The Iceland year-book - 01.01.1926, Side 57

GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION,
INDUSTRIES, ETC.
Constitution, The colonization of Iceland
Government, and took place during the last quar-
Adimnistration. ter of the 9th and the first quar-
ter of the 10th century of the
Christian era (874—930), the early settlers being
mainly Norwegian chieftains unwilling to submit
to the rule of Harald Fairhair, who was then by
relentless violence establishing himself king of all
Norway. Many of these emigrants first went to the
British Isles and thence to Iceland, generally
bringing in their retinue a large element of Celtic
blood. Apparently a considerable number of Anglo-
Saxons joined in these migrations and settled in
Iceland. Up to 1262 Iceland was an aristocratic re-
public, but in that year it passed under the sceptre
of the king of Norway and remained under Nor-
wegian suzerainty until 1380, when together with
Norway it came under Danish rule. Under the
sceptre of the king of Denmark it remained until
1918 when it was again by the Act of Union
acknowledged a sovereign state, a constitutional
monarchy united to Denmark by a common king.
The present constitution dates from 1920. The
executive power rests with the King, who exer-
cises it through ministers appointed by himself.
Acts passed by the Althing, or legislative assembly,
require the sanction of the King before they can
become law. The Althing is divided into two
Houses, the Upper House and the Lower House,
51