GOVERNMENT. At the head of the administra tion is a Governor-General, appointed by the King of Denmark. and exercising his authority under the supervision of the Secretary for Ice land at Copenhagen. The Althing. or the Parlia ment of the colony, although in existence since the Norwegian occupation, had not attained its full power before 1874,when the new Constitution granted by the King of Denmark endowed it with complete legislative authority. The Althing consists of 36 members, of whom 30 are elected by the people, and 6 appointed by the Crown. It is eontened every two years, and is divided into Iwo Chambers, of which the upper is com posed of six elected, and as many appointed mem bers. and the lower one consists of 24 elected niembers. For purposes of administration the island is divided into three distriets—the South, the West. and the North and East—administered by two officials having their seats at Reykjavik and Akreyri. The districts are subdivided into 20 smaller divisions know n as syssels. and admin istered by sheriffs. who perform the functions of tax collectors. and judges of first instance. At Iteykjavik there is a court of second instance from which appeals are made to the Supreme Court at. Copenhagen. The revenue is derived from customs and tax on spirit., tobacco, coffee, and sugar. Elementary education is well pro vided for, and the number of illiterates is re markably small. There are also a number of higher schools, a theological seminary. and a cob lege at Reykjavik, with about 100 students. For religious purposes Iceland forms a separate bishopric in the Lutheran Church.
Port LAT1ON. The population, estimated at -over 46.000 at the beginning of the nineteenth century. was 72.422 in 1880; 70.927 in 1890. The birth-rate is large, hut it is offset by the large infant mortality resulting from the severity of the climate. The Icelanders are 1 if Scandinavian origin, and belong exclusively to the Lutheran Church. They live mostly 011 isolated farms, there being very few settlements.
Ilisroar. Iceland was not visited by Euro peans, as far as is known, until the end of the eighth century, when some Celts landed on the island, but its history really dates from about 870, when various Norsemen discovered it. chief ly by accident. One of these. Fhlki Vilgerthar son, gave it its present name. Soon thereafter the eallle in large numbers, owing to the despotism of Harold llaarfagr (q.v.) at home. and permanent settlements were made, among them the present capital. Reykjavik. The settlements were all independent of one another, vial for some time the only bond of union was furnished by their common religion. until finally in 927 one Plfljotr was sent to Norway to pre pare a code of laws. Ile did so, returning in 930. His Constitution provided for a yearly assembly. but all details are lacking to us. .laity legal changes, however, had to take place before even a semblance of order prevailed in Iceland. In time, regular territorial divisions appeared, and a system of law very similar to that of .knglo Saxon England. The most important event in the early history of ieeland was the conversion of its inhabitants to Christianity. The first mis sionary was Thorvaldr Kothranson, who came in 981, but after five years left the country, having tailed utterly. More suecessful was the attempt made under the auspices of King Olaf Trygg-•a son of Norway (995-In0o), who introduced Christianity. chiefly by force, in the year 1000.
Under the influence of the new religion civiliza tion gradually spread. and the laws became milder. Until 11(13 leeland belonged to the prov ince of the .\relibishop of Bremen, later to that of Lund. Meanwhile the kings of Norway re garded Iceland with a jealous eye. for it was a place of rt tuge for all their rebellious subjects, hut all attempts to conquer it failed for many years. The history of the island was mainly one of rivalries of different chiefs. and about the be ginning of the twelfth century all the contests in the land were connected with those of the three sons of sturle, the historian Snorri, •hord, and Sicglivat, the most powerful chiefs of their time. By marriage and other means, Sturle Thordson bad become !pular, or supreme magistrate, of sev eral for these offices were hereditary in certain families. These offices he transmitted to his sons. who. however. were unable to agree. Finally. in 1262, Norway having been appealed to, King Hakon of that country induced Iceland to join its fortunes to dint of Norway. The pros perity of the country from that time onward rapidly declined as strict navigation laws were enforced. in 1 i tJ Iceland, joined together with Norway, came under the Crown of Denmark. Much of the subsequent history of the island is tilled with the relation of physical evils which desolated the land, and effeetually subdued the spirit of its inhabitants. Thus there were re peatedly severe volcanic eruptions, and between 1402 and I 404 the black death depopulated the island, sweeping away. it is said. two-thirds of the population. In 1510 Christian Ill. of Den mark began to introduce into Iceland the Refor mation. 'Which rapidly prevailed throughout the whole country. Its since that. time has been on the whole scarce in striking events. During the Napoleonic. wars England eaptured it, hut gave it back to Denmark by the Treaty of Vienna in 1815. The Althing or Legislative As sembly, whieh had existed since the earliest times, was now dissolved, but was reorganized in 1843. For many years constitutional conflicts with Denmark went on, which were finally amicably settled in 1874. Since then Iceland has had practically home rule.
BinuormAenr. Nicol, iIn llislorieal and ne rertplire Arrount of Ireland, Greenland. and the Faroe Islands ed.. Edinburgh, 1844 ) : Ebel, Ocographiseh• Xaturkunde eon Island (K?Inigs berg. 1s501 : Forbes, Ireland (London, 1860) ; Lindsay. "Flora of Iceland," in Edinburgh l'hil cAophiral Journal (Edinburgh. 1861 ) : Baring Could. Iceland 1864) ; :tlaurer, Island eon. seiner erste,: Entderkung biszum Unlergangc des Freislaatrs (Munich, 1874) ; Kaalund, Bid rag of en historisk-lopografisk Beskri•else of Island (Copenhagen. 1877-82) ; Headley, The Island of Fire (Boston, 1S75) t Burton, Ultima Thule, vol. i. (Edinburgh. 1875) ; Maurer. Zur politisehen Gesehichtr Islands (Leipzig, 18801; 01(6, Denmark and !edam! (London, 1882 ) ; Peestion, loss Land und seine 13eurohner (Vienna, 1855) ; Schweitzer, isiond (Leipzig, 1885) ; Baumgartner. Island end die Fortier (Freiburg. 1889) ; De Croote, island (Brussels, 1s90 ) : McCormick, 4 Bide ieross Iceland (Lon don. 1892) ; several articles in Ocogrotisk. Tids krift (Copenhagen. 1897-1901) ; Kornerup, is land (Copenhagen. 1900) ; Thorvald Thoroddsen, Gesell ichte der isliindischen Geographic (Leipzig, 189R ).