Iceland review - 2016, Page 79

ICELAND REVIEW 77
HISTORY
poverty existed. Between 1870 and 1914,
almost one-in-four Icelanders emigrated
to North America, mostly Canada, seek-
ing a better life for themselves and their
families.
Iceland was very isolated in 1900. A
few ships a year came with post and pas-
sengers, and the biggest political debate
that year was not independence from
Denmark, or how the government spent
the few krónur available, but whether or
not Iceland should be connected to the
world via telegraph cable. Farmers even
rode to Reykjavík, to protest against the
stupid notion of connecting the country
to the wide world out there. Six years
later, in 1906, Iceland was at last con-
nected—a mere 30 years after the sec-
ond-last country: New Zealand.
While opportunities for international
travel were severely limited, traveling
within Iceland was also difficult. Some
people traveled to other parts of the
country by ship. On land, you had two
options: travel either by foot or horse
over the many mountains and unbridged
rivers. There were no roads or navigable
rivers connecting the country’s regions
at this time. In Southeast Iceland, peo-
ple and horses even ventured over the