| Show iceland s democratic tradition started by vikings in A D GREENLAND ika f EUROPE RTH ERICA atlantic ocean ca tiny northern country Is model for others no army no debt prepared red by national geographic society washington sh ington D C service iceland is a country which has never had a war and apparently it would like to retain that record in the island regret was expressed recently because iceland was not included with 31 countries in and adjoining europe listed by the president of the united states as those to which a pledge of aggression non be given although iceland celebrated her twentieth birthday only last december this nation has had 1008 years of democratic history behind it settled in the ninth century by such varied groups as irish monks and vikings it established as early as an elected assembly called the Al aiming thing losing its independence several centuries later the island fell under the influence of norway and later under the rule of denmark it was not until 1918 that iceland again became an independent state joined with denmark only by having the same king and received the new constitution that made it a young nation with a long past country of contradictions nearly square miles in area shaped like a giant flounder floating miles off the coast of greenland iceland is a country of contradictions its climate tempered by the warm north flowing gulf stream denies its arctic location little colder than many parts of the united states its farms and comfortable villages belie its forbidding name in the island fire and ice meet when snow capped volcanoes erupt sending tons of water and blocks of ice down the mountainsides glaciers and lava beds between them divide one fourth of the islands soil in the fifteenth century the black death destroyed two thirds of population years later smallpox took another victims A bad famine followed and in in 1783 occurred the worst volcanic eruption of its history wiping out farm houses and live stock and sending ashes as far as norway country without a jail in spite of disaster however and the ever present economic problems of meager soil and poor mineral deposits hard working Ic elanders elande rs boast considerable modern progress roads and telegraph and telephone lines have been built electricity has been widely installed trucks and automobiles introduced last summer iceland after using german planes and german pilots opened her own local airline and is is now flying planes plans on regular routes between the capital reykjavik and northern towns proud of its famous literature and culture iceland knew the bright light of learning when much of europe was still in darkness this small nation of less than people claims today literacy for an all normal adults returned travelers report that this island has no beggars and no jail that all its crimes are little ones follow Copper fields philosophy with no army and navy iceland has a balanced budget its estimated income for 1938 is about three and a half million dollars outgo iceland in fact recalls mr philosophy in dickens david copperfield annual I 1 income twenty pounds annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six result happiness although handicapped by lack of many raw materials plus a soil usually producing only such crops as hay potatoes and turnips the island in recent years has been making the most of other natural resources at hand its numerous and swift rivers useless for navigation are valuable as sources of hydroelectric power its hot springs for modern heating |
