Iceland Government

What is the capital of Iceland?

Country Name	Iceland
Full Country Name	none
Local - Long	none
Local - Short	Island
Etymology- history of name	Floki VILGERDARSON, an early Norse explorer of the island (9th century), applied the name "Land of Ice" after spotting a fjord full of drift ice to the north and spending a bitter winter on the island; he eventually settled on the island, however, after he saw how it greened up in the summer and that it was, in fact, habitable
Government Type	unitary parliamentary republic
Capital Name	Reykjavik
Capital - geographic coordinate	64 09 N, 21 57 W
Capital Time Difference	UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence	1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON, leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement)
National Holiday	Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Constitution	history: several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence) amendments: proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution – that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland – also require passage by referendum; amended many times, last in 2013

Iceland Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Iceland Government and Politics

Who is the president of Iceland?

Executive Branch:	chief of state: President Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (since 1 August 2016) head of government: Prime Minister Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (since 30 November 2017) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 June 2020 (next to be held on 1 June 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister election results: 2020: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8% 2016: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 27.9%, Andri Snær MAGNASON (Democracy Movement) 14.3%, David ODDSSON (independent) 13.7%, other 5%
Citizenship Criteria:	citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 3 to 7 years
Legal System:	civil law system influenced by the Danish model
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch:	description: unicameral Althingi or Parliament (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 25 September 2021 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote by party - IP 25.4%, PP 20.6%, LGM 12.7%, People's Party 9.5%, Pirate Party 9.5%, SDA 9.5%, Reform Party 7.9%, CP 4.8%; seats by party - IP 16, PP 13, LGM 8, People's Party 6, Pirate Party 6, SDA 6, Reform Party 5, CP 3; composition - men 33, women 30; percent of women 47.6%
Judicial Branch:	highest court(s): Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period subordinate courts: Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court
Regions or States:	64 municipalities (sveitarfelog, singular - sveitarfelagidh); Akranes, Akureyri, Arneshreppur, Asahreppur, Blaskogabyggdh, Bolungarvik, Borgarbyggdh, Dalabyggdh, Dalvikurbyggdh, Eyjafjardharsveit, Eyja-og Miklaholtshreppur, Fjallabyggdh, Fjardhabyggdh, Fljotsdalshreppur, Floahreppur, Gardhabaer, Grimsnes-og Grafningshreppur, Grindavikurbaer, Grundarfjardharbaer, Grytubakkahreppur, Hafnarfjordhur, Horgarsveit, Hrunamannahreppur, Hunathing Vestra, Hunabyggdh, Hvalfjardharsveit, Hveragerdhi, Isafjardharbaer, Kaldrananeshreppur, Kjosarhreppur, Kopavogur, Langanesbyggdh, Mosfellsbaer, Mulathing, Myrdalshreppur, Nordhurthing, Rangarthing Eystra, Rangarthing Ytra, Reykholahreppur, Reykjanesbaer, Reykjavik, Seltjarnarnes, Skaftarhreppur, Skagabyggdh, Skagafjordhur, Skeidha-og Gnupverjahreppur, Skorradalshreppur, Snaefellsbaer, Strandabyggdh, Stykkisholmur, Sudhavikurhreppur, Sudhurnesjabaer, Svalbardhsstrandarhreppur, Sveitarfelagidh Arborg, Sveitarfelagidh Hornafjordhur, Sveitarfelagidh Olfus, Sveitarfelagidh Skagastrond, Sveitarfelagidh Vogar, Talknafjardharhreppur, Thingeyjarsveit, Tjorneshreppur, Vestmannaeyjar, Vesturbyggdh, Vopnafjardharhreppur
Political Parties and Leaders:	Centrist Party (Midflokkurinn) or CP [Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON] Independence Party (Sjalfstaedisflokkurinn) or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON] Left-Green Movement (Vinstrihreyfingin-graent frambod) or LGM [Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR] People's Party (Flokkur Folksins) [Inga SAELAND] Pirate Party (Piratar) [Thorhildur Sunna AEVARSDOTTIR] Progressive Party (Framsoknarflokkurinn) or PP [Sigurdur Ingi JOHANNSSON] Reform Party (Vidreisn) [Thorgerdur Katrin GUNNARSDOTTIR] Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) or SDA [Kristrun FROSTADOTTIR]
International Law Organization Participation:	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International Organization Participation:	Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic Representation in the US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Bergdis ELLERTSDOTTIR (since 16 September 2019) chancery: House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 email address and website: washington@mfa.is https://www.government.is/diplomatic-missions/embassy-of-iceland-in-washington-d.c/ consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic Representation from US:	chief of mission: Ambassador Carrin F. PATMAN (since 6 October 2022) embassy: Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik mailing address: 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: [354] 595-2200 FAX: [354] 562-9118 email address and website: ReykjavikConsular@state.gov https://is.usembassy.gov/

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