Iceland Government

The Republic of Iceland is a constitutional Republic, having adopted its constitution in 1944. The government is made up of an executive wing, a legislature, and a judiciary system. Iceland has the longest-serving parliament - it has existed since 930. The parliament is housed in the Alþingishúsið which is located in Reykjavík. The country elects its president and members of parliament every four years. The president has no limit on the number of times they can run.

The president, parliament, and local councils are voted in every four years, although the elections are not conducted at the same time. The president has an unlimited number of times they can run.Citizen voter eligibility for this country has been set at 18 years and above. The Althingi members are elected from constituencies through proportional representation. There are several political parties in Iceland with the Independence Party being the greatest by the 1970’s. The second most prominent party is the progressive party of 1916 with the Social Democratic Party as a competitor. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the country’s first female president in 1980.

Iceland’s parliament, referred to as the Althingi, was formed in 930 and is housed by parliamentary buildings referred to as the Alþingishúsið. The building dates to the 19th century, designed by a Danish architect by the name of Ferdinand Meldahl. It is located in Reykjavík. The building of the structure started in 1880 and ended in 1881. The building has housed a library antiquaries collections, a national gallery, and even presidential offices. Through an article of the constitution, the president is required to strictly stay in or close to Reykjavík. All the presidents have stayed in Bessastaðir which is in Garðabær.

Iceland is home to a number of political parties. These include the Independence Party, the Left-Green Movement, the Progressive Party, and the Social Democratic Alliance, among others.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Reykjavik
Languages	Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Ethnic Groups	Homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Religion	Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (official) 69.9%, Roman Catholic 3.8%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.9%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 2%, Asatru Association 1.1%, The Independent Congregation 1%, other religions 4% (includes Zuist and Pentecostal), none 6.1%, other or unspecified 9.2% (2017 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	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)
Area	103,000.00 km²
Water Area	2,750.00 km²
Land Area	100,250.00 km²
Population	335,878.00 Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller agglomerations are primarily found along the coast in the north and west
Location	Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the United Kingdom
GDP(PPP)	$16,150,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$48,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are fish and fish products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Norway, Germany, the United States.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, and textiles.
Climate	Temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain	Mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Learn More	Iceland

Iceland Government

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