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Nationalism

European political upheavals during the early nineteenth-century Napoleonic Wars had little effect on Iceland, though there was brief excitement in 1809 when opportunistic Danish interpreter Jorgen Jorgensen deposed the governor and ran the country for the summer. However, the increasingly liberal political climate that followed the war encouraged nationalism throughout Europe and was championed in Iceland by the romantic poet Jonas Hallgrimsson and historian Jon Sigurdsson , a descendent of Snorri Sturlusson, who pushed for free trade and autonomy from Denmark. Bowing to popular demand, the Danish king reconstituted the Alping at Reykjavik in 1843, which met every other year and had twenty elected regional members of parliament and six representatives of the king. Jon Sigurdsson was amongst the first members elected.

Even greater changes were on the way, sparked by the French Revolution of 1848, after which Europe's other royal families began to cede real power in order to avoid a similar fate. After uprisings in Denmark, the monarchy there became constitutional, allowing Jon Sigurdsson to point out that Iceland's 1662 oath of allegiance to the king as an absolute ruler was therefore no longer valid, and that the Old Treaty was now back in force. This didn't make him popular with the king, a situation exacerbated when he led the defeat of a bill at the Alping, in 1851, that would have legally incorporated Iceland into Denmark. Sigurdsson also managed to have remaining trade restrictions finally lifted four years later, an act which did more than anything else to improve life in Iceland by bringing in modern farm implements and wood for boats at affordable prices, while allowing the profitable export of livestock, wool and fish.

In 1871 Denmark politically annexed Iceland, an event that, though not accepted by Icelanders, gave them a favourable new constitution . Broadly speaking, this returned full legislative powers to the Alping and was ratified by King Christian IX himself, while attending celebrations at pingvellir in 1874 to mark a thousand years since Settlement. Home control of lawmaking saw further

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benefits to living conditions: the tithe system was abolished; infrastructure improved; schooling was made compulsory; improvements in boats and fishing equipment caused the growth of port towns; and farmers formed the first Icelandic co-operatives to deal directly with foreign suppliers. There followed a sizeable population boom, despite heavy emigration mostly to Canada and the US during the late nineteenth century following another spate of harsh weather, disease and livestock problems.


ANDREA

andrea cuevas says "to make better foods// and to cut diz web site
"

Iceland

Aaliyah says "Iceland is a beautiful country! Make sure to bring all your necessities. And have fun,exploring this wonderful country!"

This Has To Be!

PoorStudent says "This has to be the lamest country ever!"

coolio

omjay im so cool says "omjay iceland is like sooooo totally awsome ya knw check it out"

Iceland

crackhead says "iceland sux, go f*** yourself"

........

........ says ".........................................is diz tirng ern ?????????????????????????????????????......................................................................"

aloha

Ashley says "this sounds like a good country but you need a liitle more food"

aloha

Ashley says "this sounds like a good country but you need a liitle more food"

great

horse world says "the food here is amazing, don't knock it until you try it. this is a place where you can expierence the breathtaking landscapes, the extreme outdoors, delicious foods, a distinctive culture, and many other wonders. "

how rude!

unknown says "This is a well recpected web sit and it is upsetting to know some of you guys are leaving rude comments. I understand that you have your opinons but if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say nothing all. Well I been to Iceland and the place is absoultly beatuiful."

yUR MOM`

UNkNOWN' says "AlRiTE lETSz CEE'h hERE,

i CANt EVEN BEGiN tOO' StARt WitH WHy` yEW GUySz EAt ALl tHAT NASty StUFF...MANNNN...

lEMME`h tElL yEW GUySz NEEd tO COM tO tHE UNitEd StATES Of AMERiCA`ANd HAVE SOM CHiCkEN OR PATAtOES, BEANSz && RiCE, AHAHAHHHAHA,,,

HOpE yEW liKE WHAt i ROtE M.P,,, = ]

lAtERRR`*"

WTF

Not 4 u 2 know says "y da h3!! d0 u guys 3at dat nasty m3ss ram t3sticl3s wow ya!! must hav3 nothin 3!s3 to 3at im d0in a r3p0rt 0n u guys n i hav3 2 ask wat da fr3akin he!! was in ur mind w3n u at3 that crap , u guys need 2 c0m3 2 da U.S n get some human food cuz seriously ram t3sticl3s wtf . (d0nt 4get chick3n , p0tat0es , bread !0! . 1 m0re qu3sti0n y da h3!! do u guys 3at sharks i rath3r lick puss.i !0!"

lollipop

lanie says "lick lick lick like a lollipop!!"

lol

andrea says "lmbo!!! (laugh my butt of)"

lol

andrea says "lmbo!!! (laugh my butt of)"

~Giggle~

ASH says "Iceland sux why waste your time!!"

you suck

not gonna tell ya says "All you pu**y B***h people suck... So f**k off"

reall f0000ds

Ange Burns says "you icelandics shoruld really try thaiiii foooood"


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12/5/2008 3:46:05 PM