Portal:Iceland
Iceland i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]) is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. The country is sometimes erroneously called The Republic of Iceland and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic, but the official name is rather like the official name of Canada - simply the country name. One example of the former is the name of the Constitution of Iceland, which in Icelandic is Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands and literally means "the Constitution of the republic of Iceland", but note that "republic" is not capitalized. The official title of the President of Iceland (Forseti Íslands) does also not include the word republic as in some other republics. See also Names for Iceland. Template:/box-footer Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. Hrafnkels saga 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 duellist 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. It 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. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. The image shows the only part of the crater of the volcano Grímsvötn in Iceland not covered by the ice of Vatnajökull glacier in 1972. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. Einar Jónsson (May 11, 1874 – October 18, 1954) was an Icelandic sculptor, born in Galtafell, a farm in southern Iceland. Unlike most other sculptors, Einar worked almost entirely in plaster. This had to do partly with the lack of good modeling clay in Iceland, but it allowed Einar to work on his individual sculptures for years. Spending over a decade on a particular piece was not uncommon for him. The themes for his works—public monuments, private commissions, and private works—are frequently drawn from Norse mythology and Icelandic folk tales. Einar's world is populated by angels and trolls, by beautiful women and bold warriors, and most of all a layer of symbolic content that can invariably be felt, but not always understood.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found. Subdivisions: Eastern Region • Capital Region • Southern Region • Southern Peninsula • Vestfirðir History: Timeline • Settlement of Iceland • Icelandic Commonwealth • Age of the Sturlungs • Cod War Politics: Parliament (Alþing) • President • Prime Minister • Ombudsman • Cabinet • Constitution • Elections • Administrative divisions • Political parties Geography: Climate • Geology • Glaciers • Volcanoes • Waterfalls • Lakes • Rivers • Transport Economy: Stock Exchange • Icelandic Króna • Banks Military: Iceland Air Defence System • Icelandic Crisis Response Unit Demographics: Language • Religion • Subdivisions Culture: Architecture • Art • Cinema • Cuisine • Education • Literature • Media • Music • Prostitution • Public holidays • Sport • Television • Whaling Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem (Lofsöngur) Lists: Outline of Iceland • Index of Iceland-related articles Template:/box-footer
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