout the 1990s, the country expanded its international role and developed a foreign policy oriented toward humanitarian and peacekeeping causes. To that end, Iceland provided aid and expertise to various NATO-led interventions in Bosnia<\/a>, Kosovo<\/a>, and Iraq<\/a>.<\/p>\n Iceland joined the European Economic Area<\/a> in 1994, after which the economy was greatly diversified and liberalized. International economic relations increased further after 2001, when Iceland’s newly deregulated banks began to raise massive amounts of external debt, contributing to a 32% increase in Iceland’s gross national income between 2002 and 2007.<\/p>\n In 2003\u20132007, following the privatization of the banking sector under the government of Dav\u00ed\u00f0 Oddsson<\/a>, Iceland moved toward having an economy based on international investment banking and financial services. It was quickly becoming one of the most prosperous countries in the world but was hit hard by a major financial crisis<\/a>. The crisis resulted in the greatest migration from Iceland since 1887, with a net emigration of 5,000 people in 2009. Iceland’s economy stabilized under the government of J\u00f3hanna Sigur\u00f0ard\u00f3ttir<\/a>, and grew by 1.6% in 2012. The center-right Independence Party<\/a> was returned to power in coalition with the Progressive Party<\/a> in the 2013 elections. In the following years, Iceland saw a surge in tourism as the country became a popular holiday destination. In 2016, Prime Minister Sigmundur Dav\u00ed\u00f0 Gunnlaugsson<\/a> resigned after being implicated in the Panama Papers scandal<\/a>. Early elections in 2016 resulted in a right-wing coalition government of the Independence Party, the Reform Party<\/a> and Bright Future<\/a>. This government fell when Bright Future quit the coalition due to a scandal involving then-Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson’s<\/a> father’s letter of support for a convicted child sex offender. Snap elections in October 2017 brought to power a new coalition consisting of the Independence Party, the Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement<\/a>, headed by Katr\u00edn Jakobsd\u00f3ttir.<\/a><\/p>\n Iceland is at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The main island is entirely south of the Arctic Circle<\/a>, which passes through the small Icelandic island of Gr\u00edmsey<\/a> off the main island’s northern coast.<\/p>\n Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America, although it is closest to Greenland (290 km, 180 mi), an island of North America. Iceland is generally included in Europe for geographical, historical, political, cultural, linguistic and practical reasons. Geologically, the island includes parts of both continental plates. The closest bodies of land in Europe are the Faroe Islands<\/a> (420 km, 260 mi); Jan Mayen Island<\/a> (570 km, 350 mi); Shetland<\/a> and the Outer Hebrides<\/a>, both about 740 km (460 mi); and the Scottish mainland and Orkney<\/a>, both about 750 km (470 mi). The nearest part of Continental Europe is mainland Norway, about 970 km (600 mi) away, while mainland North America is 2,070 km (1,290 mi) away, at the northern tip of Labrador<\/a>.<\/p>\n Iceland is the world’s 18th largest island, and Europe’s second-largest island after Great Britain. The main island is 101,826 km2 (39,315 sq mi), but the entire country is 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi) in size, of which 62.7% is tundra. About 30 minor islands are in Iceland, including the lightly populated Gr\u00edmsey and the Vestmannaeyjar<\/a> archipelago. Lakes and glaciers cover 14.3% of its surface; only 23% is vegetated. The largest lakes are \u00de\u00f3risvatn<\/a> reservoir: 83\u201388 km2 (32\u201334 sq mi) and \u00deingvallavatn<\/a>: 82 km2 (32 sq mi); other important lakes include Lagarflj\u00f3t<\/a> and M\u00fdvatn<\/a>. J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n<\/a> is the deepest lake, at 248 m (814 ft).<\/p>\n Geologically, Iceland is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge<\/a>, a ridge along which the oceanic crust spreads and forms new oceanic crust. This part of the mid-ocean ridge is located above a mantle plume, causing Iceland to be subaerial (above the surface of the sea). The ridge marks the boundary between the Eurasian<\/a> and North American Plates<\/a>, and Iceland was created by rifting and accretion through volcanism along the ridge.<\/p>\n Many fjords<\/a> punctuate Iceland’s 4,970-km-long (3,088-mi) coastline, which is also where most settlements are situated. The island’s interior, the Highlands of Iceland<\/a>, is a cold and uninhabitable combination of sand, mountains, and lava fields. The major towns are the capital city of Reykjav\u00edk<\/a>, along with its outlying towns of K\u00f3pavogur<\/a>, Hafnarfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur<\/a>, and Gar\u00f0ab\u00e6r<\/a>, nearby Reykjanesb\u00e6r<\/a> where the international airport is located, and the town of Akureyri<\/a> in northern Iceland. The island of Gr\u00edmsey on the Arctic Circle contains the northernmost habitation of Iceland, whereas Kolbeinsey<\/a> contains the northernmost point of Iceland. Iceland has three national parks: Vatnaj\u00f6kull National Park<\/a>, Sn\u00e6fellsj\u00f6kull National Park<\/a>, and \u00deingvellir National Park<\/a>. The country is considered a “strong performer” in environmental protection, having been ranked 13th in Yale University’s<\/a> Environmental Performance Index of 2012.<\/p>\n In 2007, Iceland was the seventh most productive country in the world per capita (US$54,858), and the fifth most productive by GDP at purchasing power parity ($40,112). About 85 percent of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources. Use of abundant hydroelectric and geothermal power has made Iceland the world’s largest electricity producer per capita. As a result of its commitment to renewable energy, the 2016 Global Green Economy Index ranked Iceland among the top 10 greenest economies in the world. Historically, Iceland’s economy depended heavily on fishing, which still provides 40% of export earnings and employs 7% of the work force. The economy is vulnerable to declining fish stocks and drops in world prices for its main material exports: fish and fish products, aluminium, and ferrosilicon<\/a>. Whaling in Iceland has been historically significant. Iceland still relies heavily on fishing, but its importance is diminishing from an export share of 90% in the 1960s to 40% in 2006.<\/p>\n Until the 20th century, Iceland was a fairly poor country. It is now one of the most developed countries in the world. Strong economic growth had led Iceland to be ranked first in the United Nations’ Human Development Index report for 2007\/2008, although in 2011 its HDI rating had fallen to 14th place as a result of the economic crisis. Nevertheless, according to the Economist Intelligence Index of 2011, Iceland has the 2nd highest quality of life in the world. Based on the Gini coefficient<\/a>, Iceland also has one of the lowest rates of income inequality in the world, and when adjusted for inequality, its HDI ranking is 6th. Iceland’s unemployment rate has declined consistently since the crisis, with 4.8% of the labor force being unemployed as of June 2012, compared to 6% in 2011 and 8.1% in 2010.<\/p>\n Many political parties remain opposed to EU membership, primarily due to Icelanders’ concern about losing control over their natural resources (particularly fisheries). The national currency of Iceland is the Icelandic kr\u00f3na (ISK). Iceland is the only country in the world to have a population under two million yet still have a floating exchange rate and an independent monetary policy.<\/p>\n A poll released on 5 March 2010 by Capacent Gallup<\/a> showed that 31% of respondents were in favor of adopting the euro and 69% opposed. Another Capacent Gallup poll conducted in February 2012 found that 67.4% of Icelanders would reject EU membership in a referendum.<\/p>\n Iceland’s economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, including software production, biotechnology, and finance; industry accounts for around a quarter of economic activity, while services comprise close to 70%. The tourism sector is expanding, especially in ecotourism and whale-watching. On average, Iceland receives around 1.1 million visitors annually, which is more than three times the native population. 1.7 million people visited Iceland in 2016, 3 times more than the number that came in 2010. Iceland’s agriculture industry, accounting for 5.4% of GDP,[68] consists mainly of potatoes, green vegetables (in greenhouses), mutton and dairy products. The financial center is Borgart\u00fan<\/a> in Reykjav\u00edk, which hosts a large number of companies and three investment banks. Iceland’s stock market, the Iceland Stock Exchange (ISE)<\/a>, was established in 1985.<\/p>\n Iceland has a high level of car ownership per capita; with a car for every 1.5 inhabitants; it is the main form of transport. Iceland has 13,034 km (8,099 mi) of administered roads, of which 4,617 km (2,869 mi) are paved and 8,338 km (5,181 mi) are not. A great number of roads remain unpaved, mostly little-used rural roads. The road speed limits are 30 km\/h (19 mph) and 50 km\/h (31 mph) in towns, 80 km\/h (50 mph) on gravel country roads and 90 km\/h (56 mph) on hard-surfaced roads.<\/p>\n Route 1<\/a>, or the Ring Road (Icelandic: \u00dej\u00f3\u00f0vegur 1 or Hringvegur), was completed in 1974, and is a main road that runs around Iceland and connects all the inhabited parts of the island, with the interior of the island being uninhabited. This paved road is 1,332 km (828 mi) long with one lane in each direction, except near larger towns and cities and in the Hvalfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur Tunnel<\/a> where it has more lanes. Many bridges on it, especially in the north and east, are single lane and made of timber and\/or steel.<\/p>\n Keflav\u00edk International Airport (KEF)<\/a> is the largest airport and the main aviation hub for international passenger transport. It serves several international and domestic airline companies. KEF is in the vicinity of the larger metropolitan capital areas, 49 km (30 mi) to the WSW of Reykjav\u00edk center, and public bus services are available.<\/p>\n Reykjav\u00edk Airport (RKV)<\/a> is the second largest airport located just 1,5 km from the capital center. RKV serves general aviation traffic and has daily- or regular domestic flights to 12 local townships within Iceland. RKV also serves international flights to Greenland<\/a> and the Faroe Islands<\/a>, business and private airplanes along with aviation training.<\/p>\n Akureyri Airport (AEY)<\/a> and Egilssta\u00f0ir Airport (EGS)<\/a> are two other domestic airports with limited international service capacity. There are a total of 103 registered airports and airfields in Iceland; most of them are unpaved and located in rural areas. The second longest runway is at Geitamelur, a four-runway glider field around 100 km (62 mi) east of Reykjav\u00edk.<\/p>\n Iceland has no passenger railways.<\/p>\n Six main ferry services provide regular access to various outpost communities or shorten travel distances.<\/p>\n The flag of Iceland (Icelandic: \u00edslenski f\u00e1ninn) was officially described in Law No. 34, set out on 17 June 1944, the day Iceland became a republic. The law is entitled “The Law of the National Flag of Icelanders and the State Arms” and describes the Icelandic flag as follows:<\/p>\n The civil national flag of Icelanders is blue as the sky with a snow-white cross, and a fiery-red cross inside the white cross. The arms of the cross extend to the edge of the flag, and their combined width is \u200b2\u20449, but the red cross \u200b1\u20449 of the combined width of the flag. The blue areas are right angled rectangles, the rectilinear surfaces are parallel and the outer rectilinear surfaces as wide as them, but twice the length. The dimensions between the width and length are 18:25.<\/p>\n Iceland’s first national flag was a white cross on a deep blue background. It was first shown in parade in 1897.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Scenes-of-Reykjavik-215x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/2009-Icelandic-Financial-Crisis-Protests-300x201.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
874 – 1262 – Settlement and Commonwealth:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Ing\u00f3lfr-Arnarson-300x238.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The Middle Ages:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Flag-of-The-Icelandic-Commonwealth-300x217.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Reformation and the Early Modern Period:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/\u00d3sv\u00f6r-a-Replica-of-an-Old-Fishing-Village-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>1814\u20131918 – Independence Movement:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Jon-Sigur\u00f0sson-218x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>1918\u20131944 – Independence and the Kingdom of Iceland:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/HMS-Berwick-Led-the-British-Invasion-of-Iceland-300x229.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>1944\u2013Present – Republic of Iceland:<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Sveinn-Bj\u00f6rnsson-220x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/British-and-Icelandic-Vessels-Collide-During-the-Cod-Wars-300x182.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Topographic-Map-of-Iceland-300x244.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/J\u00f6kuls\u00e1rl\u00f3n-Glacier-Lagoon-300x196.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Iceland-Exports-300x234.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Fjardaal-Aluminium-Smelter-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Route1-Iceland-300x217.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Keflav\u00edk-International-Airport-300x194.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Iceland:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/07\/Flag-of-Iceland-300x216.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/07\/Early-Unofficial-Flag-of-Iceland-300x216.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/07\/Flag-of-Iceland-1918-1944-with-Ultramarine-Blue-300x216.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>