"and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Björnsson as its first president. Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. Danish King Christian X sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. In addition to this, the country received the most Marshall Aid per capita of any European country in the immediate postwar years (at USD 209, with the war-ravaged Netherlands a distant second at USD 109). The new"
"in 1799, was restored in 1844, and Iceland gained sovereignty after World War I, on 1 December 1918. However, Iceland shared the Danish Monarchy until World War II. Although Iceland was neutral in the Second World War, the United Kingdom invaded and peacefully occupied it in 1940 to forestall a Nazi occupation, after Denmark was overrun by the German Wehrmacht. Because of the island's strategic position in the North Atlantic, the allies occupied the island until the end of the war, the United States taking over occupation duties from the British in 1941. In 1944, Iceland severed its remaining ties"
"to prevent German occupation. Following a plebiscite, Iceland declared its independence on June 17, 1944 and became a republic, dissolving its union with Denmark. The Nazi occupation of Denmark unfolded in a unique manner. The Monarchy remained. The conditions of occupation started off very leniently (although the authorities banned Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti (the Communist party) when the Wehrmacht invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941), and Denmark retained its own government. The new coalition government tried to protect the population from Nazi rule through compromise. The Germans allowed the Folketing to remain in session, the police remained under Danish control,"
"Icelandic National Day Icelandic National Day (, the day of the nation's celebration) is an annual holiday in Iceland which commemorates the foundation of The Republic of Iceland on 17 June 1944. This date also marks the end of Iceland's centuries old ties with Denmark. The date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, a major figure of Icelandic culture and the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement. The formation of the republic was based on a clause in the 1918 Act of Union with Denmark, which allowed for a revision in 1943, as well"
"records indicate that around 60 to 80 percent of the male settlers were of Norse origin (primarily from Western Norway) and a similar percentage of the women were of Gaelic stock from Ireland and peripheral Scotland. Icelanders have had a tumultuous history. Development of the island was slow due to a lack of interest from the countries controlling it for most of its history: Norway, Denmark–Norway, and ultimately Denmark. Through this time, Iceland had relatively little contact with the outside world. The island became independent in personal union with the Kingdom of Denmark in 1918. Since 1944, Iceland has been"
"to the Althing was granted in 1874, giving Iceland control of all internal affairs and in 1903 an Icelandic cabinet minister replaced the Danish governors. By 1918 Iceland became a sovereign state in union with Denmark, and in 1944 Iceland was declared a sovereign republic. Importance was placed on the idea that the new nation must be based on Icelandic ideas, and not imported ones from Europe. The traditions of the Icelandic people were to be used to guide the new republic, which hoped to develop independently from Europe, with emphasis on its distinctive culture and history. Ancestry is considered"
"in 1920, which meant that Icelanders were in charge of all three branches of the Icelandic government. Union through the Danish king was finally abolished altogether in 1944 during the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, when the Alþing declared the founding of the Republic of Iceland. A referendum on 20–23 May 1944 to abolish the Union with Denmark was approved by 99.5% of voters in a 98.4% turnout. Icelandic independence movement The Icelandic Independence movement (Icelandic: ""Sjálfstæðisbarátta Íslendinga"") was the collective effort made by Icelanders to achieve self-determination and independence from the Kingdom of Denmark throughout the 19th and"
"Kingdom of Iceland. The King of Denmark also served as the King of Iceland but Iceland retained only formal ties with the Danish Crown. On 17 June 1944 the monarchy was abolished and a republic was established on what would have been Jón Sigurðsson's 133rd birthday. This ended nearly six centuries of ties with Denmark. Due to their small founding population and history of relative isolation, Icelanders have often been considered highly genetically homogeneous as compared to other European populations. For this reason, along with the extensive genealogical records for much of the population that reach back to the settlement"
"In 1942 two facilities opened to house such women who slept with the soldiers. Both closed within a year, after investigations determined that most liaisons were consensual. About 332 Icelandic women married foreign soldiers. During the occupation, on 17 June 1944, Iceland declared itself a republic, and while continuing to cooperate with the British, Canadian, and American military they remained officially neutral throughout the war. As the war drew to a close the Keflavík Agreement signed in 1948 between the United States and the Republic of Iceland stipulated that the American army would leave the country within six months, and"
"Icelandic independence movement The Icelandic Independence movement (Icelandic: ""Sjálfstæðisbarátta Íslendinga"") was the collective effort made by Icelanders to achieve self-determination and independence from the Kingdom of Denmark throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Iceland received a constitution and limited home rule in 1874. A minister for Icelandic affairs was appointed to the Danish cabinet in 1904. Full independence was granted in 1918 through the Danish-Icelandic Act of Union. This was followed by the severance of all ties to Denmark with the declaration of the republic in 1944. Through the signing of the Old Covenant in 1262, following the civil"
"slept with the soldiers. Both closed within a year, after investigations determined that most liaisons were consensual. About 332 Icelandic women married foreign soldiers. During the occupation, on 17 June 1944, Iceland declared itself a republic. The Keflavík Agreement signed in 1948 between the US and the Republic of Iceland stipulated that the American army would leave the country within six months, and Iceland would take possession of the Keflavík Airport. This did not happen for many decades, and a substantial US military presence remained in Iceland until 30 September 2006. At the end of hostilities most British facilities were"
"in 1918 and the founding of a republic in 1944. Until the 20th century, Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture, and was among the poorest countries in Europe. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 1994, it became a part of the European Economic Area, which further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance, biotechnology, and manufacturing. Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes, compared to other OECD countries. It maintains a Nordic"
"1944 Icelandic constitutional referendum A referendum was held in Iceland between 20 and 23 May 1944. Voters were asked whether the Union with Denmark should be abolished and whether to adopt a new republican constitution. Both measures were approved with more than 98% in favour. Voter turnout was 98.4%, and 100% in two constituencies, Seyðisfirði and Vestur-Skaftafjellssýsla. The 1918 Danish–Icelandic Act of Union had granted Iceland independence, but maintained the two countries in a personal union, with the King of Denmark also being the King of Iceland. The union with Denmark was dissolved on 17 June 1944. Since Denmark was"
"with the end of World War I. Second, Iceland had shown that it was capable of governing its own affairs (starting with Home Rule in 1904) and relations with other states (during World War I when Iceland was cut off from Denmark). On June 17, 1944, during the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, while the armed forces of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada were still in Iceland, a referendum was held on severing ties with the monarchy and the country voted overwhelmingly to become a republic. Danish–Icelandic Act of Union The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union, a"
"the first president. Björnsson had been regent of Iceland and the King's placeholder during the war years. He was the only president not elected directly by the people of Iceland. 1944 Icelandic constitutional referendum A referendum was held in Iceland between 20 and 23 May 1944. Voters were asked whether the Union with Denmark should be abolished and whether to adopt a new republican constitution. Both measures were approved with more than 98% in favour. Voter turnout was 98.4%, and 100% in two constituencies, Seyðisfirði and Vestur-Skaftafjellssýsla. The 1918 Danish–Icelandic Act of Union had granted Iceland independence, but maintained the"
"Denmark. The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union (1918) changed the status of Iceland into that of a kingdom in personal union with Denmark. Iceland remained subordinate to Denmark until independence in 1944 amidst World War II. In the nineteenth century Greenland and the Faroe Islands were given the status of counties, and their own legislatures were disbanded, becoming integral parts of a unitary state. They later gained home rule; the Faroe Islands in 1948 and Greenland in 1979. Today Greenland and the Faroe Islands are effectively self-governing in regards to domestic affairs, with their own legislatures and executives. However, the devolved"
"Some have suggested replacing it with a non-religious song that is more all-encompassing. Lofsöngur ""'"" (, lit. ""Hymn""), also known as ""'"" (; ), is the national anthem of Iceland. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Matthías Jochumsson. This was adopted as the national anthem in 1944, when the country voted to end its personal union with Denmark and become a republic. It is notorious for being extremely challenging to sing and its strong religious theme has been source of dispute in contemporary Iceland. The period during the late 1800s saw music in Iceland develop"
"Iceland became a fully independent republic on 17 June 1944. On 9 April 1941, the Danish envoy (ambassador) to the United States, Henrik Kauffmann, signed a treaty with the U.S., authorising it to defend Greenland and construct military stations there. Kauffmann was supported in this decision by the Danish diplomats in the United States and the local authorities in Greenland. Signing this treaty ""in the name of the King"" was a clear violation of his diplomatic powers, but Kauffmann argued that he would not receive orders from an occupied Copenhagen. Historically, Denmark had a large amount of interaction with Germany."
"as the results of the 1944 plebiscite. German occupation of Denmark meant that the revision of the Act of Union could not take place in 1943. But the referendum on abolishing the monarchy went ahead in 1944 while Denmark was still occupied by Germany and was overwhelmingly approved. At the time, the US Military had taken over the defence of Iceland at Iceland's invitation, after being occupied by Britain in 1940. Although saddened by the results of the plebiscite, King Christian X sent a letter on 17 June 1944 congratulating Icelanders on the establishment of a republic. Abolishing the monarchy"
"still occupied by Nazi Germany, many Danes felt offended that the step should have been taken at that time. Nevertheless, King Christian X of Denmark sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. The Republican Celebration was held in Þingvellir on 17 June 1944. At 13:30, Prime Minister Björn Þórðarson set the celebrations going, after which a religious ceremony was held. The Icelandic flag was raised and the members of the parliament rose from their seats as church bells rang. All declared unilaterally that Iceland would henceforth be a republic. The members of parliament then chose Sveinn Björnsson as"
"to give Iceland its own separate constitution. This constitution was called ""Stjórnarskrá um hin sérstaklegu málefni Íslands"", and was the basis of Iceland's current constitution. With the sambandslögin (""relationship law"") of 1918, Iceland became a sovereign state and in 1920 the country received a new constitution to reflect this large change. This constitution was called ""Stjórnarskrá konungsríkisins Íslands"". In early 1944 the Althing approved the cancellation of the ""sambandslögin"" and agreed to a new constitution, in addition to proclaiming a referendum to both. An election was run in May of the same year and had a turnout of 98%. 97%"
"of Kiel. A growing independence movement in Iceland led to Denmark granting it home rule in 1874 and expanding that home rule in 1904. In 1918 Iceland became a fully sovereign kingdom, titled the ""Kingdom of Iceland"", in personal union with Denmark. During Nazi Germany's Occupation of Denmark (1940) the Republic of Iceland was declared on June 17, 1944 after the result of a referendum . In the 13th-14th centuries, Denmark ruled parts of what is now Estonia. The colony was initially named the ""Duchy of Estonia"" () and is retrospectively called Danish Estonia by historians. In 1559 the bishop"
"20 November 1940, and joined in the invasion of the Soviet Union the next year. When, in 1944, the government of Regent Miklós Horthy wished to sign a ceasefire with the Allies, he was overthrown by the Nazis and replaced by a government run by the hungarist Arrow Cross movement, which ruled the country until it was overrun by the Soviets in 1945. Iceland was a free state at the outbreak of war in personal union with the King of Denmark acting as head of state. After the German invasion of Denmark (1940), Iceland lost all contact with the King."
"States, Nordic Council, NATO, and Council of Europe. There are around 18,000 Icelanders living in Denmark and 2,900 Danes living in Iceland. The relationship between Iceland and Denmark remained close after Iceland's independence, and for many years Danish was taught as the second language in Iceland, and is still taught as a third language from seventh grade onward. Iceland achieved home rule in 1874, and became a fully sovereign state in 1918, united with Denmark under a common King. In 1814, following the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via the Treaty of Kiel. Iceland, however,"
"with Denmark (then still under Nazi occupation) and declared itself a fully independent nation. Following the Second World War, Iceland was a founding member of both the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Its economy grew rapidly largely through fishing, although this was marred by disputes with other nations. Following rapid financial growth, the 2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. Iceland continues to remain outside the European Union. Because of its remoteness, Iceland has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed"
"stop to that when the war began in September. Iceland demanded Britain allow it to trade with Germany, to no avail. The occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany began on 9 April 1940, severing communications between Iceland and Denmark. As a result, on 10 April, the Parliament of Iceland took temporary control of foreign affairs (setting up what would be the forerunner of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and the Coast Guard. Parliament also elected a provisional governor, Sveinn Björnsson, who later became the Republic's first president. Iceland became ""de facto"" fully sovereign with these actions. At the time, Icelanders"
"consciousness' and for political and social changes to be made to help speed up Iceland's development. In 1854, the Danish government relaxed the trade ban that had been imposed in 1602, and Iceland gradually began to rejoin Western Europe economically and socially. With this return of contact with other peoples came a reawakening of Iceland's arts, especially its literature. Twenty years later in 1874, Iceland was granted a constitution. Icelanders today recognize Jón's efforts as largely responsible for their economic and social resurgence. Iceland gained full sovereignty and independence from Denmark in 1918 after World War I. It became the"
"Lofsöngur ""'"" (, lit. ""Hymn""), also known as ""'"" (; ), is the national anthem of Iceland. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Matthías Jochumsson. This was adopted as the national anthem in 1944, when the country voted to end its personal union with Denmark and become a republic. It is notorious for being extremely challenging to sing and its strong religious theme has been source of dispute in contemporary Iceland. The period during the late 1800s saw music in Iceland develop and flourish. Though many of their initial composers had to study and ply"
"Icelanders Icelanders () are a North Germanic ethnic group and nation, native to Iceland, mostly speaking the Germanic language Icelandic. Icelanders established the country of Iceland in 930 A.D. when Althingi (Parliament) met for the first time. Iceland came under the reign of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish kings but regained full sovereignty and independence from the Danish monarchy on 1 December 1918, when Kingdom of Iceland was established. On 17 June 1944, the monarchy was abolished and the Icelandic republic was founded. The language spoken is Icelandic, a North Germanic language, and Lutheranism is the predominant religion. Historical and DNA"
"elderly. In 1938 a dramatic series featured images of Geysir, the namesake of all other geysers. Iceland again honored Jon Sigurðsson on its issue marking the independent republic established on 17 June 1944 (and again on the 150th anniversary of his birth on 17 June 1961 and the centenary of the deaths of Sigurðsson and his wife, Ingibjorg Einarsdóttir, in 1979). In 1948, the eruption of the volcano Hekla was marked by another set of dramatic images. Since independence, Iceland has pursued a relatively restrained stamp-issuing policy, bringing out about 20 new stamps each year. There are annual Christmas and"
"the troops moved to Hvalfjörður, Kaldaðarnes, Sandskeið, and Akranes to secure landing areas against the possibility of a German counterattack. In 1918, after a long period of Danish rule, Iceland had become an independent state in personal union with Denmark and with common handling of foreign affairs. The newly born Kingdom of Iceland declared itself a neutral country without a defence force. The treaty of union allowed for a revision to begin in 1941 and for unilateral termination three years after that, if no agreement was reached. By 1928, all Icelandic political parties were in agreement that the union treaty"
"found a republic. Thus, Christian's title as King of Iceland became null and void and Sveinn Björnsson was elected the first President of Iceland by the Icelandic parliament. Christian, who believed that Sveinn had given him assurances that Iceland would not make further moves toward independence while the occupation was ongoing, felt quite badly betrayed. However, at the urging of his brother, the King of Norway, Christian still accepted the outcome and sent a message of congratulations to Iceland during the celebration of the founding of the Republic on June 17, 1944. The reading of the King's letter provoked cheers"
"remained a Danish dependency. Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to worsen, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly Manitoba in Canada. About 15,000 out of a total population of 70,000 left. However, a new national consciousness was revived, inspired by romantic and nationalist ideas from Continental Europe, and an Icelandic independence movement arose under the leadership of Jón Sigurðsson. In 1874, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and limited home rule, which was expanded in 1904. The Icelanders abolished the monarchy in 1944. The German occupation of Denmark on 9 April 1940 severed communications between Iceland"