In 1986, that is the year, when the entire world got to know about Iceland.

 

Ronald Reagan changed his mind. In six years in power, he always refused to speak to his Soviet counterpart. His policy resumed in isolation and deterrence. But a recent incident proved that the absence of communication could have led to a nuclear confrontation. So he decided initiate what will later become “détente”, generate the fall of the Iron Curtain, and end the Cold War. Yes, the Gipper will have a talk with Mikhail Gorbachev. The leaders agreed on Iceland. Why? History does not tell.

 

Antedating this event, is the chest championing match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, but that was way back in 1972.

 

Many moons before those dates that brought Iceland to international prominence, in 874 AD, Ingolfr Armason, a Norwegian, became the first modern human to settle on the island. More than a century later, Leifur Eiríksson became the first European to come to North America, 400 years before Columbus.

 

Among the Scandinavian countries, Iceland seems to be a special attraction. Only Greenland separates it from the North Pole. It is a “simple” country. It is cold all the time, except in July and August, but the temperature hardly ever dropped below 0*F. It is relatively small (103,000 square kilometers, the size of Kentucky) and sparsely populated: 335,000 inhabitants. In terms of population density, it comes just ahead of Australia and Namibia among the last on the list.

 

The average Icelander lives a healthy life, and dies at 83. Infant mortality is very low: 2.1 per 1000 live births.

 

The population profile is more columnar than pyramidal, i.e. they have as many youths as retirees. Over the last decade, the workforce has been considerably reinforced by Eastern Europeans (Polish and citizens of the former Soviet republics, such Lithuania).

 

The official language is Icelandic, but everyone speaks English… with an American accent. A significant minority speak Danish, Swedish, or German.

 

After the crash of 2008, the economy strived for a few years. Some Icelanders had to emigrate. But now, the economy is booming again. It has always been based essentially on manufacturing and the fishing industry. Recently came the tourism boom. In 2016, 1.7 million people visited Iceland, that is 5 times as many visitors as the entire country’s population.

 

The krona (ISK) has doubled in value: now it is exchanged at 103 Kronas for a 1 US dollar. The GDP is 16 billion dollars ($48,000 per capita). The unemployment rate is 2.7%. No Icelander lives under the poverty level. They have one of the world’s fairest income distribution. With a GINI of 28 and a flat tax, they are among the 15 most equalitarian nations in the world. Please, compare Iceland’s GINI score with America’s 46, and China’s 42, i.e, they even beat a communist nation in terms of income equality!

 

Iceland has been inhabited, “colonized” since the 9th century AD. From a large part of their history, they were occupied by Denmark. They became fully independent in 1944. They have a president and a prime minister. Their elections are by universal suffrage.

 

They like being neutral on the international scene. But the British would not accept their neutrality during WWII… They invaded the island, and were eventually replaced by the Americans who stayed there until 2006…

 

The poor farming country benefited enormously from the Great War, in infrastructures (roads and airports were build). Subsequently, the Marshall Plan was a boon for them; per capita, they received the most money than any other nation.

 

Today, Iceland, the small state of 335,000 souls, is known as a premier nation in the world for peace and prosperity. It ranks first on the Global Peace Index, ninth as in the contest for the title of most developed nation. It runs almost exclusively on renewable energy (very little petroleum) using mostly geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric sources. In 2010, it was voted the Greenest Country in the world, by Guiness .

 

In February 2009, Iceland became the first country in the world to have a woman head of state in a same sex union. In June 2010, same sex marriage became law in Iceland.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TraveloGanza/

 

(O. Robert Jeanlouie, Friday, August 18, 2017)

The Traveller

*Join World Travelers, the Facebook group

for Travel-O-Ganza, the Travel Club for Professionals

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