History UsefulNotes / Iceland

Got into a few disagreements with Britain in the 1950s and 70s about exactly where its territorial waters were - this was important, as said waters are rich in cod. Britain claimed that the waters were international, so they could fish there. Iceland said they couldn't, because it was their territorial waters. The Royal Navy was sent in to protect the British trawlers and the whole fracas was dignified with the name "The Cod Wars". One shot - possibly a blank - was fired during the three Cod Wars. Of course Iceland [[UnderdogsNeverLose won]].

* Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president, the first democratically elected female head of state (also a single mother and cancer survivor).

It's an island. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin With a lot of ice.]]

Medieval Iceland was renowned for its storytelling culture, and most of the famous [[Literature/IcelandicSagas Norse sagas]] (including the Eddas, our best source of {{Norse mythology}}) were written there in the forms we know them today.

* SnorriSturluson, medieval chieftain, poet and historian who composed the ''Prose Edda'' and ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}''.

Iceland is by far the largest nation on Earth which has no standing army (the next ones being Panama and Costa Rica). However, it has some special police forces and a capable coast guard with a small air unit [[ClosestThingWeveGot that can act as]] [[MildlyMilitary an impromptu defence force]]. Other than that, most of the defence in a time of crisis would be up to Norway and other NATO countries. During a short period of the 19th century, there was also a small Icelandic garrison of the Danish royal army.

Iceland is by far the largest nation on Earth which has no standing army (the next ones being Panama and Costa Rica). However, it has some special police forces and a capable coast guard with a small air unit that can act as an impromptu defence force. Other than that, most of the defence in a time of crisis would be up to Norway and other NATO countries. During a short period of the 19th century, there was also a small Icelandic garrison of the Danish royal army.

* SnorriSturluson, medieval chieftain, poet and historian who composed the ''Prose Edda''.

First settled in 874, Iceland ended up as part of Denmark. When Denmark fell to the Germans in 1940, the island was cut off and decided to act independently. The British invaded, believing that they would stop the Germans going after it (they weren't planning to do so). The Icelandic government protested, but resigned themselves to cooperating after the British promised compensation and a withdrawal after the war. As British forces were needed elsewhere, occupation was handed over to the United States. There were more U.S. forces (40,000) than adult male locals, and many of the former married the local women.

Iceland is by far the largest nation on Earth which has no standing army (the next ones being Panama and Costa Rica). However, it has some special police forces and a capable coast guard with a small air unit that can act as an impromptu defence force. Other than that, most of the defence in a time of crisis would be up to Norway and other NATO countries.

Iceland is by far the largest nation on Earth which has no standing army (the next ones being Panama and Costa Rica).

'''Famous Icelanders'''

'''Iceland in fiction'''

Medieval Iceland was renowned for its storytelling culture, and most of the famous [[Literature/IcelandicSagas Norse sagas]] (including the Eddas, our best source of Norse mythology) were written there in the forms we know them today.

However, the EU membership bid seems doomed since only one party supports it (and not whole-heartedly at that) and also because the question will have to be decided in a referendum, and polls show that as of now, about 70% of the population is against it. The currency game doesn't seem to apply either. The króna has the potential of being more stable than the Euro - see Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal for sorry examples - and it should also be remembered that the heaviest burden will be borne by the largest economies, first and foremost Germany, and the Germans are a) not finished with absorbing the GDR and b) sick and tired of being everybody's sponsor.

''Lýðveldið Ísland'', to give it the local name, is the westernmost country in Europe[[hottip:*:Politically, that is. Geologically its more like its not really part of any continental mass]]. Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a geological faultline, Iceland has a lot of volcanoes and new islands pop up from time to time. One particular volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, erupted in the summer of 2010, causing a massive ash cloud that essentially closed most of Europe's airspace.

Suffered a large scale banking collapse and a drop in the value of its currency in 2008. This led to an odd situation where money and VendorTrash earned in ''EveOnline'' was worth more than their real currency (CCP Games is based in Iceland and the game's currency has the same code, ISK, as Iceland's kroner). The collapse was sufficiently bad that Iceland applied to the IMF for currency stabilization (something that rich countries haven't done on a large scale in quite some time) and applied to the EU for membership (before, Icelanders hadn't decided they needed it). The banking collapse affected the UK, where a lot of councils had banked with Icelandic banks.

* ''ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'' personifies Iceland as a WhiteHairedPrettyBoy with a disturbing mind and a love of extreme sports. Oh, and he sparkles. He's also the least [[HeavyMetal metal]] country in Scandinavia.

Medieval Iceland was renowned for its storytelling culture, and most of the famous [[IcelandicSagas Norse sagas]] (including the Eddas, our best source of Norse mythology) were written there in the forms we know them today.

* TheIcelandicSagas, natch.

* ''AxisPowersHetalia'' personifies Iceland as a {{Kuudere}} with white hair and a puffin. His older brother is Norway though he vehemently refuses to call him that.

Also, don't go there if you want to escape the [[WorldWarZ Zombie]] [[ZombieApocalypse Apocalypse]].

Medieval Iceland was renowned for its storytelling culture, and most of the famous Norse sagas (including the Eddas, our best source of Norse mythology) were written there in the forms we know them today.

* TheIcelandicSagas

* [[{{Bjork}} Björk]], experimental singer and musician

* ''ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'' personifies Iceland as a White Haired Pretty Boy with a disturbing mind and a love of extreme sports. Oh, and he sparkles.

''Lýðveldið Ísland'', to give it the local name, is the westernmost country in Europe[[hottip:*:Politically, that is. Geologically its more like its not really part of any continental mass]]. Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a geological faultline, Iceland has a lot of volcanoes and new islands pop up from time to time. One particular volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, is currently erupting causing a massive ash cloud that has essentially closed most of Europe's airspace.

Medieval Iceland was renowned for its storytelling culture, and most of the famous Norse sagas (including the Edda, our best source of Norse mythology) were written there in the forms we know them today.

Got into a few disagreements with Britain in the 1950s and 70s about exactly where its territorial waters were - this was important, as said waters are rich in cod. Britain claimed that the waters were international, so they could fish there. Iceland said they couldn't, because it was their territorial waters. The Royal Navy was sent in to protect the British trawlers and the whole fracas was dignified with the name "The Cod Wars". One shot - possibly a blank - was fired during the three Cod Wars.

However, the EU membership bid is doomed since only one party supports it (and not whole-heartedly at that) and also because the question will have to be decided in a referendum, and polls show that as of now, about 70% of the population is against it. The currency game doesn't seem to apply either. The króna has the potential of being more stable than the Euro - see Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal for sorry examples - and it should also be remembered that the heaviest burden will be borne by the largest economies, first and foremost Germany, and the Germans are a) not finished with absorbing the GDR and b) sick and tired of being everybodies sponsor.

* Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former president, the first democratically elected female head of state (also a single mother).

* "Scandinavia And The World" personifies Iceland as a White Haired Pretty Boy with a disturbing mind and a love of extreme sports. Oh, and he sparkles.

However, the [[EpicFail UE]] membership bid is doomed since only one party supports it (and not whole-heartedly at that) and also because the question will have to be decided in a referendum, and polls show that as of now, about 70% of the population is against it. The currency game doesn't seem to apply either. The króna has the potential of being more stable than the Euro - see Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal for sorry examples - and it should also be remembered that the heaviest burden will be borne by the largest economies, first and foremost Germany, and the Germans are a) not finished with absorbing the GDR and b) sick and tired of being everybodies sponsor.

''Lýðveldið Ísland'', to give it the local name, is the westernmost country in Europe. Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a geological faultline, Iceland has a lot of volcanoes and new islands pop up from time to time. One particular volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, is currently erupting causing a massive ash cloud that has essentially closed most of Europe's airspace.