Tommy--Iceland

** Iceland  ** In the northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean lies an island with rich history, abominable food, and beautiful landscapes. This island is, perhaps unfairly, called Iceland. Their population is chiefly Christian, and “overwhelmingly Caucasian”. Nearly completely self sufficient (in terms of energy), it is one of the most eco-friendly nations on the planet. Iceland has a very high average life span and was at one time the U.N.’s “Happiest Country”. Why then, is its national dish poisonous, rotting shark meat called Hakarl? (Iceland) Minor issues, such as // rotting // and // poisonous // didn’t seem to discourage the two, probably starving, bearded, dirty, bruised, madmen who decided that burying deadly shark meat for a few months might make it safe to eat; unfortunately, it was safe, and the two men lead healthy, fulfilling lives and contributed to the gene pool, presumably accounting for the first person to eat a pineapple and the invention of the umbrella hat. Truly, Iceland is a land of treasures that should be enjoyed like a fine red wine: a sip at a time. Due to a recent natural disaster resulting in stopped aerial travel (here’s to you, Eyjafjallajokull), Iceland is infamous for its volcanoes, and could very well be called Fireland. In fact, it accounts for about a third of the entire earth’s volcanic activity! (Scandinavia) These magma-spewing giants create unique landscapes similar to the Moon’s, so it comes as no surprise when NASA used certain volcanic dune fields to let the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission train on terrain familiar to that which they could possibly, in the course of their careers, encounter in the deep, far-reaching corners of the massive, unforgiving universe that mortal men only dare to dream of. Jumping back more than one thousand years, another significant event took place: the Althing. Beginning in 927, the Althing, or Thingvellir, remains the longest continuously running parliament in the world. Rich in history and thick in culture, Iceland remains, one of the most fascinating countries this side of the Hyades. (Berry) Iceland was, of course, eventually settled and governed by farmers, land owners, and Vikings. Before that, however, there needed to be an island, an island formed by years of molten rock and icy ocean. Volcanoes shaped much of the early land mass and fertilized the soil; however, afterwards, huge glaciers shaped a good bit of the shoreline. Up until the time the first explorers arrived (Norwegian explorers and Irish monks), the only land mammal inhabiting the place was the Arctic Fox. (Frasier) Settlers later brought other animals, such as horses, ponies, and Norwegian hounds. Way back when, near the beginning of the Viking Age (900-1300), Iceland was largely settled by retired Vikings and certain outlaws who were exiled from the neighboring Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden. Tales of many of the Icelandic settlers are documented in Sagas and poems written and recited by the bards of Iceland, skalds. Validity of these Sagas is questioned by some. Most probably the reason is the fact that there were different types of sagas, the most known probably being the Legendary Sagas. There are also the Kings’ Sagas and The Sagas of Icelanders. (Iceland) While the latter two (and especially The Sagas of Icelanders) seem credible enough own their own, the Legendary Sagas tell the tales of Norse mythology. (Iceland) To the extent of having a major political party based on an exclusively agrarian society, Iceland is not necessarily a huge industrial powerhouse. Iceland’s main exports are fishing, hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, and tourism. (Statistics) Most of the country is powered by completely renewable energy, and very little of the country is powered by non-renewable resources, such as coal. Iceland’s fishing industry has long been one of the most plentiful and powerful in the world. Iceland still utilizes the special location of its land in many the same ways as they did in the 900s. (Scandinavia) Iceland has, in recent times, seen an extreme decline in monetary value and economy. They were hit the hardest of any modernized nation in the world. Despite the crash, they are coming back, largely due to their natural resources and renewable energy. (Economy) A new political party, named the “Best Party” has sprung up and gained power in the Reykjavik city council. Their agenda includes a new polar bear for the Reykjavik city zoo, free beach towels for all the public swimming pools, a Disney World, and free transportation for seniors. Their ideology is anarcho-surrealism. You may think that this party must be a joke, and that perhaps the people of Iceland have given up on their government. You would probably be correct. The Best Party is led by comedian Jón Gnarr and is considered by most a joke. (Best Party Wins)  Works Cited  Berry, Erick. // The Land and People of Iceland. //New York: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1959  Garrett, Dan. // Scandinavia. //Austin: Steck-Vaughn Library, 1991  Frasier, Glenda. “An Island Made by Fire and Ice.” // Crinkles // July/August 2008.  “Economy and Industry.” // Information on Iceland // 1995-2009 Accessed on 5 November 2010 []   “Best Party Wins Polls in Iceland’s Reykjavik” // BBC News //2010 Accessed on November 10, 2010[]  “Statistics” // Statistics Iceland // Accessed on 10 November 2010 [] "Iceland." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 16 Nov. 2010 []
 * Hrolf Wants You to Become a Viking/Farmer/Merchant/Land Owner **
 * Hrolf Moves to Eco-tourism and Green Energy **