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About Icelandic Culture:
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History
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Superimposed on Iceland's
rugged terrain is a resilient and independent culture,
fashioned over the years by the descendants of farmers
and warriors who fled the tyranny of medieval Scandinavia.
Their flight to a new and empty country resulted in
the building of sturdy settlements and farms, and was
the beginning of a rich literary tradition dominated
by the Sagas - fact-based accounts of struggles, battles,
heroics, religion and occupations - which are considered
the finest of all Western medieval works.
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The People
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The Icelanders are
of Scandinavian origin, with some early blending of
Celtic blood. For generations they have been putting
down roots in the most unexpected places, from out at
the edge of the furthest ocean to the most isolated
and primitive mountain farms. And yet, it is never far
to the nearest town or village.
In the midst of a landscape both terrifyingly harsh
and sublimely beautiful one finds friendly, hospitable
people with a very distinct culture and unique sense
of humor.
Visitors will find that today's Iceland
is a classless society with a strong literary tradition.
Icelanders pay careful attention to their appearance
and, as in most Western countries, casual wear is widely
acceptable although unsuitable for smart and social
functions.
Shaking hands is the acceptable form
of greeting when meeting someone.
Iceland was settled by Norsemen from
Scandinavia and Celts from the British Isles. The ruling
class was Nordic, so both the Icelandic language and
culture were purely Scandinavian from the outset. Traces
of Celtic influence are apparent, however, in some of
the Eddaic poems, in present-day names and in the appearance
of the Icelanders, who have a higher percentage of dark-haired
people amongst them than any of the other Nordic nations.
In or around the year 1100 the population, then entirely
rural, is estimated to have numbered about 70-80,000
people. During the eighteenth century it sank below
40,000 on three separate occasions, but by the year
1900 had reached 78,000. In 1925 the population had
passed the 100,000 mark, in 1967 it reached 200,000
and today exceeds 260,000. The average life expectancy
is one of the highest in the world: 74 years for men
and 80 years for women. In 1880 there were only three
towns in Iceland, in which 5% of the population lived.
By 1920 some 43% of the population lived in towns and
villages with over 200 inhabitants. By 1984 there were
23 towns and 42 villages in Iceland, in which 89.2%
of the population lived, while only 10.8% lived in rural
districts. In the future it is estimated that the vast
majority of Icelanders will live in the greater Reykjavík
area.
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| Language
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Icelandic is the national language and is believed
to have changed very little from the original tongue
spoken by the Norse settlers. English, Danish and German
are also widely spoken and understood. The Icelandic
alphabet has two letters unique to it: Þ/þ and Ð/ð.
Þ is pronounced as th in "thing" and Ð is
pronounced as th in "them".
Very few Icelanders have original
surnames, so it can often be difficult to fathom out
the telephone directory, which lists people by their
first names. This is why Icelanders call each other
by their first names - not because they all know one
another - though, nevertheless, this often seems to
be the case! Most people have a patronymic rather than
a family surname.
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| Names
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| Only about 10% of Icelanders have
surnames or family names. The rest use the system of
patronymics, i.e. instead of a surname the first name
of the father is used with "son" or "dóttir"
added to it. Thus Magnússon means son of Magnús and
Bjarnadóttir means daughter of Bjarni.
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| Religion
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| Although Iceland is officially
Christian, the ancient Norse religion known as Ásatrú
is gaining popularity, not only as a novelty, but as
an officially recognized sect. A sheep farmer revived
Icelandic Ásatrú in the 1970s; it focuses on the
natural forces and the harmony of nature represented
by the ancient gods.
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| Recent
trends |
Iceland is far more than unspoiled
nature; Icelandic culture is as diverse as the landscape.
This country with the small population can boast of
internationally-renowned artists, writers, composers
and musicians such as Halldór Laxness, Jón Leifs, Kristján
Jóhannsson and Björk. Also internationally known are
attractions like the bi-annual Reykjavík Arts Festival.
Icelandic food such as smoked salmon, lamb and reindeer
has also been gaining well-deserved renown internationally
in recent years.
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The food |
| Icelandic food is the product of
a pristine, unpolluted natural environment. This includes
seafood of the highest quality, excellent milk products,
reindeer, mushrooms, berries, and the country's famous
lamb. In recent years Icelandic chefs have perfected
the art of turning the country's edible resources into
gourmet dishes, combining pure raw materials with the
finest international trends.
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| Government
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| Iceland is an independent parliamentary
democracy with a President as head of state. The President
is elected by direct popular vote for a term of four
years, with no term limit. He or she personifies the
integrity of the nation but is to remain apolitical,
except in cases when the political parties have difficulties
in forming a government, or fail to solve a governmental
crisis. The Althing is a legislative body of 63 members
elected by popular vote for a term of four years. Anyone
eligible to vote can run for a parliamentary seat, with
the exception of the President and the judges of the
Supreme Court. After new elections the President calls
in the leaders of the political parties for discussions
and then gives the floor to one or more in succession
to form a cabinet. A cabinet of ministers remains in
power until the next general elections. The ministers
are also members of the Althing, with few exceptions.
If they are not, they nevertheless have a seat on the
ministerial bench and have the same rights as an MP,
save for the right to vote.
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The Economy |
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The Icelandic economy is primarily based on the
use of renewable natural resources and its highly educated
and skilled labor force. The most important natural
resources are the country's rich fishing grounds and
abundant hydro and geothermal energy. The economy has
traditionally been based on fisheries and agriculture
but has in recent decades expanded into the manufacturing
industry and services. At the same time diversification
within the fisheries sector has been achieved through
the exploitation of new species, new modes of processing,
new products, and new markets.
By using its comparative advantage
and an open trade policy Iceland has managed to defy
the limitations of a very small economy and achieve
one of the highest living standards in the world.
The last few years have seen some
major economic reforms in Iceland. Capital market liberalization,
a low inflation rate and a stable exchange rate have
paved the way for closer economic integration with Europe.
The agreement on the European Economic
Area (EEA), which the Icelandic parliament has approved,
will extend the "four freedoms" of the European
Community - free movement of goods, services, capital
and labor - to the EFTA countries beginning in 1994.
Most EC rules on competition and state aid will also
apply to the EFTA countries.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce
has been heavily engaged in preparing the legislative
reform of financial markets and trade that has been
enacted in Iceland in connection with the EEA-Agreement.
The Ministry has also been active in promoting Iceland
as a location for power-intensive industries.
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| Education
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| Iceland has a high standard of
education, illiteracy is unknown and Icelanders are
generally very interested in - and well informed about
- foreign affairs. They are also open to new trends
and eager to implement new technology.
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| Health
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| All hospitals have excellent standards
of medical care. Iceland runs one of the most expensive
health-care systems in the world, the cost per capita
being $1,353 (PPP value). The health-care system, as
a whole, receives 40,5% (in 1989) of the national budget,
education comes in second with 15%, while other categories
are well below 10% each. The Icelandic health-care system
is considered among the best in the world.
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| The
museums |
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Almost every single district has its
own rural museum with its own local history and special atmosphere,
to say nothing of the galleries and museums found in the capital. All
are well-worth a visit, giving invaluable insight into Icelandic life
and culture, both past and present.
(See
our list of museums)
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Nightlife |
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Icelandic nightlife is renowned for
its vibrancy. In all major towns there are nightclubs,
cafes and cinemas.
The country's three leading theatres
are the National Theatre, the Reykjavik City Theatre and the Akureyri
Municipal Theatre. These close down for the summer. A performance
entitled "Light Nights" is performed in English during the
tourist season and features traditional Icelandic stories and folk
songs. The excellent Iceland Symphony Orchestra gives weekly concerts
at the University Theatre from September to June.
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| Sport
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Swimming is the Icelanders'
recreational sport of choice. Due to the abundance of geothermal
water there are countless open-air swimming
pools throughout the country which are open year-round. Fishing,
hiking and horseback
riding also figure highly. The main spectator sports are soccer,
handball, basketball and field athletics. The Icelandic national
handball team is of international standard.
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