Iceland is the island home to Alþingi, founded in 930 and often called the world’s oldest surviving parliament.
The assembly was established by Icelandic chieftains at Þingvellir, a dramatic rift valley east of present-day Reykjavík. It met there annually to debate laws, settle disputes, and make public announcements. Iceland’s landscape at Þingvellir reflects the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Alþingi’s original outdoor assembly continued until 1798, when Danish authorities dissolved it. It was restored in Reykjavík in 1844, and Iceland’s modern parliament retains the historic name Alþingi. Iceland became a sovereign state in 1918 and a republic in 1944.
The island is sometimes confused with Greenland, the world’s largest island, which lies farther west and is politically autonomous within the Kingdom of Denmark. Iceland is much smaller and is known for volcanoes, glaciers, geothermal areas, and a population concentrated around the capital region.