In Focus
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.
In Focus: Iceland Leaves Enormous Environmental Footprint
Iceland is renowned as a ‘green’ country in many ways, yet it certainly does have its dark sides in terms of environmental impact. Food waste, recycling, and waste management issues are pressing environmental concerns for the country as it leaves a large environmental footprint
In Focus: The Cost of Iceland’s Nature
Iceland became an incredibly popular tourist attraction in a very short period of time, and it became increasingly clear that its natural treasures weren’t prepared for such a large number of people.
In Focus: Icelandic National Church’s Council of Specialists & Sexual Violence
The Icelandic National Church has faced scrutiny since the mid-90’s, due to its poor handling of the sexual assault accusations of its priests. In 1996, bishop of Iceland Ólafur Skúlason was accused of sexually assaulting a woman numerous times.
In Focus: Government Disbands Over Paedophile’s ‘Restored Honour’
Restored honour for a paedophile leads to the government crumbling due to breached confidence
