Yearbook 2007
Iceland. The general election in May became a success for the state-carrying Independence Party, which during its 16 years in power led Iceland from being a small fishing nation to a country with strong economy and international financial players. At the same time, the government’s toughest opponent won the Left – Green votes on its criticism of the construction of the huge power plant Kárahnjúkar and an accompanying aluminum smelter.
The business-friendly Independence Party took more than a third of the vote and passed with a couple of seats to 24. The centrist coalition partner The Progress Party instead lost 5 seats and stayed at 7. The opposition went ahead by the Left-Green almost doubled its size in Everything 9 mandate. The Social Democratic Alliance lost two seats and stayed at 18, while the Liberal Party retained its four seats.
- According to abbreviationfinder: IS is the 2-letter acronym for the country of Iceland.
According to CountryAAH, Reykjavik is the capital city of Iceland. The Progress Party left the government and instead negotiated the Independence Party and the Alliance, a new coalition that gained a majority with 42 of the 63 parliamentary seats. Geir Haarde’s independence party continued as prime minister, while Alliance leader Ingibjörg Sólrún Gisladóttir became new foreign minister.
The Institute of Marine Research in Reykjavík noted in June that the cod population around Iceland has reached a historically low level. The institute therefore recommended a reduction in the catch ratio for cod from 193,000 to 130,000 tonnes for the coming fishing season from 1 September. Despite harsh criticism from the fisheries industry, Fisheries Minister Einar K. Guðfinnsson chose to follow the recommendation.
Since the US decided in 2006 to withdraw its fighter aircraft from Iceland, the country has been without military defense. In April, an agreement was signed with Norway which, in collaboration with NATO, assumed new responsibility for I’s military security and rescue operations. In August, two Norwegian fighter planes and one reconnaissance aircraft arrived at the Keflavík air base, and the mission began with a major military exercise under NATO auspices with participants from five countries including trained counter-terrorism.
In August, Iceland decided to discontinue commercial whaling due to unprofitable. The year before the permit was granted for hunting, but the demand was weak and the whalers did not use the entire quota.
In September, Iceland had the lowest unemployment rate of 19 years. Only 0.8 percent of the labor force was registered as unemployed.
In March, a new law came into force that made it legal to sell and buy sexual services but illegal for a third party to profit from prostitution. According to the police, prostitution increased and it became more difficult to investigate illegal activities in connection with prostitution, contrary to what the legislators had hoped.
Iceland weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 3 ° C and 9 ° C can be expected over the next three months. In Reykjavík, May is still the mildest, while March is noticeably colder..
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 6-8 ° C. So the weather is not suitable for swimming.
The expected rainfall is around 14 days in March, around 12 days in April and around 10 days in May.
In the period from March to May , the sun shines on average between 4 and 6 hours a day. The sunniest weather in Reykjavík is in May, but with less sun you will have to get by in March.
Iceland’s contemporary history
Iceland’s contemporary history is the story from around 2000 until today. From the 1980s Iceland was one of the richest and most developed countries in the world, but in 2008 the country’s banking system collapsed, leading to strong political turmoil. The country underwent a severe economic recession, with three banks collapsing, which ended in 2011.
Iceland’s President from 2016 is Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson.
Iceland – Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík, capital of Iceland; 127,220 residents (2018), with suburbs 225,210 residents. Reykjavík, located on the southwestern coast of the island, is Iceland’s cultural and economic center as well as the main place for Icelandic fishing and fishing exports. Most of Reykjavik’s professionals are employed in various service industries and industries. The latter traditionally mainly includes fish processing companies, freezer series, fish canning and fish oil factories, other food industry and shipyards, but also graphic industry, mechanical engineering, textile and clothing companies and construction. Artificial fertilizers and aluminum are also manufactured in the metropolitan area.
Reykjavík is furthermore the country’s transport center, and around the port about 66 percent of the country’s exports and 75 percent of imports. The city is also the starting point for bus, boat and air routes to all the most important places in Iceland. The country’s second largest airport, which is the starting point for domestic flights, is close to the city center, while the international airport is at Keflavík, 45 km southwest of the city.
In Reykjavík there are also universities (founded in 1911), national library, national museum, Árni Magnusson’s house with the Arnamagnæan manuscripts and the house of the Nordic countries. In 2000, Reykjavík was named the European Capital of Culture.
One of Reykjavík’s oldest buildings is the market town buildings from the end of the 18th century, which consisted of low, board-covered half-timbered houses. In the middle of the 19th century, public buildings were added, such as the Latin school (1844–46, Jørgen Hansen Koch), the cathedral (remodeled 1847–48 by LA Winstrup), and Alltingshuset (1880–81, Ferdinand Meldahl). Wooden two-storey houses, also clad with corrugated sheet metal, became commonplace. After a fire in 1915, wooden houses in the center of Reykjavík were banned, and construction in concrete took off. Modern urban planning ideas (the horticultural city) were advocated in 1916 and became fundamental to Reykjavík’s development in the following decades. Reykjavík first received its first general plan in 1962. Among newer buildings, The National Theater (1928–50, Guðjón Samúelsson), the Nordic House (1968, Alvar Aalto) and the City Hall (1988–92, Margrét Hardardóttir and Steve Christer).
Prehistory
At archaeological excavations in Reykjavík, remains have been found after a farmhouse buried at a volcano eruption 898 AD. The yard is believed to have been built somewhat earlier. From the 9th century there are further traces of farm buildings, ironwork and bronze crafts. Several charcoal-fourteen dates suggest that settlement began just before the Viking Age, but most researchers hold to the younger dating.
History
In 1752, a textile manufacturing facility was built around which an urban area grew. This received city rights in 1786 (300 residents), became the seat of the administration about 1800, for everything in 1845 and for the government in 1904. After 1870, fishing expanded greatly and the population increased (12,000 residents in 1910). Through the 1913-17 port construction, Reykjavík became the center for the country’s communications and foreign trade. Extension of district heating from hot springs began in 1930. After the Second World War, many residents lived in slum barracks, abandoned by Allied occupation troops. However, the housing shortage has mainly been resolved through major suburban buildings after 1960. Today, over half of Iceland’s population lives in Greater Reykjavík.