Gyrfalcon; national colors: blue, white, red.
Title | "Lofsongur" (Song of Praise) |
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Lyric/music | Matthias JOCHUMSSON/Sveinbjorn SVEINBJORNSSON |
Date of Independence | 1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark; birthday of Jon SIGURDSSON, leader of Iceland's 19th Century independence movement) |
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National holiday | Independence Day, 17 June (1944) |
Legal system | civil law system influenced by the Danish model |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Several previous; latest ratified 16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944 (at independence) |
Amendments | Proposed by the Althingi; passage requires approval by the Althingi and by the next elected Althingi, and confirmation by the president of the republic; proposed amendments to Article 62 of the constitution – that the Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the state church of Iceland – also require passage by referendum; amended many times, last in 2013 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Iceland |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 3 to 7 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Halla TOMASDOTTIR (since 1 August 2024) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON (since 9 April 2024) |
Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the prime minister |
Elections/appointments | president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 1 June 2024 (next to be held in June 2028); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition becomes prime minister |
Election results | 2024: percent of vote - Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 34.1%, Katrin JAKOBSDOTTIR (Left-Green Movement) 25.2%, Halla Hrund LOGADOTTIR (independent) 15.7%, Jon GNARR (Social Democratic Alliance) 10.1%, Baldur PORHALLSSON (independent) 8.4%, other 6.5% 2020: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON reelected president; percent of vote - Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 92.2%, Gudmundur Franklin JONSSON (independent) 7.8% 2016: Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON elected president; Gudni Thorlacius JOHANNESSON (independent) 39.1%, Halla TOMASDOTTIR (independent) 27.9%, Andri Snær MAGNASON (Democracy Movement) 14.3%, David ODDSSON (independent) 13.7%, other 5% |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral Althingi or Parliament (63 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms) |
Elections | Last held on 30 November 2024 (next to be held by 30 November 2028) |
Election results | Seats by party - SDA 15, IP 14, Reform Party 11, People's Party 10, CP 8, PP 5; composition - men 34, women 29; percentage women 46% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Haestirettur (consists of 7 judges) |
Judge selection and term of office | Judges proposed by Ministry of Interior selection committee and appointed by the president; judges appointed for an indefinite period |
Subordinate courts | Appellate Court or Landsrettur; 8 district courts; Labor Court |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Svanhildur Hólm VALSDÓTTIR (since 18 September 2024) |
Chancery | House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, #509, Washington, DC 20007 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 265-6653 |
FAX | [1] (202) 265-6656 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.government.is/diplomatic-missions/embassy-of-iceland-in-washington-d.c/ |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Carrin F. PATMAN (since 6 October 2022) |
Embassy | Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik |
Mailing address | 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 |
Telephone | [354] 595-2200 |
FAX | [354] 562-9118 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://is.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Thingvellir National Park (c); Surtsey (n); Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice (n) |
Want to know more about Iceland? Check all different factbooks for Iceland below.