In Focus
In Focus: Wage War
The banking collapse of 2008 took its toll on the Icelandic nation, both financially and emotionally. Icelanders came together in protest, yet perhaps surprisingly, without the leadership of their unions. Now, ten years later, Icelandic unions are fighting for the rights of their members. With many wage agreements expiring at the end of this year, […]
In Focus: Up in the Air
The world of Icelandic aviation has been showing signs of tremors recently. Even though the number of travellers in Iceland is at a high point, the two companies responsible for transporting them to the North Atlantic are floundering. Airlines Icelandair and WOW air, albeit vastly different, face similar threats to their business. Icelandair is the […]
In Focus: Whose Land Is It Anyway?
In 2011, a Chinese businessman named Huang Nubo tried to buy one of the largest farmlands in Iceland, Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum. Since Nubo was neither an Icelandic citizen nor a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), he was required to apply for an exemption from Iceland’s Ministry of the Interior in order to purchase […]
In Focus: The Alleged Death of Haukur Hilmarsson
Since the news of his death broke, two videos have been posted of Haukur. In the videos, he states his intent to fight fascism, admonishing the West for its lack of reaction to the problems in the Middle East, and describes himself as an anarchist at heart. When news broke out that Haukur Hilmarsson had been killed […]
In Focus: Midwives’ Wage Dispute
In 2013, ljósmóðir was voted the most beautiful word in the Icelandic language. The word translates to “midwife,” but its literal meaning is “mother of light.” Even if their title sounds ethereal, the members of this currently all-female profession insist that their demands for increased wages are all but lofty. The Ministry of Finance disagrees […]
Iceland’s Membership in NATO
On March 30, 1949, a large crowd convened behind a school in central Reykjavík. They were protesting the government’s decision to join the North American Treaty Organi¬sation, then in its infancy. Once a sizeable throng had formed, the group marched on Alþingi, Iceland’s parliament. They were met by a group of NATO supporters who had surrounded the parliment building, in¬tending to defend it. A riot erupted between the two groups, who only dispersed after police deployed tear gas. Five days later, NATO was officially formed, with Iceland among its founding members.
In Focus: The Bitcoin Haven
Mining for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is expected to overtake the energy consumption of Icelandic households this year as the abundance of renewable and cheap electricity has Bitcoin miners flocking to Iceland to set up shop.
In Focus: Borgarlína Project Splits Opinions
Reykjavík has sprawled out and traffic has increasingly become a problem. Borgarlína, an ambitious project to improve Reykjavík’s transportation network, has divided citizens of Reykjavík in recent months.
In Focus: Poverty and Inequality in Iceland
Even though Iceland is a prosperous country, polls suggest most Icelanders consider poverty the country’s second most pressing issue after healthcare. Despite Iceland’s relative prosperity, poverty in Iceland does exist. While global poverty is decreasing, poverty and inequality in Iceland are on the rise. Children’s poverty is rising at an alarming rate, while senior citizens […]
In Focus: Iceland Plans to Ban Circumcision
Iceland Review In Focus takes a look at all sides of the circumcision debate which has come to the fore in recent weeks, from the Iceland Review magazine.
Found in Translation
Are you familiar with Erlendur the detective, Bjartur the sheep farmer, or the lawyer turned amateur sleuth Þóra? If so, you must have read a translation of an Icelandic novel. (If not, you should.) Icelandic literature is spreading around the globe at a rapid pace, while book sales and rates of readership are down in […]
In Focus: Iceland Is Too Expensive For Hollywood
Icelandic landscape has become prominent in a lot of film blockbusters and television series. A key part of the nation’s recovery from the 2008 financial crisis was an influx of foreign investment, driven by a weaker currency. This made it possible for a lot of high profile Hollywood projects to be filmed in Iceland.
