Iceland established the Althing in 930, traditionally regarded as the world’s oldest surviving parliament.
The early Althing was an open-air national assembly held at Þingvellir, east of present-day Reykjavík. Chieftains and other free men gathered there to make laws, settle disputes and conduct political business. The law-speaker recited the laws from memory, making the office central to Iceland’s early legal system.
The Althing was not a modern representative parliament at its founding. It was an assembly within Iceland’s medieval commonwealth, and participation was shaped by social status and chieftainship. The institution continued until Iceland came under the Norwegian crown in 1262–1264, then changed form under later rule.
A restored national parliament was created in Reykjavík in 1845. Iceland became a republic in 1944, and the modern Althing remains the country’s legislative body. Þingvellir is now a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.